Post Cursillo Weekend: Boars Hill, Oxford
The journey to Oxford for our Post Cursillo weekend was enhanced by the
company of four other friends. On arrival we were immediately infused
by the warmth, fellowship, love and faith of forty six Cursillo
friends, which we expect and always receive at these' weekends.
The talks by John Vaughan-Neil were inspirational. He brought into his talks Holy Scripture, bringing it alive and relevant to today. I found myself inspired, learning, laughing and fighting back tears in quick succession. He emphasised that in evangelising we must firstly be good listeners, and then to be authentic and ourselves, relying on The Holy Spirit to speak through us. John illustrated this from his our personal experience of evangelising on a one to one basis, emphasising that we were able and called to do likewise in our own circle of friends, work colleagues and neighbours.
John also shared his infectious deep devotion to Our Lady, encouraging us to ask Mary to accompany us in our approach to The Trinity. How could God refuse a prayer from us when we are accompanied by his mother?
We had time for small group sharing where I realised that although I wanted Jesus at the centre of my life I could not say I had surrendered my life to God. In the talk following this sharing, John Vaughan-Neil spoke of surrendering our life to God. I felt unease at this, struggling with the word 'surrendering', which threatened me, who as a control freak, felt God may ask the impossible of me. At the mass on Saturday, yet again the sermon from Father Tony Slingo homed in on this phrase 'surrendering your life to God'. So I offered this mass and Holy Communion to God with the prayer "I now surrender myself to you." After this prayer I felt the strong message from God "Don't worry. You have, you do and will always live your life in my providence."
The food, company and location were excellent. John's talks and the whole weekend flew by, and it was time to leave this heady and intoxicating atmosphere of love, faith and grace and return to the world determined to carry the message to evangelise in our communities and parishes.
John Hogg
Useful URL : http://www.cursillo.org.uk
The talks by John Vaughan-Neil were inspirational. He brought into his talks Holy Scripture, bringing it alive and relevant to today. I found myself inspired, learning, laughing and fighting back tears in quick succession. He emphasised that in evangelising we must firstly be good listeners, and then to be authentic and ourselves, relying on The Holy Spirit to speak through us. John illustrated this from his our personal experience of evangelising on a one to one basis, emphasising that we were able and called to do likewise in our own circle of friends, work colleagues and neighbours.
John also shared his infectious deep devotion to Our Lady, encouraging us to ask Mary to accompany us in our approach to The Trinity. How could God refuse a prayer from us when we are accompanied by his mother?
We had time for small group sharing where I realised that although I wanted Jesus at the centre of my life I could not say I had surrendered my life to God. In the talk following this sharing, John Vaughan-Neil spoke of surrendering our life to God. I felt unease at this, struggling with the word 'surrendering', which threatened me, who as a control freak, felt God may ask the impossible of me. At the mass on Saturday, yet again the sermon from Father Tony Slingo homed in on this phrase 'surrendering your life to God'. So I offered this mass and Holy Communion to God with the prayer "I now surrender myself to you." After this prayer I felt the strong message from God "Don't worry. You have, you do and will always live your life in my providence."
The food, company and location were excellent. John's talks and the whole weekend flew by, and it was time to leave this heady and intoxicating atmosphere of love, faith and grace and return to the world determined to carry the message to evangelise in our communities and parishes.
John Hogg
Useful URL : http://www.cursillo.org.uk
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