From the heart of Deacon Doug.
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually think of John the Baptist as a joyful person. He preached boldly and didn’t pull any punches. I usually think of him as a gruff person who seldom cracked a smile. Yet the Gospel today says he Read more…
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org In today’s Gospel, Luke 5:12-16, we find Jesus laying hands on a leper and healing him. Lepers were considered ritually unclean, and anyone who touched a leper would become unclean as well, that is why they were forbidden from being around other people. This poor man not Read more…
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org When Jesus began his public ministry, he eventually returned to his hometown for a visit. On the Sabbath he entered the Synagogue and read from the prophet Isaiah. The hometown people were impressed by the words he spoke. However the more they listened, the more he seemed to Read more…
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org Twice in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus calms the fears of his apostles while they are at sea. The first time Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat when a great storm came up. The apostles were much afraid and woke him up. He calmed the sea Read more…
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org This week the Gospels begin to describe the public ministry of Jesus. As Jesus begins his ministry, the first word spoken by him in Matthew’s Gospel is “repent”. We often think that the word “repent “ simply means being sorry for our sins and promising to do a Read more…
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org In our gospel, Matthew 4:12-17, we hear that when Jesus heard the news of John the Baptist being arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to Capernaum by the sea, that what had been said by the prophet Isaiah may be fulfilled. Read more…
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org In our gospel today, John 1:1-18, we hear about the Word, who was God, became flesh. God did this by bringing Jesus into our world, who demonstrated the Word in action. This was necessary to reconcile people to God. The Word became flesh through Jesus to Read more…
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org When Mary and Joseph presented their child to the Lord as prescribed by the Jewish Law, they encountered Simeon and Anna. Luke’s Gospel says the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon. The Spirit allowed both of them to perceive that this baby Jesus was the Christ. We Read more…
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org We have quite a wonderful scene in today’s Gospel as Jesus is presented in the Temple. We hear that an aged, holy man is talking to God as he looks into the face of this two month old child he is holding. The old man speaks Read more…
Orange County Cursillo | communications@occursillo.org | occursillo.org On Sunday we celebrated the feast of the Holy Family. We read that, when found in the Temple, Jesus went with his parents to Nazareth and was obedient to them. The word “obedient “ comes from two words that literally means “to listen “. So Jesus went and Read more…