ORIENTATION
In order to strengthen the participant’s choice to serve God in the world, we speak of the projection of Christian living into one’s everyday environments. This is the central theme of the third day (The Fundamental ldeas of the Cursillo Movement, No. 359, pp. 140-141). In this last phase of the Cursillo, we give attention to the different fields in which their activity should develop so that they may be the Christian yeast that helps bring about a better world. This is an answer to the morning meditation.
The objectives of this talk are to present and analyze the environments the cursillistas live in and to commit them to their Christian transformation. The talk should emphasize that we are not speaking of hating the world and escaping from it or defending ourselves from it, but of winning it over for God. In this talk we propose to the cursillistas that their attitude toward the world should be characterized by an openness to others and an awareness that it is unrealistic to want to change all the structures by oneself. It should be made clear that the tactics we follow in changing the world should conform to the Gospel. We are not speaking of a systematic and dialectic change of environments. The point is to begin with oneself, to reach others and finally to reach the whole environment.
GENERAL COMMENTS
It is the third day of the Cursillo which presents the broad lines of the approach behind the Cursillo. The talks of the third day explain the strategy which makes it possible to live what is fundamental to being a Christian in the world, so we can effectively transform the world. During the third day, the cursillistas learn how to operate as formed Christian leaders in their environments.
The primary target of the Cursillo Movement is simply the renewal of the Church, but the broader renewal of all of society from its foundations. The approach of living the life of grace as the basis for renewal of society can be described as providing a backbone for Christian life. This means that Christians must be in the world, penetrating and transforming it with the spirit of the Gospel. This does not mean that the institutional church will renew society but rather, that Christians (members of the Church) working together in society (Environmental Group Reunions—those established within an environment with the goal being the Christian transformation of it) will penetrate it with a Christian life.
But more is needed than the conversion of individuals. Any attempt to build Christian life must take into account the effect of the environment as a whole of the people who make it up. Environmental transformation refers primarily to people and only secondarily to forces, customs and trends, because it is people who bear the other aspects of the environment. The ideas, attitudes and opinions of those around us condition us and exert a conforming pressure on our ways of thinking and behaving. When we speak of the Cursillo method being used to Christianize the world, we are concerned mainly about a transformation of the way people interact and form one anothers values, attitudes and behavior.
The key to environmental transformation is the action of groups of Christians deepening their life with Christ and radiating this life and all it involves in the environments, of which they are a part. These groups of Christians are known as Environmental Group Reunions. The Cursillo Movement was designed to be an instrument for providing a backbone for Christian life, a part of a movement of renewal. The three steps in providing a backbone for Christian life can be described as:
1. Christian leaders must be formed.
2. They must find their places in the work of Christianizing the world
and discover
something definite to accomplish in that work.
3. They must be linked together to work effectively
apostolically and to help one
another in their Christian life and dedication
to apostolic work.
The first objective is explained in the first two days of the Cursillo. A person must be fully Christian, dedicating his/her life to living grace and working to bring others to live it (the first day). He/she must also be formed as a Christian so that he/she will exert influence in the environment in a Christian way (the second day).
The second objective is explained primarily in the Study and Evangelization of Environments talk. The main goal envisioned by the Cursillo is the transformation of the environment in which each person finds himself/herself. In other words, the target at which the Cursillo aims is the situation in which the cursillista is already present. It asks the cursillista to transform the situation, not to take on something new. It is not suggesting that people get more involved but that they change the quality of involvement they already have.
The way the cursillistas approach their respective environments is outlined in this talk. There is an effective method which is generally applicable to all environments in which they find themselves. There are three main areas of concern which they must deal with simultaneously because the effectiveness of action in each area depends on the others. The three areas are ourselves, our friends and the environment as a whole. The cursiilista is being asked to take a particular situation he/she is in and change it so it becomes more Christian. He/She should begin by himself/herself becoming more apostolically disposed and at the same time working on one or two other people in the environment, becoming their friends, explaining to them what Christianity is and finally encouraging them to follow Christ; this is the beginning an Environmental Group Reunion. At the same tirne, he/she wiIl work in the environment as a whole trying to change the tone and direction of it. This talk does not explain the actual transformation but the initial methods to be used to begin the process of transformation.
ATMOSPHERE
By the morning of the third day, most if not all of the participants have come to a change of heart. Some are fascinated by the Christ whom they did not know or had lost and whom they have just found again. Even those who have been devout persons with a longstanding vertical relationship with God may recognize that they have done little to bear fruit for Him.They have experienced the life of a Christian community and are wondering why daily life cannot be the same. The thoughtful ones are asking, Are you going to show us how to keep what we have found? Few will have realized that this new life in Christ is not something intended only for their personal use and sanctification, that it is not something they can hide away in a safe corner of their lives.
They may be tired, especially if we have introduced nonessentials into the Weekend to create a great deal of emotionalism. But their heads are filled with ideas and their hearts with fire. They want to get going, to do something, but they are confused. Many may be apprehensive because they have not analyzed their environments, and they value the good opinion of their friends, acquaintances and co-workers excessively.
The first two days of the Cursillo have not really introduced any ideas unique to Cursillo. They have heard or read all of this before. If they are turned out into the world at this point, they might become a little more prayerful and pious than when they came to Cursillo or become a little more involved in parish activities, but they will make little progress toward changing society.
The third day must convert the participant to the Cursillo method. For this reason it is most important to hold their attention and to keep before them the challenge of Christ's call in the morning meditation, all the while laying out for them a clear road to follow in living out their personal mission to their environments.
METHOD OF WRITING THE TALK
The "Study and Evangelization of Environments" talk will have the greatest effect on the participants if it gives them a clear approach to changing the situations they are in for Christ. The talk, therefore, should be clear and systematic, laying out a method, a plan of attack. At the end of the talk, the participants should know what they have to do when they go home. The talk should also be concrete and specific. The speaker should be telling them definite things they can and should do. He/she should relate how they can work with individuals and how they can work with the situation as a whole. Most of the talk is very practical. It is the method which has been worked out from experience.
The type of witness and examples called for in various parts of the talk is very specific. Examples should be well chosen in Section 3 to illustrate differences in behavior in various environments, how the interplay of personalities develops the spirit of the environment and how difficult it is for most people to maintain a behavior pattern which contrasts with their environments. Section 3C-2 requires a great deal of care. The point to be made is simply that the environment can be transformed by strong personalities. It is not necessary to give an involved witness of Christian transformation in this section, although it would tie the talk together perfectly if an example given here could be developed later in the talk to show how the transformation came about.
In order to reassure the participants that we have a viable approach, the talk should have many examples of successful study and penetration of environments. These examples are not necessarily wėtnesses. They should be from many sources, and should, if possible, bear on the environments of many of the new participants. The examples should be short, direct, without lengthy details. This effort should require a study of the application blanks in order to know related environments, and then drawing on the file of efforts from the diocesan School of Leaders. This talk is a principal Cursillo method talk—it highlights one of the most important contributions to Christianity that Cursillo gives.
There may be a temptation to spend some time on Section 5B sharing a personal witness of the transformation of the speaker’s own life. This temptation must be avoided. Such a witness, although a significant value in the personal contact and sharing with the candidates throughout the Weekend, detracts from the objectives of the talk. It may also give a false impression as to the transformation we are presenting. The witnesses presented in Sections 5C and 5D should provide concrete examples of how we and/or our group work with others and the environment. The speaker selected to present this talk should be one who has actually brought about the Christian transformation of an environment rather than a presenter who is merely reciting the exploits of others. The use of the living witness as the basic witness throughout the talk will provide concrete examples the candidates need to hear in order to evangelize their environments.
The speaker should be careful in Section 4B not to give the impression of judging individuals, but rather of seeking to find what is lacking in the spirit of the situation and of finding a way to inject Christ into the situation. In the same way, Section 4C is not judgmental of individuals; it is a matter of finding those who have the ability to affect the situation.
The talk should have an optimistic, confident tone. It is outlining a plan for success; only minor failures are possible since it is in Christ's cause.
The time for the "Study and Evangelization of Environments" talk is 35 minutes.
1.INTRODUCTION
A. These three days of personal thought, enlightened by the grace of God,
have enabled
us to understand the need of our full and
progressive conversion. Each life must
undergo a continuous and progressive deepening
of criteria and attitudes, as a human
being and as a Chrėstian.
B. But the change cannot be limited:
• to ourselves alone;
• for ourselves alone;
• within ourselves alone.
(1) The life of our entire society must undergo such a conversion.
(2) The radical and only solution for the
problems of the world lies in Jesus Christ.
C. The laity’s mission is to transform all of society in Jesus
Christ (Vatican II,
Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, No.
7).
D. The Cursillo Movement provides a strategy and a method to achieve
this goal.
Talks of this day will outline that
strategy and method.
2. CHRISTIANITY.
A. Christianity is community (Paul VI, On Evangelization in the Modern
World, No. 13, p. 8; Vatican II, Constitution
on the Churck, No. 9).
B. The light, salt and leaven must work within the human environments
of the
world (On Evangelization in the Modern
World, No. 4, pp. 3-4).
C. Christianity is not a fortress to preserve the good from contact
with
the bad (On Evangelization in the
Modern World, No. 57, p. 35).
(2) Group ideal is the combination of
individual ideals affected by the circumstances
within the
group and the society around it.
(3) A certain spirit is generated within a
group.
(4) Environment—the
sum of ideas, persons and circumstances which exist
when people get
together. It is the spirit generated by the atmosphere of the
situation and the
people in it.
4. STUDYING THE ENVIRONMENT
How can we transform our environments for the better?
A. Study the environment to determine a strategy to transform it.
(1) Determine the nature and influence of its
spirit.
(2) Consider the effect of the more
encompassing environments (such as
business,
education, government, entertainment).
(3) Appraise the degree of influence the environment has on us (Rom. 12:21).
(4) Weigh carefully all factors (Rom.
12:2).
B. Study the spirit being generated.
(1) What is the ideal within the environment? What is the motivatėng force within it?
What is the combination of objectives that gives the environment a reason
to exist?(2) How do these affect relationships? (Give examples.)
C. Study the individuals with regard to their roles
within the environment.
(1) In each environment a few
exert more influence than the rest. To find
them we must study personalities. (Caution: speaker should not talk
in a derogatory way about followers and the impulsive but should merely
describe them.)
a. The Followers—satisfėed to imitate others actions, they lack strong convictions.
b. The Impulsive—fluctuate according to the rhythm of their emotions; their
conviction is not constant.
c. The Leaders—use their abilities to achieve what they believe is worthwhile.
They lead the way, are agents of change (2 Tim. 2:2).
(2) Their ideal
a. How far are the ideals of each from the Christian ideal?
b. How can they be brought from where they are to where we believe
God wants them to be?
D. Study the circumstances
(1) What factors influence the spirit
predominant in the environment and how?
(PauI V1, On
Evaitgelization in the Modern World, No. 40, p. 23;
No. 63, pp.
41-42).
(2) Our pluralistic society requires a special
attention because of the great variety
in thought
and standards and acceptable behavior within it (On Evangelization
in the
Modern World, No. 50, pp. 29-30).
5. THE CHRISTIAN TRANSFORMATION OF ENVIRONMENTS
(EVANGELIZATION).
What is missing in most environments is loving relationships. Only
self-giving produces
loving relationships. What is the best formula to create self-giving.
• In ourselves?
• In our friends?
• In others (the environment)?
A.In ourselves—All here and those who think as we do:
• We feel one in the same Spirit and hold
the same criterion—Christ.
• Demands courage and effort in
progressive conversion.
(1) Will—Form a group to convert
ourselves and our brothers.
(2) Knees_The levers of the apostle.
(3) Intellect—
a.
Knowledge and consciousness of what we are about.
b. Primary
interest in the business of Christ (Rom. 13:14).
(4) Hearts—Has two meanings,
a. Hope—enthusiastic, we will succeed, because God wills it
(Paul VI,
On Evangelization in the Modern World, No.
28, p. 1 7).
b. Love—taking part in the lives of others in order to
share with them
the life of Christ (1 Cor. 9:22).
B.In our friends.
(1) Heart—Win the heart to open the mind (Rom. 14:1; Vatican
11,
Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity,
No. 29).
(2) Intellect - Understand who Christ is and the life He offers.
(3) Will - Invite them to follow Christ (Paul VI, On Evangelization
in the Modern World, No. 22,
pp. 13-14; Vatican 11, Decree
on the Apostolate of the Laity, No.
6).
C. The Environment.
(1) The conscious and progressive conversion of our lives is the
effective factor in the environment
(Lk. 14:34).
(2) Pay attention to how individuals are when they are together.
(3) Change the influential individuals (leaders) in the environment.
(4) Work in the manner of light, salt and leaven (1 Cor. 5:7-8).
a. Joy and happiness are the
flavor of Christian life (1 Jn. 1:1-4;
Jn. 15:11).
b. We need the Spirit of Truth to
shed the light of the Gospel on
all
activity (Jn. 14:26)
c. Call each to his potential,
raising the tone of the environment like leaven.
d. Join with others who have the
same ideals so that a concentrated effort
is made by
a group to evangelize the environment.
(5) Respect persons, ideas, rights.
Dont give orders or directions, but
show the way
Proclaim the Gospel by work and by
word (Vatican II, Decree
on the Apostolate of the Laity, No.
6)
(7)
Daily prayer and Palanca are our first priority.
6. CONCLUSION
A. Environments are not changed suddenly or by magic.
(1) Those who accept the Gospel do not always find their way without obstacles.
(2) Life’s pitfalls often impede the Christian spirit and direction.
B. Tomorrow we will find the world as we left it on Thursday.
(1) The Gospel is meant for the whole
world
(2) The Lord has chosen to place me in
the environments that surround
me so
that I may work for their Christian transformation, linked to
other
Christians in groups, utilizing my Holiness, Formation, and
Evangelization (Apostolic Action) to achieve that transformation in Christ
(3) My change can be the leaven that
changes the rest.
1. INTRODUCTION
A. The past three days of personal thought and reflection, enlightened
by the grace of God, have provided us with the opportunity to more fully understand the
need for our full and progressive conversion. Each and every life must undergo a
continuous and progressive change of criteria and attitudes, not only as human beings, but
also, as Christians.
B. This change cannot be limited to ourselves alone, for ourselves alone, or within ourselves alone. //repeat// The life of our entire society must undergo that same progressive and continuous conversion and change. On Friday __ ____ told us, in his/her "Laity— Layperson as Church in the World" talk, that Jesus Christ is the key to our own happiness as well as being the only solution to the many grave problems confronting todays world.
C. He/She also told us that, as part of the Iaity, our mission,
given to us by Christ and His Church, is to transform all of society in and to
Jesus Christ.
D. The Cursillo Movement provides us with a strategy and a method to
live out this mission. The talks you’ll hear today will outline that strategy and
method. This talk begins by introducing you to the "Study and Evangelization of
Environments."
2. CHRISTIANITY
A. When someone asks what is Christianity, most will say it’s the
religion founded by Jesus Christ. True! But its more than that. Christianity is community!
Pope Paul VI stated in his 1975 Apostolic Exhortation on Evangelization In The Modern
World, that Those who sincerely accept the Good News, through the power of this acceptance
and of shared faith, therefore gather together in Jesus name in order to seek together the
Kingdom, build it up and live it. They make up a community which is
in its turn evangelizing.
B. We who are the light, salt and leaven must work within the human
environments of the world.
C. Christianity is not meant to be a fortress to preserve the good from
contact with the bad. Pope Paul VI further states, Like Christ during the time of His
preaching, like the Twelve on the morning of Pentecost, the Church too sees before her an
immense multitude of people who need the Gospel and have a right to it, for God wants
everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the Truth (On Evangelization in the
Modern World, No. 57).
3. ENVIRONMENT
So after two days of hearing about a mission we are all called to, that
is to Christianize environments, you may be asking yourself, What is an environment?. In
the Cursillo sense, environment refers more to people than to physical surroundings. It
refers to the over-all tone, climate, and spirit of the different situations in which we
find ourselves.
A. As I said earlier, the Cursillo Movement provides
us with a strategy. The basis of that strategy is this: Al1 of us live most of our lives
as an integral part of various groupings of people.
B. Within each of these groupings there are certain attitudes and ideas
that are acceptable to the group, certain types of behavior are encouraged, and certain
types of personalities will be predominant. Within each of these groupings, the groups
ideal is a combination of individual ideals affected by circumstances within the group and
the society around it. And within each of these groupings, because of each persons
presence to the other, a certain spirit is generated. Keeping all this in mind, the
Cursillo Movement defines environment as follows...
An Environment is the sum of ideas, persons, and
circumstances that exist when people
Get together. It is the spirit of the situation created in any human grouping. //repeat//
C. Each environment has a vital impact on the people within it.
It is so vital that people tend to conform to the spirit being generated there.
Yet there are people (leaders) with ideals and drives who actually structure, change, and influence their environments.
In like manner, we must influence the environment more than it influences us.
[The speaker should introduce his/her environment that he/she is in the process All seem to be seeking the same ideals, namely wealth, power, and
recognition,
all to varying degrees. Yet within the environment there are people who
have
ideals and drive that actually structure, change, and influence the
environment
more than it influences them.
I try to influence my environment more than it influences me, and it
can be a
very difficult task.
4. STUDYING THE ENVIRONMENT
So how can we make a difference? Where do we start? How do we know what to do? How can we transform our environments for the better? The answer to all this is to begin by studying our environment!
There are four steps to follow which aid us in transforming the environments we are in:
(1) Study the environment to determine a strategy to transform it;
(2) Study the spirit being generated;
(3) Study the individuals with regard to their roles within the environment; and
(4) Study the circumstances.
Repeat the four steps above.
A. We must study the environment in order to determine a strategy to transform it.
Only through studying the environment can we determine the nature of its spirit and the influence of its spirit. By nature of its spirit we mean an environments basic trait or set of traits that define and establish the prevailing behaviors and attitudes. By influence of its spirit we mean an environments power to produce an effect through the prevailing behaviors and attitudes.
In studying the environment our consideration of the effects of the more encompassing environments is extremely important. When we study one of the more basic environments (such as family, work, friends) look at the affects other more encompassing environments (such as social, business, political, educational) have on them. It may well be that ones other environment so influences this particular environment that a different approach may be needed to actually transform the target environment.
Also our accurate appraisal as to what degree the environment is influencing us is very significant. We can look at and study how we and others act and react within the environment .in comparison to how the same people act and react outside of that environment. The more we understand our place in our environments the more precise the study of our environment becomes.
All in all, it is essential that we carefully weigh all factors. The overall spirit of an envėronment is more than just the sum of the personalities of its individual members.
[Speaker should provide witness as to how he/she studied his/her environment in order to determine a strategy to transform it.] (See example.)
EXAMPLE WITNESS: ln order to determitze a strategy to transform (evangelize) my environment it was essential that I determine the nature and influence of its spirit. The legal profession is made up of many very aggressive, motivated, and ambitious people. People who have a definite plan to get to where they want to be at any place and time in their career. These same people have certain attitudes and the behavior that flows from those attitudes, good or bad, has a tremendous effect on all who work in the environment or come in contact with its members.
I also had to assess the degree to which this environment influenced me (sometimes good, sometimes bad). This necessitated taking certain steps in my life to prevent myself from being overwhelmed and dragged back into all of its craziness.
B. Study the Spirit being generated.
The next step in the process of studying the environment is to study the spirit being generated in the environment. When doing so, ask yourself these questions:
• What is the ideal of the envėronment?
• What is the motivating force?
• What is the combination of objectives?
How do these ideals, motivating forces, and combinations of objectives affect relationships?
C. Study the people with regard to their roles within the environment.[Speaker should continue with the witness begun in Section 3 and provide concrete examples as to how he/she studied the Spirit in his/her own environment.J
EXAMPLE WITNESS: The legal profession in Rhode Island is no different than in most states. The generally stated ideal is the protection of individual and corporate rights. The additional or real ideal is to earn as much money as possible for as long as possible. The client base in Rhode Island is shrinking. The quest to attain the ideal (now more than ever) causes a great deal of conflict within the general environment between lawyers and law firms (win at all cost). Generally speaking, there has been a gradual but definite decline in respect for each other-lawyer-to-lawyer-lawyer-to-court-
court-to-lawyer. Relationships that were once cordial and profrssional have become antagonistic and reduced to a form of professional street-fighting. Many relationships have been destroyed by the competition for clients. The very nature of the legal business has been a major contribution to this deterioration. The lawyer-to-lawyer relationships have deteriorated to such an extent that the Bar Association was required to conduct a seminar entitled Dealing With the SOB Lawyer!However, regardless of how hopeless the situation may appear, it can be controlled. The relationship mentioned earlier are usually lacking certain elements that make them stable and long-lasting.
The third step is to Study the People with regard to their roles within the
environment. We study people with regard to their place in the environment. There are
always a few people who exert a greater influence on their environment than do the rest.
To recognize who they are it is necessary to study their
personalities. There are three distinct personality types we will review to help us
understand which people will exert the greater influence on
the environment: (1) the Followers;
(2) the Impulsive; (3) the Leaders.
The Followers are those who are normally satisfied with imitating other peoples actions, they usually lack strong convictions.
The Impulsive are those who waver according to the rhythm of their own emotions. Their conviction is not constant.
The Leaders are those who use their abilities to achieve what they believe is worthwhile. They lead the way and are considered the agents of change. St. Paul recognized the value of this attribute and advised Timothy in his second letter Chapter 2:2 as follows; And what you heard from me, through many witnesses, entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well.
We also study these people with regard to their ideal.
How far is their ideal from the Christian ideal?
How can they be brought from where they are to where we believe God wants them to be?
[Speaker should provide witness from
his/her environment as to how he/she studied
the persons and identified the various
types.]
EXAMPLE WITNESS: Within my environment thereare any number ofi mpulsives and leaders, but few followers. Every lawyer believes he/she is a leader—a person who can influence the decisions of others—or to re-direct them to their leaders in their quest to succeed.
By studying the many personalities of those I came in contact with, several leaders emerged such as John and Dennis. Others, like my partner, were more content to lead on occasion and to follow on other occasions. His leadership qualities emerge when he truly desires to accomplish something he believes in.
John is certainly a leader, but his ideal was somewhat distant from the Christian ideal. His ideal was the accumulation of material things, but he
was not so attached that he was unable to let go. He could, with some work, effort, and prayer, be brought to a closer relationship with God. The same applied to Dennis.Dennis was a bit more open and believed there
was more to life than just practicing law and making money. But nonetheless, he had set his ideal on becoming one of the first black attorneys to be a sports agent and beyond that to president of a major sports association.
D. Study the circumstances
The fourth and final step of studying the environment is to: "Study the Circumstances"
Its essential to know what factors influence the spirit ofour environments, and how? You might consider factors such as Customs, Laws, and Cultures.
We live in a nation in which numerous distinct ethnic, religious, or cultural groups coexist. The study of the circumstances stemming from such a pluralistic society will certainly require special care and attention.
EXAMPLE WITNESS: My initial environment has had a variety of cultures, ethnic groups, and religious beliefs with the group. John was a non-practicing Episcopalian, Dennis a Southern Baptist (rarely attending services). ]oe, my partner—a non-practicing Catholic—and me. My intention was not to convert everyone, but rather to lead them to a way of life that would allow them to grow as a person and as a child of God.
As you can see, the study of our environments, with
an eye to bringing about their Christian transformation, requires a lot of effort and
commitment on our part. In order to have any degree of success in this work, it is
important to utilize the four steps in studying the environment as I have tried to do in
my environments.
5.THE CHRISTIAN TRANSFORMATION OF ENVIRONMENTS
(EVANGELIZATION).
Now I’d like to talk about the Christian Transformation of Environments; better known as The Evangelization of Our Environments.
Remember earlier I told you there was something
missing in most environments. What is missing in most environments is loving
relationships. It is only through self-giving that loving relationships can develop.
So our next question should be this; what is the best formula to create
self-giving in this environment?
We’ll examine this from three different perspectives.
What is the best formula to create self-giving—(1) in ourselves? (2) in our friends? (3) in others?—that is to say, the whole environment.
A. In Ourselves.
Lets examine how to create self-giving in ourselves. When I say, ourselves, I mean to include all of us here and all those who think as we do (e.g., your sponsors and others who have participated in the Cursillo). With these people were going to feel one in the same spirit, and hold the same criterion; that is Jesus Christ. But even under these circumstances, to create self-giving in ourselves will demand a lot of courage and a lot of effort in our own progressive conversion.
To create self-giving in ourselves we make use of
four elements. You’ll probably remember talking about them briefly in his/her
"Evangelization" talk yesterday. They are: (1) Our Wills;
(2) Our Knees; (3) Our Intellect; and (4) Our Hearts
First - Our Wills - As we progress through our own conversion, and experience the love of Christ, our desire, our will, to continue that conversion also extends outward to the people around us with an equal desire, an equal will, to share with them what the Lord has given us. In order to share, we form groups within the environments which not only aid in our personal conversion but also aid in the conversion of our friends.
Second - Our Knees - They have been called the levers of the Apostles. We use our knees in prayer. This helps us put our actions in the right order; first we talk to God about our friends then we talk to our friends about God.
Third- Our Intellect - Thereis a need for knowledge, and a consciousness of what we are about. This point was emphasized in ______ 's "Formation talk. If we are to be the evangelizers Christ calls us to be; it's imperative we "put on the mind of Christ", the mind of the church. We need to understand and live with a primary interest in the business of Christ.
Fourth- Our Hearts - This has two meanings and
points to two virtues.
(1) Hope - With hope we remain enthusiatic, even in time of filure and
difficulties,
knowing we will succeed "because God wills it."
(2) Love - With love we take part in the lives of
others in order to share with them
the life of Christ.
[Speaker to provide a short witness as to how he/she has attempted to
create self-giving
in his/her own life. This should not be a witness of the speaker's own
conversion experience,
but progress made since the Cursillo experience.]
EXAMPLE WITNESS: All these elements are so
interrelated they seem to form a
single thread, one that cause a continuous growth in self-giving.
Through sefl surrender
I attempt daily to do God's will and not my own. Because it is His will
to share all that
He has with us, it must therefore be my will to share with others all
that He gives me.
On my knees I go to Him to strengthen and direct all that I do and all
that I say.
This has increased my desire to know Him through study, love Him
through prayer,
and most importantly to serve Him by sharing His love and His hope with
others. My
heart becomes strong because is is His will that I succeed and His
desire that I share
with others. All this is turn intensifies my own desire to do His will
which continues
to perpetuate this cycle.
B. In Our Friends
To create self-giving in our friends we'll use the same elements, only in a different order.First - Their Hearts - The prerequisite to opening a friends mind is to first win that persons heart.
Second - Their Intellects - We must help our friends understand who Christ is and the life He offers. From the Second Vatican Councils Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity we read, This sacred Synod earnestly exhorts lay persons, each according to his/her natural gifts and learning, to be more diligent in doing their part to explain and defend Christian principles, and to apply them rightly to the problems of our era.
Third - Their Wills - Conversion comes only as a grace from God which, because of free will, may be refused. Our friends must make their own conscious decision to follow Christ. No matter who they may be, we cannot, and should not, force or attempt to manipulate this decision. All we can do is invite them to follow Christ, and the life He offers.
[Speaker to
provide witness to show how he/she creates self-giving in
his/her friends.]
EXAMPLE WITNESS: My friendship must be authentic, it must be based on a genuine love and understanding. John and I
had known each other for several years. We had become acquaintances through a series of trials in Federal Court representing competing interests. From these initial encounters, we developed a friendship that ultimately resulted in our purchasing an office building as partners. He brought in Dennis as a third partner. At one point in our friendship John was struggling with some very painful losses in his life and struggles at home with his wife. I knew that to create self-giving in my friend John I had to first win his heart. I believe that my concern for his struggles and my willingness to spend the time to listen was one of the factors that opened Johns heart. The next step was to win over his mind, his intellect. We discussed, on many, many occasions, my belief in Christ and my trust in Him. I shared with him my faith journey and how it helped me to deal with life on an every day basis. John was not willing, yet, to accept a relationship with God for himself but he did not want to deprive his children of that opportunity. You see, his youngest—aged four—had not been baptized.John had reached the point where his will caused him to act for himself and his family.
Dennis, on the other hand,
was more open than John. Dennis heart was open for the most part because of his great love for his mother who was a strong spiritual person. His intellect also told him that a relationship with God was a correct and good thing to do. His difficulty was his will. We struggled with that for two years. Ultimately, he too said yes and baptized his two-year-old son as well.To create self-giving in our environment there are several steps all of which are essential to the Christian transformation of environments.
Realize that the conscious and progressive conversion of our own lives is the effective factor in the environment. In other words, our own progressive conversion is and must be the main contributor for accomplishing positive change in our environments. People will watch us and later reveal to us that, within our relationship, what appealed to them the most was the progressive change they saw ín us. A change that they then desired for themselves.
Pay attention to how people are when they are together. Our ability to determine the existence of one or more agents of change in our environments rests totally on our ability to continue to understand the social behavior that is alive and active in our specific environments.
Concentrate on changing the life and mentality of the agents of change.
EXAMPLE WITNESS: I’ve spent a great deal of time with Dennis and John and other potential Christian leaders in my environment counting on the fact that, by helping them to live the Christian ideal, they in turn would influence others to do the same.
Work in the manner of light, salt, and leaven. As SALT is a flavor of food, so our joy and happiness are the FLAVOR of Christian life. As LIGHT we need the Spirit of Truth to shed the LIGHT of the Gospel on all activities. As LEAVEN we call upon each persons potential, thus raising the tone of the environment. Our objectives should be to join with others who have the same ideals, that is, Christian ideals, so that a concerted effort can be made by a group to evangelize the environment.
As we look at our workplaces, homes, social settíngs; to whom am we attracted? Certainly not the ones who are unhappy, miserable, and discontented, but rather those who are joyful, happy and satisfied. Therefore, we must have a clear understandin.g of what our own behavior must be lėke. As our own progressive conversion continues, we try each and every day to bring the joy and happiness of Christ into our environments. This is easier said than done.
EXAMPLE WITNESS: Some days I fail miserably. But change is becoming evident, as several people in my environment now meet throughout the course of each day to encourage and build up their Christian beliefs. Although some are not fully aware of the method being used, there is a concerted effort by this group to transform this environmentfor the better.
Strive to respect individuals, their ideas, and their rights; it is wrong to INSIST on particular behavior from others or to DEMAND particular virtues. Show the way to Christ rather than ordering or directing. It is our task to sow, to work, and to persevere. The best method we can use to show the way to Christ is to proclaim the gospel by our deeds and by our words.
Seek to change the tone and direction in the environment so that people are leading each other to Christ. EXAMPLE WITNESS: Every day John and I and three others who have the sameDaily prayer and Palanca are the first priority. The levers of the Apostles need greasing daily. It is a form of preventive maintenance. It is essential that we pray and offer sacrifice for the success of the evangelization of the individuals within the environment and the environment as a whole.
[Speaker to continue witness that has been used throughout talk.]
EXAMPLE WITNESS: This environment, through the action of God's grace and the guidance of His Holy Spirit, changed for the better. The atmosphere changed to one of concern for people above money, to a concern for staff over the pressures o fevery day legal practice. Our relationship on a personal level became truly a self-giving relationship and they continue to this day even though I have moved on.
This effort at studying and transforming my environment strengthened me and encouraged me to study and begin the evangelization of the legal system (profession) as a whole.
Over the years and up to the recent past, I have used this same method to reach into the legal profession and to bring Christ’s message to it. There are several groups that meet in law offices to help transform those environments. This has included (with the help of other Catholics) the establishment of a Catholic Lawyers Association that promotes the evangelization of other law offices and lawyers. The lawyers group meets every Tuesday morning for the purpose of nourishing each other and sharing in the continuing work of evangelization of the legal profrssion. These efforts also touch court personnel, and clients on a regular basis. I, and others with me, have begun the evangelization of the legal environment. We are willing to expend the time, energy, and riches necessary to make this a reality.
6. CONCLUSION
Let me emphasize that environments are not changed suddenly or by magic
or some act
of Congress. It is a slow process requiring a lot of patience, love, and perseverance.
Life’s pitfalls often impede the Christian spirit and direction. I’m sure all of us can think of many examples.
Tomorrow, were going to find ourselves back in the world the same as we left it on Thursday. I'd like to leave you with something to reflect on.
The Gospel is meant for the WHOLE world!
It is up to us to concentrate our action on the study and Christian transformation of the environments that surround us.Those we left on Thursday haven’t changed—we have. Be assured that our change can be the leaven that changes the rest.