Rector
Handbook
The Word became a human being
and, full of grace and truth, lived among us.
We saw his glory,
the glory which he received
as the Father’s only Son.
…John 1:1
Preface
2012 Edition
RECTOR’S SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP ROLE
IN THE CURSILLO WEEKEND
By Los Viejos*
June 2012
“So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.” 2Cor5:20
Introduction
The Rector’s roles and responsibilities[1] are covered exhaustively in the Cursillo Manual (2007) and this Rector’s Manual. The Rector has two major roles: spiritual leader and manager. Although both roles are described in the manuals, a closer examination reveals a pitfall that one can be so easily caught up in the “manager” role that the “spiritual leader” role may not get the emphasis that it deserves. In addition, a Rector might even assume that the Spiritual Directors are really the ones with that responsibility, since they are the “professionals.”
The purpose of this preface to the Rector’s Manual is to emphasize that the Rector is the Spiritual Leader of a Cursillo Weekend and to help the Rector successfully carry out this role. Just as the Lay Director is the spiritual leader of the Movement, with assistance of the Spiritual Director, the Rector is the spiritual leader of the Cursillo Weekend, with the assistance of the team Spiritual Directors.
This preface will also offer suggestions where the Rector might better exercise this role during the Cursillo weekend and during team formation.
Leaders
In the Cursillo literature, all of the team members are referred to as “leaders.” And since Cursillo is a lay movement, the Rector is the Spiritual Leader for the weekend. As the weekend evolves, the remainder of the team members will also have spiritual leadership roles. As Cursillo leaders, our fundamental job is to bear witness to a deep friendship with Christ, as exemplified through our piety, study, and action.
The Rector is also the Symbol of Cursillo for the weekend. The behavior of the Rector should be the model to whom everyone can aspire and imitate. In the minds of the Cursillistas, the Rector will be the primary example of a Cursillista.
The Rector is responsible for the Spiritual Formation of the team. This means that before the weekend begins, the team should have begun living everything spiritual that will happen over the weekend.
Much of the Rector’s spiritual leadership role is established by the Cursillo Manual, however, the Rectors must fill their role in a manner that is natural for them. Rectors must be true to the Movement and true to themselves. This may require deeper self-knowledge and personal growth in their role. Remember, who we are can speak so loudly that what is said may never be heard.
The Rector, the Cursillo Spiritual Leader
Although there are priests, deacons, religious and lay counselors on the team, these are properly termed “Spiritual Advisors” in the Cursillo literature. In Arlington, we call them Spiritual Directors. This literature also refers to the team members as Leaders. The Spiritual Directors on the weekend are simply advisors. Of course, they perform their appropriate duties and carry out their ecclesiastical responsibilities, but the Rector is physically and spiritually in-charge.
A glance at the Cursillo Manual of 1999 reveals that it focuses on the schedule, talk content and talk preparation. These do form the necessary structure for the weekend, but the grace of the weekend is found in the lived experience supported by this structure -- the interactions among the Cursillistas and the Team Leaders and the action of the Holy Spirit within and among all participants – not the structure itself.
The Schedule and Rector’s Guide (Chapter 3 of the Cursillo Manual) lists the Rector’s managerial responsibilities before the weekend and describes the Rector’s activities throughout the weekend in great detail. It is very easy to go through this chapter with a scheduling focus, and miss the implications for the Rector’s spiritual role. In addition, the schedule is cluttered with spiritual activities that we don’t usually do in Arlington. Currently, decisions at to which are essential, important and incidental is left up to the Rector. It is within the details of that schedule that the Rector’s spiritual leadership responsibilities emerge. It is clear that the Rector makes announcements, but more important the Rector is the leader of prayer, e.g. morning and night prayer, devotions (Stations, Rosary, etc.), prayers before and after meditations – many of these prayer opportunities are addressed to “Brother Christ,” present in the tabernacle. This prayer to our Brother Christ exemplifies the intimacy with Christ that the Cursillistas are being invited into.
Prayer Objectives in Cursillo
In Chapter 15 of the 1964 version of the Leader’s Manual, Bishop Juan Hervas discusses prayer in Cursillo (pp. 50ff). He lists five objectives:
a. To instill a deep realization of the importance, necessity and efficacy of prayer.
b. To introduce liturgical and collective prayer.
c. To make the practice of prayer easy through the Pilgrim’s Guide.
d. To introduce them to personal prayer as a dialogue with Christ and to teach them and lead them toward meditation.
e. To crystallize their life using the “Service Sheet.”
Three items in this list need further discussion:
Item c, Pilgrim’s Guide:
In Arlington, we have not been using the Pilgrim’s Guide because we want to encourage the practice of spontaneous prayer.
Item d, Personal prayer as a dialogue with Christ:
In the 1964 Leader’s manual, Bishop Hervas continues…
“Another aspect of prayer is that carried on in groups around the Tabernacle, even within the communion rail. This material shortening of distances is transformed psychologically into a greater spiritual closeness to Christ in the Eucharist…”
It might be added that the gathering of the community standing around the altar for the Eucharistic Prayer provides a similar psychological transformation.
The primary way that the Cursillistas are “introduced to personal prayer as a dialogue with Christ” is through the witness of the team Leaders, particularly the Rector. Since the Rector may be leading many of the common prayers, his role in this important aspect is irreplaceable. Of course, the other Team Leaders are irreplaceable during the Chapel Visits by Tables.
Item e, Service Sheet:
There is much confusion between the Service Sheet and the similar Group Reunion Sheet, so much so that many think they are interchangeable.
The Service Sheet relates to the Spiritual Director’s Life in God’s Friendship talk. It provides shopping list of practices of piety, study and action and is a reminder for the Cursillista to commit to a program of spiritual growth. It is called a Service Sheet because it is similar to the owner’s manual that may accompany an item that requires maintenance (say, a car) outlining what has to be done to keep it running. Some Spiritual Directors invite the Cursillistas to write their own personalized Service Sheets.
The Group Reunion Sheet relates to the Total Security talk. It provides a template for conducting Group Reunions.
The 1998 Leader’s Manual says this about the nature of prayer on Cursillo:
“During the weekend we stress, even insist on, praying from the heart. Individual, interior prayer will prevent rituals in our collective prayer. Though we seek to acquaint Cursillistas with the inexhaustible wealth of communal and liturgical prayer available to the church, we understand that the value of strictly communal prayer can never substitute itself for the value of personal prayer proceeding from a pure and humble heart.”
Spiritual Leadership during the Cursillo Weekend
Chapter 4 of the Cursillo Manual contains an expanded schedule for the entire Cursillo Weekend. There are enough activities listed to fill two weekends and there is an abundance of spiritual leadership information hidden within the details of this chapter. If you examine this chapter closely, without being distracted by the scheduling aspects, you will find many spiritual leadership opportunities for the Rector. These are prayers and exhortations. An example of these opportunities have been culled from the schedule below. They are not set forth as requirements for the Rector but as examples of where spiritual leadership information can be found.
Prayer Leadership:
- Morning Prayer (PG)*
- Night Prayer (PG)*
- Prayer Before Meditation (PG)**
- Prayer After Meditation (PG)**
- Prayer to the Holy Spirit before the first talk on Friday**
- Rosary and Visit to the Most Blessed Sacrament after the last talks on Friday and Saturday (pp. 31-34, 39-40)**
- Visit to the Most Blessed Sacrament with the Table Leaders at the end of the day on Friday and Saturday (pp. 35-6)**
Exhortations:
a. “Jesus Christ Speaks to You” (pp. 26-7)**
b. “Skier’s Anecdote” (pp. 31-2)**
* The Pilgrim’s Guide (PG) is referenced as a possible source for these prayers; but it surely is not the only source of such prayers.
** To my knowledge, these have never been components in the Northern Virginia/Arlington Cursillo, but there is no rule that they cannot be.
The Table Leader’s opportunities for spiritual leadership happen informally at the tables, as they go about their everyday activities, and in one-on-one conversations with the Cursillistas. The obvious time for spiritual leadership is during the Table Visits to the Blessed Sacrament. The chapel visits are simple conversational encounters with our Brother Christ in the midst of our brother/sister Cursillistas. They are not necessarily intended to be silent Adoration nor Charismatic enthusiasm.
Be Yourself
The Spiritual Leadership job of the Rector may seem overwhelming. The Rector is only effective in communicating his/her own truth. You cannot go through motions. Be yourself! You cannot do or be someone who you are not. You were selected as Rector because of your spiritual leadership. It already exists within you. As Eduardo Bonin emphasizes in the lead article of the Rector’s manual,
“The most important thing about the Cursillo itself is that it be a solid chunk of reality and not a conglomeration of unreal and imaginary things. It must be natural, authentic, and without exaggeration. It must be a true encounter of persons. It must be true to life, true to the Gospel, and everyone must be open to each other. The environment must be one of frankness, cordiality, and joyfulness. The personal contact must be sincere, with depth and understanding. And when we speak of faithfulness to the Gospel we mean that everyone must have a concept of Christ that is faithful and dynamic. God, Christ, is not a static concept. He furnishes us with the light through which we are enabled to solve our own problems.”
Environment and Prayers, Meditations, Rituals and Devotions
During the Cursillo weekend, we strive to create/strengthen a bond of friendship/brotherhood between the Cursillistas and their Brother Christ, who is most marvelously Present in the reserved Blessed Sacrament in our church/chapel. In addition to introducing filial/brotherly language, we also need to engender an awareness of that Presence and consciously address our prayers to Christ, e.g. “Brother Christ” or Christ Our Brother.” We should not hop around bowing and genuflecting to the point of distraction, but we still need to be aware of and acknowledge that Presence. Normally, prayers in the chapel, for example, will not be addressed to “Powerful and ever-loving God,” or “Father in Heaven,” etc., or even “Spirit of the Living God,” as if Christ, himself, were not Sacramentally present. Prayers, Sacraments and meditations should normally be celebrated in the chapel and not in the Community Room, if feasible. This may create scheduling issues with the retreat facility. There is a world of difference between the environments of the chapel and the community room.
Spiritual Leadership during Team Formation
The Rector’s Spiritual Leader role actually begins when (s)he is assigned the job. The Rector is the leader in prayer throughout formation. The Rector’s Manual is chock full of guidance for this role.
It may well be useful for there to be “chapel visits” with the team at various stages of formation. We cannot give the gift of intimacy with Christ if we ourselves are not living it. Experiencing team chapel visits will prepare the team members for their roles when they lead their tables for chapel visits on the weekend.
Cursillo Spirituality
Spirituality is hard to define and the spirituality of Cursillo is even tougher to nail down. But even if we cannot exhaustively define the spirituality of the Cursillo Movement, it surely exists.
Spirituality is concerned with the non-physical parts of life, primarily relationships -- relationships with God, relationships with others, relationships with our spiritual selves.
Certainly, the Cursillo as we have experienced it provides a unique way of relating to God, to our brothers and sisters in Christ and to the deepest longings of our souls. This spirituality is unlike the spirituality of any other group or organization in the World. It is not a Jesuit, Franciscan, Dominican, Blue Army, Legion of Mary, Knights of Columbus or Holy Name Society spirituality.
You can know a lot about the spirituality of a person or group by looking at the tangible manifestations of their spirituality. Surely a Shaker Meeting House, a Medieval Gothic Cathedral and a Byzantine Catholic Church are each signs of entirely different spiritualities.
Let us look at some of the tangible manifestations of the Cursillo Movement, and from them attempt to discern the unique character of our spirituality.
Lay
The Cursillo Movement is a movement of the entire church, but its leadership is essentially lay. The Rector is lay, as are the Lay Directors at the diocesan, national and international levels. The team leaders are mostly lay. The Cursillo was conceived by laymen. It does not have the spirituality of monks, religious or priests. Its spirituality is predominately lay, but this does not mean that it is alien to any of the other spiritualities.
Incarnational
Cursillo spirituality is primarily incarnational. In Structure of Ideas, Eduardo Bonin says the Cursillo is above all a living experience, a living experience of what is fundamental for being a Christian. Christianly speaking, all living experience is living experience with others. (How many times do you count the word experience there?) Certainly that lived experience is the power of the Cursillo weekend itself. It is not the concepts, ideas, or theology of Cursillo that are unique, it is the living witness, both in behavior and in the talks. The incarnational aspect of Cursillo spirituality is particularly Eucharistic.