SESSION 1 – UNITY IN DIVERSITY/IDENTITY OF MCC
Unity in the Cursillos in Christianity Movement (Cursillo Movement) is born as a gift of the Holy Spirit. It derives from the shared living of one and the same charism, which constitutes us as the same family in the Church, sharing a way of life and a way of evangelizing.
Unity is not uniformity, but unity in diversity. This is achieved by emphasizing what unites, without denying cultural or personal differences. It means accepting those differences while walking together in communion, all living the same charism, sharing a mentality, a purpose, and an evangelizing method, which make up the identity of the Cursillo Movement.
The identity of the MCC is reflected in a way of life, in a way of being and doing. Based on friendship with Christ and with others, with an open and welcoming attitude, offering with joy, from the testimony of our own life, the gift we have received.
Building unity in diversity today, in our Movement, demands that we all adopt a new attitude, an attitude of communion. Based especially on humility, respect, listening and welcoming. True unity is built on love and a willingness to share life.
It is also necessary to deepen the knowledge of our own identity, in the correct understanding of the charism, mentality, purpose, strategy, and method, based on the official documents, and in a process of shared study and discernment. Always remembering the teaching of St. Augustine: “In what is necessary, unity; in what is doubtful, freedom; in everything, charity”.
Fidelity to what is essential-the Word of God and the commandments- must be accompanied by adaptation to the signs of the times, as Pope Francis asks: to be faithful and, at the same time, creative in evangelization. This implies personal conversion, but also a pastoral and ecclesial conversion: to walk with a strong sense of Church, attentive to its orientations and with great trust in God’s providence and in his action in the Church.
In short, the unity of the MCC is strengthened, first of all, through prayer, openness to the Spirit and trust in the Lord. And then, from personal conversion, from listening, respect and dialogue, walking together as a spiritual family throughout the world.
SESSION 2 – ECCLESIALITY OF THE MCC
Ecclesiality in the MCC means that the MCC is a living part of the Church and does not act independently. We were born within the Church and for the Church, so our mission is to walk always hand in hand with the Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
To live the ecclesiality in the MCC implies living the communion of all its members, in a very clear way the communion between laity and priests, each one with his own contribution but with equal dignity, walking together in a key of synodality. This closeness, connection and co-responsibility of laity and priests are distinctive in our Movement and key to the evangelization of today’s world.
Ecclesiality is also lived from synodality, walking together as the People of God, listening to and valuing each other, without excluding anyone. In this way, the MCC becomes a bridge to bring many people closer to the Church, showing that there is room for everyone in the Church and that together we can evangelize with joy and hope.
The evangelizing mission of the MCC is the evangelizing mission of the Church. We are not alone and isolated, we belong to something bigger and more valuable. We are Church, a community that evangelizes united and serves from the different charisms, with humility and fraternity.
SESSION 3 – CHALLENGES OF THE PRESENT MOMENT
The Cursillo Movement has to assume that there is a new reality to which we have to respond. A new reality that requires a new response: a new way of being leaders in the MCC, a new way of organizing the structures in such a way that the service structures efficiently prepare the leaders to respond to the reality. That they allow a wide participation to the trainees making them feel that they all have a task and that they really respond by serving the people in the environments where they work.
The answer to the current challenge, therefore, depends on the people who are in the Cursillo Movement, it depends on the leaders (and cursillistas). The leaders must be modern witnesses of the Gospel in today’s world, knowledgeable and faithful to the evangelizing method of the Cursillo Movement in its three stages (Precursillo, Cursillo and Postcursillo), but also creative and flexible in the face of changing environments. But with a new attitude, born from the heart and born of love: it makes us attentive, concerned and welcoming in friendship to the people of today, in their reality, in their circumstances and conditions.
The MCC method remains an effective method for responding to the men and women of today. It continues to be able to attend to people, who are the focus of attention of the method. But it is we, the leaders, who have to apply the three times of the method to its full potential, always from Christ and always from friendship, witness of life and prayer.
If there are to be new and renewed leaders to respond to the present moment, renewed and adequate service structures are required. It is urgent today to rethink the Schools of Leaders and the Secretariats so that they really respond to the needs of the “new” leaders, so that they enable and train them for the service that must be rendered today to people and environments. Structures are needed that promote the deep living of the charism, that awaken the desire to evangelize, that make possible a deep spirituality and a solid formation, and that provide a communitarian and ecclesial reality from which to go out to others.
The structures of service, in their approach and organization, have to keep in mind the reality of society and the people of today: to attend both to the circumstances of the leaders who form them and to truly focus on the people whom they seek to reach and accompany. And always, pending and open to the Holy Spirit, who is the one who really has to enlighten and guide in all the actions of the Movement, in all the times of the method.
SESSION 4 – YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE MCC
Integrating young people into the MCC is a long process, with different moments and approaches. It involves much more than just inviting them to attend activities; it implies welcoming them and making them a living part of the movement. It is necessary to allow them to share with the more experienced members, to assume responsibilities and to make their voice and contributions significant. In this way, they will be able to progressively assume the charism and mentality of the Cursillo Movement and renew the structures with their fresh eyes.
This process of integration of young people in the Cursillo Movement should be a vital commitment throughout the world and should involve the adoption of new forms, strategies and approaches that really allow and enable the incorporation and integration of young people in the groups, structures, service teams and in all the realities of the Cursillo Movement.
There are several areas in which to begin to work: the presence in youth environments; the social networks; the ecclesial realities that are already involved in working with young people; the priests, the joint work of laity and priests; the ways to approach and invite young people in the Precursillo; the creation of youth groups for accompaniment in the Postcursillo ….
The incorporation of young people in the structures of the Cursillo Movement is fundamental. All the structures of Service, from the international instances, passing through the National Secretariats and the diocesan ones, should have an area of work dedicated specifically to the youth, in which they participate in a special way. Furthermore, it will be necessary to articulate ways and systems to incorporate them into the Schools of Leaders and service teams and to develop specific activities for them, always giving them space and responsibility in management.
From the OMCC and in the different instances of international coordination of the Cursillo Movement, this topic of reflection and work has to be raised, so that it is assumed in all the realities of the Cursillo Movement (National and Diocesan Secretariats). If we really want the Cursillo Movement to renew itself through the integration of young people, we must act accordingly.
