Cursillo: Finding a perfect Christmas gift for Jesus Christ
Published Nov 18, 2018 07:28 pm
By Martin Sadongdong
Five weeks ahead of the Christmas Day, do you already know what present to give to Jesus Christ, the birthday celebrator? Are you even considering of giving one? A religious organization in Caloocan City might just have the answer.
(photo courtesy of TNPCT)
Tinig ng Panginoon Cursillo Team (TNPCT), a Roman Catholic group based in Sangandaan, Caloocan, recently concluded its yearend cursillo at Diocesan Formation Center, Immaculate Concepcion Seminary in Barangay Tabe, Guiguinto, Bulacan.
Cursillo, according to Brother Victor Bulaon, one of the leaders of the group, is a short-course Catholic study about the Lord. It was founded by a Spanish bishop named Juan Hervas on January 7, 1949 in Palma de Mallorca Islands in Spain.
" thought of a way on how to develop a young man's spiritual life to train them to be the next Church servants. A lot of people were enticed by this movement because they wanted to know how to be a servant of Christ," he said.
In the Philippines, the TNPCT, under the jurisdiction of San Roque Cathedral Parish, is just one of the earliest groups to offer cursillos to the local community of Sangandaan, Caloocan, having been established in March 1988. Its current president is Brother Julian Ramos and its spiritual adviser is Rev. Fr. Remigio Malgapo.
Bulaon said the TNPCT is offering cursillo thrice a year -- in March or the anniversary class, in July or the mid-year class, and in November or the yearend class -- to men and women at least 18 years old. Its most recent cursillo was held from November 14 to 17.
The 'best' gift
In cursillo, the participants, called brother-candidates, will have to study 15 subjects called "rolyo." Each rolyo aims to introduce Jesus Christ to brother-candidates who don't know Him, or reconnect Him to those who "got lost in touch" with Him.
Each day usually starts at 5 a.m. with a Mass, followed by five rolyos per day with breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner served in between. It ends with a prayer late at night (all brother-candidates have no sense of time since gadgets and watches were surrendered before entering the seminary).
A rolyo may be learning a song or dance of praise, or the lengthy discussion about Catholicism and Christianity.
The most recent batch, Class Number 85, was composed of 15 men from different walks of life. Its class spiritual adviser was Rev. Fr. Dante Martinez, a military priest.
Father Martinez said that people often had difficulties finding Christ, not knowing that He's everywhere. He said all one has to do is to reach out to Him.
"Every Christmas, we have presents for our family, friends and special loved ones placed under the Christmas tree. But there's really nothing for the birthday celebrator -- Jesus Christ," Father Martinez said during one rolyo.
According to Father Martinez, all of us should offer something which Jesus Christ does not have.
"When there's a birthday party that you will have to attend, you try to determine what things the birthday celebrator do not have. If you give me something that I already have on my birthday, I will be thankful but the excitement is not there because I already have that thing, right?" Father Martinez said.
"This is the perfect time to talk to Him and ask Him, 'Lord, what would you like to have as a present?'" he said.
He revealed that the best gifts that we can give to Jesus Christ are our sins.
"Jesus Christ has everything except for sins, but we do have it. If we offer our sins to Him, surrender it to Him, and make a vow not to do that again, He would be very happy don't you think?" Father Martinez said.
Food for the soul
Norman Lumaguit, 18, was one of the participants in the TNPCT Batch 85. He is a fisherman from Leyte who went to Manila in hopes of finding greener pasture. He joined the cursillo after his boss in his new job asked him to.
Lumaguit had difficulty in reading and sharing his learnings because he barely understands Tagalog and only knows Bisaya. He arrived in Manila just in October and celebrated his 18th birthday on the last day of the cursillo inside the seminary.
"Pasalamat ako sa inyong lahat dahil 'di ko inakala ito (I want to thank all of you because I did not expect this to happen)," Lumaguit said as he blew the candle on the first birthday cake he probably ever had.
When asked what was his prayer to God, he asked for a boat because he wanted to go back to his home province to fish. But with his learnings, Lumaguit said he will now be able to "fish" other people and bring them closer to Christ.
Cousins Ralph dela Rosa, 20, and Jerome Tyrel dela Rosa, 23, said they were just asked by their godmother, a Church servant in Caloocan City, to join the cursillo.
"Our 'Ninang' Lyn asked us to join the cursillo. We don't have any idea about it at first but after finishing it, we were changed forever. Personally, my spiritual life was rejuvenated," Ralph said.
"I will share all of what I have learned here to my friends because I want them to experience what I have experienced -- the grace of God. I might ask them to join the next batch of cursillo next year!" Jerome Tyrel said.
The oldest brother-candidate Rogelio Baltero, 66, does not know how to read or write. He is from a poor community in Barangay Daan Tubo, UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City.
Despite his condition, Baltero did not use this as an excuse to not participate in the activities of his other brother-candidates.
Every after rolyo, each brother-candidate has to share what they learned. But since Baltero cannot write or confidently speak his thoughts, he instead drew a "light bulb" in the sixth rolyo, relating to the discussion which was "Studying the Word of God." That was the first time he draw, he shared.
With his frail body and difficulty in communicating with TNPCT leaders and other brother-candidates, Baltero did not complain in participating at 5 a.m. Mass, or late night rolyos.
He knelt with his bony knees when asked to by the TNPCT leaders, and shared smiles and glances with the other brother-candidates during breakfast, lunch or dinner, as if waiting to be approached.
Lumaguit, dela Rosa cousins and Baltero graduated with their other brother candidates on the short study about Christ on Saturday, November 17.
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Brother-Rector David dela Cruz, who served as the overall organizer of the TNPCT 2018, said he is hoping that the brother-candidates would be able to use all what they have learned to improve their spiritual life and share it to others.
"If there is one thing that I'd be able to say to you , it's that love is the key. God teaches us the ultimate proof of His love to us when He sent His only begotten son, Christ, for our sins. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and we were all saved," he told the 15 brother-candidates.
"I hope that you would apply all of the lessons you have learned in the cursillo in your personal life and share it to others," he added.
(photo courtesy of TNPCT)
Tinig ng Panginoon Cursillo Team (TNPCT), a Roman Catholic group based in Sangandaan, Caloocan, recently concluded its yearend cursillo at Diocesan Formation Center, Immaculate Concepcion Seminary in Barangay Tabe, Guiguinto, Bulacan.
Cursillo, according to Brother Victor Bulaon, one of the leaders of the group, is a short-course Catholic study about the Lord. It was founded by a Spanish bishop named Juan Hervas on January 7, 1949 in Palma de Mallorca Islands in Spain.
" thought of a way on how to develop a young man's spiritual life to train them to be the next Church servants. A lot of people were enticed by this movement because they wanted to know how to be a servant of Christ," he said.
In the Philippines, the TNPCT, under the jurisdiction of San Roque Cathedral Parish, is just one of the earliest groups to offer cursillos to the local community of Sangandaan, Caloocan, having been established in March 1988. Its current president is Brother Julian Ramos and its spiritual adviser is Rev. Fr. Remigio Malgapo.
Bulaon said the TNPCT is offering cursillo thrice a year -- in March or the anniversary class, in July or the mid-year class, and in November or the yearend class -- to men and women at least 18 years old. Its most recent cursillo was held from November 14 to 17.
The 'best' gift
In cursillo, the participants, called brother-candidates, will have to study 15 subjects called "rolyo." Each rolyo aims to introduce Jesus Christ to brother-candidates who don't know Him, or reconnect Him to those who "got lost in touch" with Him.
Each day usually starts at 5 a.m. with a Mass, followed by five rolyos per day with breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner served in between. It ends with a prayer late at night (all brother-candidates have no sense of time since gadgets and watches were surrendered before entering the seminary).
A rolyo may be learning a song or dance of praise, or the lengthy discussion about Catholicism and Christianity.
The most recent batch, Class Number 85, was composed of 15 men from different walks of life. Its class spiritual adviser was Rev. Fr. Dante Martinez, a military priest.
Father Martinez said that people often had difficulties finding Christ, not knowing that He's everywhere. He said all one has to do is to reach out to Him.
"Every Christmas, we have presents for our family, friends and special loved ones placed under the Christmas tree. But there's really nothing for the birthday celebrator -- Jesus Christ," Father Martinez said during one rolyo.
According to Father Martinez, all of us should offer something which Jesus Christ does not have.
"When there's a birthday party that you will have to attend, you try to determine what things the birthday celebrator do not have. If you give me something that I already have on my birthday, I will be thankful but the excitement is not there because I already have that thing, right?" Father Martinez said.
"This is the perfect time to talk to Him and ask Him, 'Lord, what would you like to have as a present?'" he said.
He revealed that the best gifts that we can give to Jesus Christ are our sins.
"Jesus Christ has everything except for sins, but we do have it. If we offer our sins to Him, surrender it to Him, and make a vow not to do that again, He would be very happy don't you think?" Father Martinez said.
Food for the soul
Norman Lumaguit, 18, was one of the participants in the TNPCT Batch 85. He is a fisherman from Leyte who went to Manila in hopes of finding greener pasture. He joined the cursillo after his boss in his new job asked him to.
Lumaguit had difficulty in reading and sharing his learnings because he barely understands Tagalog and only knows Bisaya. He arrived in Manila just in October and celebrated his 18th birthday on the last day of the cursillo inside the seminary.
"Pasalamat ako sa inyong lahat dahil 'di ko inakala ito (I want to thank all of you because I did not expect this to happen)," Lumaguit said as he blew the candle on the first birthday cake he probably ever had.
When asked what was his prayer to God, he asked for a boat because he wanted to go back to his home province to fish. But with his learnings, Lumaguit said he will now be able to "fish" other people and bring them closer to Christ.
Cousins Ralph dela Rosa, 20, and Jerome Tyrel dela Rosa, 23, said they were just asked by their godmother, a Church servant in Caloocan City, to join the cursillo.
"Our 'Ninang' Lyn asked us to join the cursillo. We don't have any idea about it at first but after finishing it, we were changed forever. Personally, my spiritual life was rejuvenated," Ralph said.
"I will share all of what I have learned here to my friends because I want them to experience what I have experienced -- the grace of God. I might ask them to join the next batch of cursillo next year!" Jerome Tyrel said.
The oldest brother-candidate Rogelio Baltero, 66, does not know how to read or write. He is from a poor community in Barangay Daan Tubo, UP Campus, Diliman, Quezon City.
Despite his condition, Baltero did not use this as an excuse to not participate in the activities of his other brother-candidates.
Every after rolyo, each brother-candidate has to share what they learned. But since Baltero cannot write or confidently speak his thoughts, he instead drew a "light bulb" in the sixth rolyo, relating to the discussion which was "Studying the Word of God." That was the first time he draw, he shared.
With his frail body and difficulty in communicating with TNPCT leaders and other brother-candidates, Baltero did not complain in participating at 5 a.m. Mass, or late night rolyos.
He knelt with his bony knees when asked to by the TNPCT leaders, and shared smiles and glances with the other brother-candidates during breakfast, lunch or dinner, as if waiting to be approached.
Lumaguit, dela Rosa cousins and Baltero graduated with their other brother candidates on the short study about Christ on Saturday, November 17.
Share
Brother-Rector David dela Cruz, who served as the overall organizer of the TNPCT 2018, said he is hoping that the brother-candidates would be able to use all what they have learned to improve their spiritual life and share it to others.
"If there is one thing that I'd be able to say to you , it's that love is the key. God teaches us the ultimate proof of His love to us when He sent His only begotten son, Christ, for our sins. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and we were all saved," he told the 15 brother-candidates.
"I hope that you would apply all of the lessons you have learned in the cursillo in your personal life and share it to others," he added.