LEADING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR TABLE LEADERS, RECTORS, AND RECTORAS

(References: Lay Talk Workbook, Spiritual Advisors Workbook, Flow of the Weekend, Table Leader’s Activities Schedule handout from Cursillo 63, and personal experience.)

1.IDEAL

WHAT IS A HUMAN BEING?

ANSWER: ONE WHO LIVES BY AN IDEAL. AN IDEAL IS BASED ON WHERE WE SPEND OUR TIME, OUR THOUGHTS, AND MONEY. IT IS HELPFUL TO WRITE DOWN WHAT OUR PRESENT IDEAL IS. WE ALL HAVE ONE, CONSCIOUSLY OR NOT.

2. GRACE

WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?

ANSWER: ONE WHOSE IDEAL IS GRACE. GOD GIVES US THIS FREE GIFT. WILL WE ACCEPT IT? IF SO, OUR LIVES ARE TRANSFORMED. IF NOT, WE WANDER AROUND IN THE MUCK OF LIFE!

3. LAITY

WHERE IS THIS IDEAL TO BE FOUND AND LIVED?

A PARTIAL ANSWER: IN THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH REPRESENTS THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY AT LARGE, NOT THE PARISH. THE LAITY ARE THE HANDS AND FEET, AND MOUTH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. WE, THE LAITY, ARE TO CARRY OUT THE GREAT COMMISSION. WE HAVE THE NUMBERS, NOT THE CLERGY. THEY PREPARE US SO WE MAY BE THE LABORERS. THE HARVEST IS READY.

4. FAITH

HOW IS THIS IDEAL LIVED OUT?

ANSWER: WE NEED TO HAVE AN ACTIVE TRUST IN GOD. FAITH IS OUR RESPONSE TO THE PLAN OF SALVATION THROUGH GRACE. WE HEAR ABOUT THE WORKING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

5. PIETY

HOW CAN I LIVE IN GRACE?

ANSWER: BY OFFERING MY HEART TO JESUS. PIETY IS LIVING A LIFE OF GRACE. PIETY IS LIVING A LIFE OF PRAYER. WE DESIRE TO BRING OTHERS TO JESUS. WE ARE TRYING TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN IDEAL.

6. STUDY

WHAT DIFFICULTIES DO I HAVE WITH DAILY DISCIPLINE AND RESPONSIBILITY?

7. SACRAMENTS

WHAT IS A SACRAMENT?

ANSWER: AN OUTWARD AND VISIBLE SIGN OF AN INWARD AND SPIRITUAL GRACE.

CAN THERE BE MORE THAN SEVEN SACRAMENTS?

ANSWER: YES, WE CAN BE SACRAMENTS.

8. ACTION

WHAT IS THE SLOGAN OF CURSILLO?

ANSWER: MAKE A FRIEND, BE A FRIEND, BRING A FRIEND TO CHRIST.

DOES IT SOUND DIFFICULT TO CARRY THIS OUT? WHY?

9. OBSTACLES

HOW CAN WE OVERCOME OBSTACLES TO LIVING A LIFE OF GRACE?

ANSWER: THROUGH PRAYER, AVOIDANCE OF SIN, AND SPIRITUAL DIRECTION.

ARE THERE OBSTACLES IN YOUR LIFE THAT ARE HOLDING YOU BACK IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST? WHAT ARE THEY?

10. LEADERS

1. HOW CAN I MOVE BEYOND OBSTACLES TO GRACE?

ANSWER: BY ACTING LIKE A CHRISTIAN LEADER.

2. WHAT ARE SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DEFINITION OF A SECULAR LEADER AND A CHRISTIAN LEADER?

ANSWERS:

A. A CHRISTIAN LEADER HAS AN INTEGRATED LIFE-HIS SECULAR LIFE IS CONTINUALLY AFFECTED BY HIS CHRISTIAN ACTION.

B. HE FUNCTIONS AS A SERVANT LEADER IN ALL HIS ENVIRONMENTS.

C. HE DEMONSTRATES SUPERNATURAL QUALITIES AS WELL AS NATURAL LEADER QUALITIES.

3. HOW ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN SERVANT LEADER? OR HOW WILL YOU BE ONE?

11. THE STUDY AND EVANGELIZATION OF OUR ENVIRONMENTS

WHAT ARE YOUR ENVIRONMENTS?

POSSIBLE ANSWERS: FAMILY, WORK, RECREATION ACTIVITIES, SCHOOL, CHURCH, COMMUNITY INTERACTIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

HOW CAN WE STUDY OUR ENVIRONMENTS (THAT IS, THE PEOPLE IN THEM)?

ANSWER: RECOGNIZE THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE COMMITTED AND ACTIVE CHRISTIANS. SOME ARE SOMETIMES ACTING LIKE CHRISTIANS. SOME ARE "IN CRISIS" CHRISTIANS. SOME DO NOT KNOW GOD. AND OTHERS ARE ACTIVELY AGAINST GOD, SUCH AS ATHEISTS.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS YOU MIGHT BRING CHRIST AND HIS MESSAGE TO THESE ENVIRONMENTS? IN OTHER WORDS, HOW CAN WE EVANGELIZE OUR ENVIRONMENTS?

PARTIAL ANSWERS: MAKE A FRIEND, BE A FRIEND, BRING THAT FRIEND TO CHRIST. MAKE AN APOSTOLIC PLAN IN WRITING. CHANGE OURSELVES FIRST, THEN WORK ON OTHERS. ENLIST OTHERS TO HELP.

12. CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IN ACTION

WHAT IS YOUR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY DOING FOR APOSTOLIC ACTION?

WHAT CAN YOU DO OR ARE YOU DOING AS A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY?

13. LIVING A LIFE IN GRACE (CHRISTIAN LIFE)

WHAT IS YOUR RULE OF LIFE? THAT IS, WHAT DO YOU REGULARLY DO IN YOUR LIFE EACH DAY OR WEEK TO STAY CLOSE TO JESUS OR COME CLOSER TO HIM?

WHAT MIGHT YOU CHANGE IN YOUR RULE OF LIFE?

14. GROUP REUNION

WHAT WAS YOUR CLOSEST MOMENT TO CHRIST THIS WEEKEND? WHY?

HOW CAN YOU GET INTO A GROUP REUNION?

ANSWERS:

TALK TO MY SPONSORS.

TALK TO ONE OF YOUR TABLE LEADERS.

15. ULTREYA

WHAT IS AN ULTREYA?

ANSWER: A MEETING OF THE GROUP REUNIONS. IT IS A CHANCE TO LEARN HOW OTHERS ARE CARRYING OUT PIETY, STUDY, AND APOSTOLIC ACTION. IT IS A CHANCE TO MEET OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND IT IS A CHANCE TO FORM A NEW GROUP REUNION.

WHERE CAN I ATTEND AN ULTREYA?

ANSWER: AT YOUR PARISH, OR BY READING THE FORWARD NEWSLETTER. AREA ULTREYAS ARE MEETINGS OF TWO OR MORE CHURCHES. GRAND ULTREYAS ARE COMMUNITY WIDE MEETINGS TWO OR MORE TIMES A YEAR.