Those who live in the San Francisco Bay Area are invited to a 4-day journey to God through prayer and reflection based on the first encyclical of our Pope Francis. A Lenten Mission will be begin Monday, March 24 through Thursday, March 27, 2014 from 7:00 - 8:30 PM at Saint Catherine of Siena Church located at 606 Mellus Street in Martinez, CA 94553. Fr. Jose Arong, who has served as a Spiritual Director on many of our Cursillo Weekends, will present: “Living Our Faith In Light of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith).” For more information, please contact St. Catherine Parish Office at (925) 228-2230. You can read this encyclical before the event by clicking on this link: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20130629_enciclica-lumen-fidei_en.html.
Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,
Those who live in the San Francisco Bay Area are invited to a 4-day journey to God through prayer and reflection based on the first encyclical of our Pope Francis. A Lenten Mission will be begin Monday, March 24 through Thursday, March 27, 2014 from 7:00 - 8:30 PM at Saint Catherine of Siena Church located at 606 Mellus Street in Martinez, CA 94553. Fr. Jose Arong, who has served as a Spiritual Director on many of our Cursillo Weekends, will present: “Living Our Faith In Light of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith).” For more information, please contact St. Catherine Parish Office at (925) 228-2230. You can read this encyclical before the event by clicking on this link: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20130629_enciclica-lumen-fidei_en.html.
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This feast brings to mind the mission of teacher and pastor conferred by Christ on Peter, and continued in an unbroken line down to the present Pope. We celebrate the unity of the Church, founded upon the Apostle, and renew our assent to the Magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, extended both to truths which are solemnly defined ex cathedra, and to all the acts of the ordinary Magisterium. The feast of the Chair of Saint Peter at Rome has been celebrated from the early days of the Christian era on 18 January, in commemoration of the day when Saint Peter held his first service in Rome. The feast of the Chair of Saint Peter at Antioch, commemorating his foundation of the See of Antioch, has also been long celebrated at Rome, on 22 February. At each place a chair (cathedra) was venerated which the Apostle had used while presiding at Mass. One of the chairs is referred to about 600 by an Abbot Johannes who had been commissioned by Pope Gregory the Great to collect in oil from the lamps which burned at the graves of the Roman martyrs. — New Catholic Dictionary Stational Church Chair of St. Peter Since early times, the Roman Church has had a special commemoration of the primatial authority of St. Peter. As witness one of the most renowned of the Apostolic Fathers, the Roman See has always held a peculiar place in the affection and obedience of orthodox believers because of its "presiding in love" and service over all the Churches of God. "We shall find in the Gospel that Jesus Christ, willing to begin the mystery of unity in His Church, among all His disciples chose twelve; but that, willing to consummate the mystery of unity in the same Church, among the twelve He chose one. He called His disciples, said the Gospel; here are all; and among them He chose twelve. Here is the first separation, and the Apostles chosen. And these are the names of the twelve Apostles: the first, Simon, who is called Peter. [Mt. 10, 1-2] Here, in a second separation, St. Peter is set at the head, and called for that reason by the name of Peter, 'which Jesus Christ,' says St. Mark, 'had given him,' in order to prepare, as you will see, the work which He was proposing to raise all His building on that stone. "All this is yet but a beginning of the mystery of unity. Jesus Christ, in beginning it, still spoke to many: Go, preach; I send you [see Mt. 28, 19]. Now, when He would put the last hand to the mystery of unity, He speaks no longer to many: He marks out Peter personally, and by the new name which He has given him. It is One who speaks to one: Jesus Christ the Son of God to Simon son of Jonas; Jesus Christ, who is the true Stone, strong of Himself, to Simon, who is only the stone by the strength which Jesus Christ imparts to him. It is to him that Christ speaks, and in speaking acts on him, and stamps upon him His own immovableness. And I, He says, say to you, you are Peter; and, He adds, upon this rock I will build my Church, and, He concludes, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [Mt. 16, 18] To prepare him for that honor Jesus Christ, who knows that faith in Himself is the foundation of His Church, inspires Peter with a faith worthy to be the foundation of that admirable building. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. [Mt. 16, 16] By that bold preaching of the faith he draws to himself the inviolable promise which makes him the foundation of the Church. "It was, then, clearly the design of Jesus Christ to put first in one alone, what afterwards He meant to put in several; but the sequence does not reverse the beginning, nor the first lose his place. That first word, Whatsoever you shall bind, said to one alone, has already ranged under his power each one of those to whom shall be said, Whatsoever you shall remit; for the promises of Jesus Christ, as well as His gift, are without repentance; and what is once given indefinitely and universally is irrevocable. Besides, that power given to several carries its restriction in its division, while power given to one alone, and over all, and without exception, carries with it plenitude, and, not having to be divided with any other, it has no bounds save those which its terms convey." Excerpted from The See of St. Peter, Jacques Bossuet. Feastday: February 14 Patron of Love, Young People, Happy Marriages Died: 269 Click Here for St. Valentine Prayer's Valentine was a holy priest in Rome, who, with St. Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II. He was apprehended, and sent by the emperor to the prefect of Rome, who, on finding all his promises to make him renounce his faith ineffectual, commanded him to be beaten with clubs, and afterwards, to be beheaded, which was executed on February 14, about the year 270. Pope Julius I is said to have built a church near Ponte Mole to his memory, which for a long time gave name to the gate now called Porta del Popolo, formerly, Porta Valetini. The greatest part of his relics are now in the church of St. Praxedes. His name is celebrated as that of an illustrious martyr in the sacramentary of St. Gregory, the Roman Missal of Thomasius, in the calendar of F. Fronto and that of Allatius, in Bede, Usuard, Ado, Notker and all other martyrologies on this day. To abolish the heathens lewd superstitious custom of boys drawing the names of girls, in honor of their goddess Februata Juno, on the fifteenth of this month, several zealous pastors substituted the names of saints in billets given on this day. The Origin of St. Valentine The origin of St. Valentine, and how many St. Valentines there were, remains a mystery. One opinion is that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Other historians hold that St. Valentine was a temple priest jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was, Valentine really existed because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom. The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in a The Nuremberg Chronicle, a great illustrated book printed in 1493. [Additional evidence that Valentine was a real person: archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine.] Alongside a woodcut portrait of him, text states that Valentinus was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius the Goth [Claudius II]. Since he was caught marrying Christian couples and aiding any Christians who were being persecuted under Emperor Claudius in Rome [when helping them was considered a crime], Valentinus was arrested and imprisoned. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentinus made a strategic error: he tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't do it, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate [circa 269]. Saints are not supposed to rest in peace; they're expected to keep busy: to perform miracles, to intercede. Being in jail or dead is no excuse for non-performance of the supernatural. One legend says, while awaiting his execution, Valentinus restored the sight of his jailer's blind daughter. Another legend says, on the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine." St. Valentine was a Priest, martyred in 269 at Rome and was buried on the Flaminian Way. He is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travellers, young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses. Feastday: February 10 Died: 543 St. Scholastica, sister of St. Benedict, consecrated her life to God from her earliest youth. After her brother went to Monte Cassino, where he established his famous monastery, she took up her abode in the neighborhood at Plombariola, where she founded and governed a monastery of nuns, about five miles from that of St. Benedict, who, it appears, also directed his sister and her nuns. She visited her brother once a year, and as she was not allowed to enter his monastery, he went in company with some of his brethren to meet her at a house some distance away. These visits were spent in conferring together on spiritual matters. On one occasion they had passed the time as usual in prayer and pious conversation and in the evening they sat down to take their reflection. St. Scholastica begged her brother to remain until the next day. St. Benedict refused to spend the night outside his monastery. She had recourse to prayer and a furious thunderstorm burst so that neither St. Benedict nor any of his companions could return home. They spent the night in spiritual conferences. The next morning they parted to meet no more on earth. Three days later St. Scholastica died, and her holy brother beheld her soul in a vision as it ascended into heaven. He sent his brethren to bring her body to his monastery and laid it in the tomb he had prepared for himself. She died about the year 543, and St. Benedict followed her soon after. Her feast day is February 10th. From: Mariz Garcia
Date:02/07/2014 11:58 PM (GMT-08:00) Subject: CURSILLO RITES AND FINAL TRIBUTE TO Mommy Adela Echiverri Hello family and friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, Please join us in giving our final tribute to our loving and joyful matriarch, Mommy Adela Echiverri as we "bid her adieu" and pray for her eternal peaceful rest.... on Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at the Memory Chapel, Forest Lawn, Covina Hills with Visitation at 5pm ROSARY at 6 pm Visitation/Eulogies 6:30 pm NOVENA FOR THE DEAD 7:30 pm Visitation/Eulogies 8:00 pm CURSILLO RITES 8:25 pm..... [Mariz and Nanay Fe on the keyboard] All musicians and songbirds are welcome to fill the air with songs, just drop in and make the best offering. If you are unable to make time on that day, the other scheduled services are as follows: Tuesday, Feb. 11th 10 am to 4 pm - Visitation 5 pm to 9 pm - Vigil Prayers Wednesday, Feb. 12th 10 am to 4 pm - Visitation 5 pm tp 9 pm - Vigil Prayers Thursday, Feb. 13th 10 am to 4 pm - Visitation 6pm to 9 pm - Vigil Prayers Friday, Feb. 14th 10 am Memorial Mass at Sacred Heart, Rancho Cucamonga Interment at a later date in the Philippines. Our condolences and prayers to the families of Sis. Letty Sabiniano [National Cursillo Secretariat-Filipino Group] and Rene Echiverri - VP I of KAPAMILYA FILIPINO MINISTRY of Sacred Heart, RC..... ...beloved children of Mommy Adela and dedicated servant leaders in our faith families. Salamat po....DE COLORES! Sis. Mariz Garcia Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,
Sis. Letty Sabinano sends her heartfelt thanks to the Cursillo Community for your prayers of support and outpouring of love for her and her family as they mourn the passing of her Mom, Adela R. Echiverri. For those who expressed an interest in the funeral arrangements, here is that information: · Vigil: Thursday, 2/13/2014, 6-9 PM at Church of Our Heritage, Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 21300 Via Verde Drive, Covina, CA 91724 · Funeral: Friday, 2/14/2014, 10 AM at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 12704 E. Foothill Blvd, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739. Feastday: February 6 Paul was the son of a Japanese military leader. He was born at Tounucumada, Japan, was educated at the Jesuit college of Anziquiama, joined the Jesuits in 1580, and became known for his eloquent preaching. He was crucified on Februay 5 with twenty-five other Catholics during the persecution of Christians under the Taiko, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, ruler of Japan in the name of the emperor. Among the Japanese layment who suffered the same fate were: Francis, a carpenter who was arrested while watching the executions and then crucified; Gabriel, the nineteen year old son of the Franciscan's porter; Leo Kinuya, a twenty-eight year old carpenter from Miyako; Diego Kisai (or Kizayemon), temporal coadjutor of the Jesuits; Joachim Sakakibara, cook for the Franciscans at Osaka; Peter Sukejiro, sent by a Jesuit priest to help the prisoners, who was then arrested; Cosmas Takeya from Owari, who had preached in Osaka; and Ventura from Miyako, who had been baptized by the Jesuits, gave up his Catholicism on the death of his father, became a bonze, and was brought back to the Church by the Franciscans. They were all canonized as the Martyrs of Japan in 1862. Their feast day is February 6th. Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Adela Echiverri, beloved mother of our dear Sis. Letty Sabiniano, who passed away peacefully yesterday in the presence of her loving family members. Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,
The February 2014 issue of the Cursillos in Christianity National Newsletter is now available at this link: http://www.natl-cursillo.org/news/nmail0214.pdf. In this issue you will find a summary of Juan Ruiz’ talk on the “Foundational Charism of the Cursillios in Christianity” which was given at last year’s National Cursillo Encounter in New York. You will find a wealth of good information in these Cursillo Newsletters. You can read the earlier ones on this link: http://www.natl-cursillo.org/news/. Another excellent source of information can be found on the “Cursillo Resource Center” page on the National Cursillo website: http://www.cursillo.org/resources/. Here you will find video and audio recordings from talks given at past National Cursillo Encounters, as well as Leadership Development articles that you can read, print, and distribute at your School of Leaders or Group Reunion meetings, or study for your own continuing education about our Christian call to be effective evangelizers for Christ in word and deed. Dear Sisters & Brothers in Christ,
Deacon Donnie Geaga, from the San Bernardino Filipino Cursillo Movement, has kindly shared his homily with us from last Sunday’s Mass. It is entitled, “The Light of Christ in the World of Darkness”, and is well worth reading. You will find the full text of his excellent homily below. Homily on “The Light of Christ in the World of Darkness” 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Is 8:23, 9:3 1Cor 1:10-13, 17 Mt 4:12-23 1/26/2014 I Introduction Do you agree with the saying, “If you look for the bad in a person, you will always find the bad and if you look for the good in a person, you will certainly find the good”? Last Christmas, a 6-year old child sitting on the lap of Santa was asked, “What do you want for Christmas?” Without blinking an eye, the child replies, “A better life!” Amazing, isn’t it? From the eyes of a 6-year old who hardly observes the good and bad around her, we would think, she sees the need for a better life, not wanting anything else a child would usually ask for. Because very often we, you and me, would always focus on what is bad, not just in a person but in our world. This includes our environment - our home, our community, our school, the church we belong to and the company we work for. We constantly whine about ineffective government policies, corrupt and self-serving politicians, biased news and print media, high crime rate, the prohibitive cost of fuel and basic commodities, unemployment, loss of homes and so on and so forth. All we see and think about is how awfully bad is the world we live in. II The World of Darkness On top of all of these politics of personal destruction are the natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, tornados, snow winter blasts, hurricanes and typhoons, etc., that have caused great loss of lives and properties. Not to mention the countless people living in poverty, deprived of their basic necessities, the marginalized, the oppressed, the unattended – the unloved. Public moral issues such as abortion, birth control, same-sex marriages, mercy killing or euthanasia, etc., have caused great division among people in many countries. It seems hopeless for most of us. We believe we live in a world of darkness. We are tired and weary of all these politics. The real need is to have vision, to see ways and means of making our world a better place to live in and to work on what we can do rather than just complain and blame each other for all these problems. This is what the 6-yr old was asking for – a better life, a better world. In his time, Jesus lived in a troubled world, which in many respects, was even worse than the world we live in today. Justice was never served. The kings, pharaohs and emperors were actually tyrants who lorded it over the people, making them their slaves, abusing and persecuting them. Roman legions oppressed the people while living in luxury and wanton abundance, oblivious to the plight of the people in need. Then God sent the Christ Jesus to give us vision and the message of hope, faith and love starting with ourselves. God in Jesus Christ tells us to take charge of ourselves first before we can take charge of others. As stewards of our body and soul we have to make something good and decent out of ourselves. As the saying goes, “Life is God’s gift to us and what we do with our lives is our gift to God.” This is the fulfillment of the prophesy of Isaiah in the first reading of today which says, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom, a light has shown.” (Is 9:3) III The Light of Christ in Our Lives Even if we live in the darkness of our sins, Jesus provides the light for our souls when he sees a repentant heart. He loves us so much that he readily looks for the good in us and then forgives and forgets so that we can walk in his light. In Matthew’s Gospel of today, upon hearing the imprisonment of John the Baptist, Jesus decided to make his move as part of the beginnings of his public ministry. Ironically, the end of the time of hope becomes the beginning of a new and glorious era. He begins his ministry in Capernaum, the farthest land in Israel -the land of darkness, a shabby location filled with pagans and those disobedient to Jewish laws. This is the kind of people Jesus calls to himself; people who eke out their existence on the edge of life. Pope Francis must love the Gospel Theme of today because it is in places like these that the Lord’s Mission is urgently needed. Sounds familiar? When we are burdened with problems like the loss of a job and/or home or the care for a very-ill loved one or the decision to have abortion to avoid scandal or other challenges that we cannot overcome that the world is crumbling down on us, isn’t it time to turn to God to seek his forgiveness and to ask for his help? God in Jesus Christ, came to heal the sick and not the righteous. Jesus begins from things that are broken and in need of repair. He is greater than all of our transgressions. Jesus preaches to us saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Mt 4:17) He is telling us that a better world is within our reach and within our grasp. He continuous to say, “Reform your lives and believe in the Good News. A better world begins when we begin to change our personal lives to seek the face of God. Also, Jesus calls us in the ordinariness of our lives, in places where we are or when we seem distant from God. No matter how dark our lives are, Jesus comes to us and calls us to his light. This was how he called his first disciples who were caught up in the tasks of ordinary life. So Jesus calls us in the state of life in which we exist. IV Conclusion So brothers and sisters, as true followers of Christ, we always remember that Repentance is central to our lives. Let us npw bow our heads in prayer. “Lord God, teach us to be repentant. Help us to soften our hardened hearts whenever we offend you and hurt other people whether verbally, emotionally or physically. Make us realize that in doing so, we also diminish our personal dignity and pride. Guide us return to your light to let your light shine upon our world to glorify you, by making a firm resolve to amend our lives and follow Christ’s teachings. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.” Deacon Donnie Geaga St. Peter & St. Paul, Alta Loma Diocese of San Bernardino |
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CONTRIBUTORDeacon Ben is the Spiritual Adviser for Cursillo Region XI which consists of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, and Fresno. To view a listing of all the past blogs, please visit our RSS Feed by clicking on the link below.
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