From the heart of Deacon Doug.
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org In our Gospel today of Luke 4:16-30, Jesus says, “Amen I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place”. A prophet’s role in history was to comfort the challenged and challenge the comfortable. This was Jesus’ mission on earth, as we clearly Read more
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org What is more important to God – clean hands or a clean mind and heart ? The Scribes and Pharisees were upset with Jesus because he allowed his disciples to break with their ritual traditions and eat without washing their hands. We know a lot about the Read more
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org In the parable in today’s Gospel, Jesus is talking about the last judgement and how we will be accountable for how we use everything God gave us. We all have different gifts and talents. The question is; how well did we use the talents and possessions we Read more
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org In our Gospel today of Luke 7:11-17, Jesus comes upon a procession of people carrying a dead man. He sees his mother, a widow, and is moved with pity. He moves forward and touches the coffin, and the man is healed. Not only did Jesus perform a Read more
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org The wise virgins in our Gospel today were creative, astute and enterprising. They brought extra oil for their lamps. The foolish virgins did not, so when they ran low and had to buy more oil, they missed their chance to attend the wedding feast. I often ponder Read more
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org Our Catholic tradition is that Nathanael, who John refers to in his Gospel, is the same person as St. Bartholomew, who is one of the twelve apostles. Like all of us, he received a call to be an apostle. His call however does not come directly from Read more
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org In our Gospel today of Matthew 23:13-22, Jesus is chastising the scribes and Pharisees for their practice of swearing false oaths. He was addressing dishonesty that was the common practice in that day. Many people, especially the Pharisees and scribes had developed a deceptive system Read more
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org As we say in Cursillo, Jesus never said it would be easy to follow him, he only promised us it would be worth it ! Jesus never painted a rosy picture for his disciple of a comfortable life either. Rather he challenged them to new Read more
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org Our world today needs witnesses more than it need teachers. It’s easier to remind people how to live the Christian life than it is to give witness by living an authentic Christian life. In today’s language, we say you have to “walk the talk”. Jesus confronts the Pharisees Read more
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org God invites us to a very special banquet. Yet we are free to accept that invitation or make excuses as to why we can’t attend. It’s easy to become so consumed with the demands of the world – as the people in today’s gospel were – that we lose Read more