Pope Francis on Climate Change
...if we don’t
go back
we will
go down
“Global action is needed in order to reduce pollution and at the same time promote development in poorer countries.”
T
weeting to followers of the @Pontifex Twitter account on the 16th September, His Holiness Pope Francis made this bold statement on his concerns for how we need to change and work together on environmental issues. Prior to that, on the 11th September Pope Francis addressed questions about climate change during an in-flight press conference, saying that those who deny the reality of climate change should listen to scientists, who “speak very clearly.” He insisted that people at every level have to take responsibility to care for the environment, since “it’s true that if we don’t turn back we will go down.” Francis also responded to a question about the moral
responsibility of governments that deny climate change, an issue that is very much on the radar given President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris accords on climate change. Noting the extensive damage from hurricanes Harvey and Irma and that their intensity is potentially connected to the warming of the oceans, a reporter asked the pope about the moral responsibility of “politicians who refuse to collaborate with other nations to control emissions” because they deny human responsibility for climate change. Pope Francis repeated his rejection of climate change denial as he did previously in his encyclical on the environment, “Laudato Si’,” saying that “the one who denies this should go to the scientists, and ask them.
Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by EuropeAxess Media, Gibraltar. Editor: Fr. S. Chipolina: editor@uponthisrock.gi. Production Editor: A. Sargent: angela@europeaxess.com. Upon this Rock magazine is entirely supported by advertising and donations. It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a not-for-profit project. For Advertisers: This magazine is handdelivered to homes, churches, hospitals and many businesses around Gibraltar every month. To discuss your advertising requirements, or promote your church group or charity, call Tel: +350 200 79335 email: angela@europeaxess.com. Editorial is selected by EuropeAxess Media in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar. Neither of these parties is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained herein, nor do the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the views and opinions of either party. Advertisers are not endorsed by virtue of advertising in this magazine. EuropeAxess Media Ltd. reserves the right to refuse space to any submissions or advertisements. Efforts have been made to establish copyright owners of images, but if we have used your material, and have not credited you, please contact us to discuss restoration. The magazine is online at uponthisrock.gi. Cover Photo: Blessing of Boats at the Third Annual National Week Boat Procession ©Angela Sargent.
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They speak very clearly. Scientists are precise.” He recalled recent news reports about the disappearance of ice in the Arctic, and referred to recent studies “that said we have only three years to turn back, otherwise the consequences will be terrible. I don’t know if we have three years or not, but it’s true that if we don’t turn back we will go down.” The Holy Father, who himself has a scientific
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background, has extensively written about the perils of climate change, hoping to engage in a dialogue with “every person living on this planet” (Laudato Si’, 3) about the sufferings of the poor and the devastation of the environment, saying, God gave us a bountiful garden, but we have turned it into a polluted wasteland of “debris, desolation and filth” (ibid., 161).
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Catholic Tradition
2nd
of
October: Feast
Artwork: Heinrich Kaiser Text by L’Osservatore Romano, 9 October 2015
of
T h e H o ly G u a r d i a n A n g e l s
The Angel and the Child
So that we are never left alone, God has put at each person’s side a guardian angel to support and protect us, to accompany us in life. It is up to us to perceive his presence, listening to his advice, with the docility of a child, in order to keep ourselves on the right path toward paradise.
O
n Friday, October 2nd, the Feast of the Guardian Angels, Francis dedicated his homily during Mass at Santa Marta to these “ambassadors of God”.
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The Pontiff drew inspiration for his reflection from the Eucharistic Prayer IV, because it contains “a phrase that makes us reflect”. In it, “we say to the Lord: ‘And when through disobedience [man] had lost your friendship, you did not abandon him.’” And still, Francis said, “let us consider when Adam was expelled from paradise: the Lord did not say ‘make do as you can!’. He did not leave him to his own”. After all, said the Pope, referring to the First Reading from the Book of Exodus (23:20-23), God “has always sent us help: in this case we are talking about the help of the angels”. Indeed, the Bible passage reads: “Behold, I send an angel before you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place which I have prepared”. So, the Lord “did not abandon” but “walked with his people. He walked with the man who had lost his friendship with Him: God’s heart is a father’s heart, and he never abandons his children”. The Pontiff remarked that “today the Liturgy makes us reflect on this, and also on a particular manner of fellowship, of the help that the Lord has given to all of us: guardian angels”. Each of us has one, he explained, “who accompanies us”. And, he added, “in prayer, at the beginning of Mass, we asked for the grace that in life’s journey we may be supported by their help so as to bask, with them, in heaven”. We are “actually supported by their help: the angels who walk with us”, the Pope reiterated, referring to the expression from Exodus: “Behold, I send an angel before
you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place which I have prepared”. Our guardian angel “is always with us and this is a reality: he is like an ambassador of God with us”. Again in the passage from the Book of Exodus, “the Lord counsels us: ‘Give heed to him”! Thus, “when we, for example, do something bad and think” we are alone, we have to remember that it isn’t so, because “he is there”. Here then, is the importance of “heeding his presence” and “hearkening to his voice, because he advises us”. This is why, “when we feel that inspiration, ‘Do this... this is better... you shouldn’t do this’”, the best thing to do is heed the advice and not rebel against your guardian angel. “My name is in him”, Francis continued. And “he advises us, accompanies us, walks with us in the name of God”. The Book of Exodus also points out the best attitude: “if you hearken attentively to his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries”. But “what does this mean?”, the Pope asked. God’s response is clear: “I will be your protector, I will always defend you, guard you. ‘I!’, the Lord says, but because you have heeded the advice, the inspiration of the angel” Sometimes, the Pontiff stated, we might think we can “hide many things”: it’s true, “we can hide them”. Yet “the Lord tells us that we can hide many terrible things, but in the end all will be known”. And, according to “the wisdom of the people”, the Pope said, “il diavolo fa le pentole, non i coperchi”, meaning “the devil makes the pots but not the lids”. In the end, however, “everything is known”; and “this angel, whom we all have”, is here “to give us counsel, to go along the path”. Thus “he is a friend, a friend that we don’t see, but that we hear; he is a friend who will be with us in heaven, in eternal joy”.
“God sends us the angel”, Francis said, “to free us, to lead us away from fear, to lead us away from misfortune”. And “he asks only that we listen to him, respect him”. Thus, “only this: respect and listen”. And “this respecting and listening to this companion on the journey is called docility: a Christian must be docile to the Holy Spirit”, but “docility to the Holy Spirit begins with docility to the advice of this companion on the journey”. It is the “icon of the child” that Jesus chooses “when he wants to say how a Christian should be”. The day’s passage from Matthew (18:1-5, 10) reminds us: “Whoever humbles himself like this child” shall be greater in heaven. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven”. These words of Jesus, the Pope explained, mean “that the docility of this companion on the journey makes us like children: not arrogant; it makes us humble; it makes us small; not condescending like that proud or arrogant man. No, like a child!”. This is precisely “the docility that makes us great and leads us to heaven”. In closing his meditation, Francis asked the Lord for “the grace of this docility, of hearkening to the voice of this companion, of this ambassador of God who is beside us in his name”, so that we may be “supported by his help, always on the way”. And “also in this Mass, with which we praise the Lord”, he concluded, “let us remember how good the Lord is: after we lost his friendship he did not leave us to our own, he did not abandon us”, but “walked with us, with his people, and even today he gives us this companion on the journey”. Thus, “let us give thanks and praise to the Lord for this grace, and let us be attentive to this friend the Lord has given us”.
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Diocesan Celebrations
Giving Thanks for Gibraltar’s
555 Years of Christianity
Mgr. Azzopardi incenses the image of Our Lady of Europe at the beginning of the celebration. At the end of the Mass the Mayor of Gibraltar placed a flower on Our Lady’s dais as has become a tradition.
On the 9th September Mgr. Charles Azzopardi celebrated an anticipatory National Day Mass.
A
s we look forward in anticipation of bright days and new challenges ahead, it is right to look back, and give thanks to our patrons for how far we have come.
The Eighth Siege of Gibraltar in 1462 was a successful effort by the Catholic King of Castile to take Gibraltar from the Moors. As was mentioned last issue, on page 4, the capture of the Rock was on a very propitious day, the Feast of St. Bernard. In August 1462, a Moor, a Christian convert from Gibraltar, passed word to the Castilians that a large part of the garrison had temporarily left the town.
The Rock was taken on 16 August 1462. The “siege” is perhaps misnamed, since there was so little fighting and no use of siege weapons. The Catholic Church took over the Moorish assets, both the fabric of the Cathedral St. Mary the Crowned and the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe were converted to Christian places of worship. It was at this time that Gibraltar received the city arms
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‘a castle with a key pendant’, signifying that it is the key to the Mediterranean. This year the people of Gibraltar celebrated 50 years since voting to remain British, even though the Rock has been British since 1704. Some may say that this generation has been living through a different type of siege which has required the people to assert over and over that they wish to remain British. And while we pledge our loyalty to Queen Elizabeth as the ‘Defender of Faith’ in the political realm, it is to our
heavenly Queen of Peace that we turn our thoughts and prayers on this day, asking Our Lady of Europe’s intercession for our defence and protection in the spiritual battle that rages throughout all nations. Historical notes: wikipedia
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50th Referendum Anniversary Community Celebrations
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3rd Annual Boat
Procession
Beneath a heavy Levanter cloud, Mgr. Charles Azzopardi participated in the 3rd Annual Boat Procession From Coaling Island to the statue of Our Lady of Europe on the South Mole.
When the fleet comprising of over 50 boats, many dressed with Gibraltar pennants in addition to Courtesy Flags and Union Jacks, arrived in front of the bronze statue of Our Lady of Europe the skippers were invited to pass beneath the bows of the Pilot
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Vessel ‘Sir Adrian Johns’ for a special blessing for their boats from Mgr. Azzopardi who sprinkled holy water from a blue container. At this time they also cast single natural flowers into the waves in memory of all those who have been lost at sea. This year the event was particularly poignant the Strait of Gibraltar having claimed so many lives of migrants crossing from the continent of Africa searching a better life in Europe. The event is organised by The Self Determination for Gibraltar Group (SDGG) and was supported by the Royal Gibraltar Police, the Gibraltar
Port Authority, HM Customs and the Gibraltar Defence Police. This this event is open to any boat owner wishing to
take part and formed part of the community celebrations in the days preceding National Day.
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Discovering Christian Unity: The first in a series of articles leading up to the Hand in Hand weekend seminar next January
That the world may ‘One in Christ Jesus’ is not just a pretty phrase, a nice sentiment for those weeks of Christian Unity, soon forgotten the week after, but it is a declaration of the ultimate reality of the body of Christ - the Church as God sees her. Whether we see her that way or not. And often it is not. We see a divided church, divided by dogma, doctrine, and history. God sees the Church as one. In his first letter to the deeply divided Corinthian church, St. Paul asks the rhetorical question, “Is Christ divided?” The expected answer is obviously
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“No!” No, Christ is not divided, and neither is his body, composed of those of us who trust and believe in him. So what about those undeniably important differences that exist between different Christian traditions? Our task is described by St. Paul as one of “making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. [Eph 4:3,] You can only keep something that you already have, and that you know you have, otherwise it can be taken away, and you never even see it go. St. Paul continues: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.” [Eph 4:4-6] There is one body and one hope - so, there you have it, unity is already there, all we have to do believe it. If only it were that simple! The interesting thing about this passage of scripture is that a few verses further down in the same chapter the Apostle talks about the time in which we will “all come to the unity of the faith” [Eph 4:13] So we keep the unity of the Spirit until we come to the unity of the faith. This is where seminars, like Hand in Hand next January, come in. I see this important
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illustration: wordforlifesays.com
One of the W most common misunderstandings about Christian unity is that it is something we must somehow work to achieve.
hat if I was to suggest it has already been achieved? Not by any wise gathering of erudite theologians, but by the very Founder of the Church Himself.
believe
weekend as an exercise in discovering that unity of the Spirit and keeping it, until we come to unity of the faith. In between one and the other there is much work to be done, but to reach one we must at least start with the other. One question which is particularly relevant to Gibraltar, and which I have heard raised regarding this search for unity, is - why bother? Those evangelicals, who believe their mission is to convert Catholics, see this quest as a betrayal of that mission. Roman Catholics, who are by far the majority in Gibraltar, could also legitimately ask what the point is. Why should you bother to reach out to such a small and often hostile minority?
That the world may believe
In 1994, with an eye on the approaching new millennium, a group of leading and well-known Catholics and Evangelicals in the USA, published a paper entitled ‘Evangelicals & Catholics Together: The Christian Mission In The Third Millennium.’*
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Douglas Cumming, Alpha Gibraltar
This was not an official document, but the outcome of a mutual concern for mission, as the new millennium dawned, in the face of an increasingly anti-Christian society. In the introduction they noted ‘there is a necessary connection between the visible unity of Christians and the mission of the one Christ.’ Gibraltar is such a unique place that the smallest group of people can have the largest impact on the world around us. At this seminar we will be exploring together ways in which we can demonstrate unity of the Spirit, both to ourselves and others and so, in a small way, be the answer to our Lord’s prayer ‘May they all be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, so also may they be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.’ Or in our case, that at least little Gibraltar may believe. * w w w. f i r s t t h i n g s . c o m / article/1994/05/evangelicalscatholics-together-the-christianmission-in-the-third-millennium
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Concluding The Pontifical a two part Academy information for Life:series Edited clarifications and considerations on the subject, reaffirming already well-known
Why you don’t want to
‘Morning-After Pill’
The so-called ‘morningafter pill’ or ‘Plan B Contraception’ went on sale in Gibraltar this summer, why is it a bad idea to rely on it? Is the ‘morningafter pill’ not a type of contraceptive?
Commonly known as “emergency contraception,” the morning after pill is a high dose of the birth control pill taken within seventy-two hours of intercourse, followed by a second dose twelve hours after the first. Sometimes it works as a contraceptive by delaying or stopping ovulation or by altering the transportation of the sperm or egg.1
What stage is a newly conceived baby when it encounters the effects of the morning-after pill?
this process is completed, the baby’s eye colour, hair colour, and entire genetic code could already be determined.
Does the so called ‘Morning-After Pill’ cause an Abortion?
Although the pill can be taken three days after intercourse, fertilization can happen less than three hours after intercourse. But the drug is still able to work because it alters the lining of the uterus so that it can reject the implantation of the
baby.2 An early abortion takes place, without the woman’s knowledge that she was ever pregnant. However, the manner in which the drug works depends upon when it is taken, when the woman ovulates, and if pregnancy even occurs.
Why are women not told about the risks of taking the ‘morning-after pill’?
Unfortunately, women given the ‘morning-after pill’ are not told of its
In order for the morningafter pill to prevent ovulation, the drugs need to be absorbed through the intestines, pass into the blood stream, travel to the brain, and tell the pituitary gland not to trigger the hormonal reaction that causes ovulation. By the time
HOPE
cordially invites all
Expectant Mothers
Family and Friends to a
MASS at Sacred Heart
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n
ethical positions supported by precise scientific data and reinforced byEditorial Catholicselected doctrine. in liaison with Dr. Monique Risso
be taking the so-called
Could I be taking the drug unnecessarily?
With regard to its effectiveness, advertisements for the morning after pill claim that it is 89 percent effective. Studies cited by the FDA show numbers ranging from 55 to 94 percent.5 Meanwhile, the Plan B patient package insert claims that the drug reduces the risk of pregnancy by at least 75 percent. According to one of the drug companies that makes the morning-after pill, a woman has an 8 percent risk of getting pregnant through a single act of intercourse. But if she takes their emergency contraceptive, she only has a 1 percent risk.6 (They add that the drug is more effective if is taken as soon as possible after intercourse.) Interestingly, these statistics mean that 92 percent of the women who use the morning-after pill would not have gotten pregnant anyway. Most women who take emergency contraception 931 Friends
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Are there other options for me?
The Sacred Moment of Conception
The beginning of a new life, when the mother’s egg is fertilized by the father’s sperm. The baby continues the journey down the Fallopian tube to the womb.
Implantation
Seven to ten days after ovulation the rapidly growing baby reaches the wall of the mother’s womb where it obtains sustenance until birth. will never know if they would have gotten pregnant or if they terminated the life of their newly conceived child.
Does the ‘morningafter pill reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies?
For years the proponents of “emergency contraception” claimed that it would reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and surgical abortions. However, according to a review of twenty-three studies published in a 2007 issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynaecology, “to date, no study has shown that increased access to this method reduces unintended pregnancy or abortion rates.”7
Could the morning after pill make me feel ill?
According to the prescribing information of the
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abortifacient potential. In fact, advertisements for the pill proclaim that “if you take Plan B and are already pregnant, it will not affect your existing pregnancy.”3 How can they get away with saying this? They redefine pregnancy as something that begins with the successful implantation of the baby, instead of with fertilization. Interestingly, even some drug companies that make contraceptives do not agree with this definition. For example, the information packet included with one form of birth control refers to the Fallopian tubes as the place “where a pregnancy begins before it moves into the uterus.”4
morning-after pill, side effects of the drug may include nausea, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, dizziness, change in menstrual bleeding, vomiting, ectopic pregnancy, and more.8
Footnotes
Plan B Prescribing Information, Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (August 2006), 1. 2 Physicians’ Desk Reference (Montvale, N.J.: Thomson, 2006), 1068; Chris Kahlenborn, et al., “Postfertilization Effect of Hormonal Emergency Contraception,” The Annals of Pharmacotherapy 36 (March 2002), 465–470; Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Register Notice 62:37 (February 25, 1997), 8611. 3 “How Plan B Works,” Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (2007). 4 Essure Patient Information Booklet, Conceptus, Inc. (2003), 6. 5 Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Register, 8611. [6]. Plan B Prescribing Information, 3. 7 Elizabeth Raymond, et al., “Population Effect of Increased Access to Emergency Contraceptive Pills: A Systematic Review,” Obstetrics and Gynaecology 109:1 (January 2007), 181–188. 8 Plan B Prescribing Information, 6–7. 1
The Catholic Church teaches that sex imposed on one’s partner without regard to his or her condition or personal and reasonable wishes in the matter, is no true act of love, and therefore offends the moral order in its particular application to the intimate relationship of the couple.1 Whoever wants to remain faithful to his baptismal promises and resist temptations will want to adopt the means for doing so: self-knowledge, practice of an ascesis adapted to the situations that confront him, obedience to God’s commandments.2
How can I get greater selfknowledge?
Natural Procreative Technology (NaProTechnology) is a drug-free women’s health science that monitors and maintains a woman’s reproductive and gynaecological health.3 NaProTechnology has been available in Gibraltar for several years from Dr. Monique Risso, a dedicated Catholic GP, a NaPro Technology Physician as well as a Fertility Care Practitioner. Contact Dr. Risso at Specialist Medical Clinic, Unit 7, First Floor, ICC Building, Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 49999
Footnotes
1 Edited text from Humanae Vitae: Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Pope Paul VI 2 Shortened text from Catechism of the Catholic Church 2340 3 http://naprotechnology.com/
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Gibraltar Cursillo Team Leaders write part two of a special two part history of the Gibraltar Cursillo Movement.
A forty year relationship with Gibraltar and
still going strong
Continuing the two part history of the Cursillo Movement, after a long wait of around thirteen years, in l976 Bishop Edward Rapallo gave his blessing for the Cursillos in Christianity to start in the Diocese of Gibraltar.
H
e appointed Fr. Charles Caruana (later Bishop Caruana) as Spiritual Director. Together with the men who had done their Cursillo outside Gibraltar, they set out with great enthusiasm on the process of preparing for the first Cursillo. The first challenges were finding suitable premises for the celebration of the weekend events and finding experienced
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leaders to direct the Cursillos and of course inviting participants.
Location, location location.
After exploring several possibilities, the only realistic option was to use the crypt below St. Joseph’s Church. They needed permission from the then parish Priest Fr. Buckley. This was immediately given since Fr. Buckley had experienced the Cursillo in New York, however the crypt
was in an abandoned state and considerable work needed to be undertaken, to make the place suitable for holding retreats. This required the erection of rooms, a lecture hall, chapel, dining room and bathroom facilities. After making many enquiries, the work was undertaken by a group of Filipino workmen who were in Gibraltar at the time. They worked with tremendous enthusiasm during weekends only. All materials were provided on credit and everything was providentially paid for since it was the responsibility of the group of men to find funds. The “rooms” consisted of small cubicles divided by plasterboard, without ceilings, the very high arched ceiling of the crypt being the actual ceiling. The team leaders slept on bunk beds in a very small room behind the lecture hall, where a movable partition was erected to house the chapel. The hall across the courtyard was used for the dining room and small kitchen and bathroom facilities in adjacent rooms. The whole set up had an air of simplicity and humility. People had to cross the courtyard to make use of the bathrooms, even at night or in bad weather. This was, at first sight, rather a lot to ask for, yet nobody ever complained! A group of leaders from Tangier came over to start the Cursillos, at the time the frontier with Spain was closed, they gave introductory talks at several locations. After all the preparations had been completed, the first men’s Cursillo took place from the 24th till the 27th March l977. This was a success. It was followed by a
second men’s Cursillo in May, the first ladies’ Cursillo took place in June. The 3rd men’s Cursillo was in September and the second ladies’ in December. Two Franciscan priests took part, together with Fr. Caruana. One of them, Fr. Campos, continued to participate in the Cursillos held in Gibraltar for many years, he made a great contribution and is remembered fondly by many. Bishop Rapallo appointed a Secretariat, the Secretariat is the body, from people who had done Cursillos in that first year, that organises and coordinates Cursillo activities. A school of leaders was also formed to prepare local leaders to take on the Cursillos. Some two years later the first Cursillos, run by lay men and women from Gibraltar, took place. Fr. Caruana participated in all Cursillos with the support of other clergy. After he was appointed Bishop, Mgr. Paul Bear and then Fr. Stuart Chipolina were appointed Spiritual Directors. At present Fr. Jonathan Santa Cruz accompanies the movement. Cursillos not only depend on the teams of leaders, but also on many people, without whom, they could not take place. The food had always been prepared by teams of people who have done Cursillos, together with many more who help in the
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kitchen, dining room and cleaning of bathrooms and probably most important of all, by many who pray during the Cursillos for their spiritual success.
A new home
In 2005 the Lathbury retreat centre became available and Cursillos have been held there ever since. For the many who had worked at St. Joseph’s the move was somewhat difficult and even today there is a feeling of nostalgia. There are many profound and happy memories of how the Holy Spirit has worked in Cursillos in the humble and yet spiritual atmosphere of over 120 Cursillos in that blessed crypt. Walking down “the tunnel” as we said, to experience three days of Cursillo, was something truly special. When the European Encounter was held in Gibraltar in 1998, the delegates from all over Europe were given a tour of our Retreat House. One of them commented “How can one not find God in such peaceful and humble surroundings” of course; Cursillos today are the same wherever they are held. Looking back over the last forty years, there is so much to thank God for, but there must also be a place in our gratitude to those men who persevered for so many years and their dream eventually became a reality. For the Bishops and priests who have given so much of their time and support, for the many leaders many already with the Lord, and of course the very many who have experienced the Cursillo weekend over the years. This is what we celebrate on the 20th and 21st October, and with God’s blessing for
many years to come. Over these forty years, changes have been made to the format of the Cursillo weekends, to ensure that they remain current and up to date. The one thing that has not changed, is that our Lord turns up every single time. The feedback from the participants tends to be very similar, even if their attendance has taken place many years apart. This is what a participant who attended a Cursillo weekend thirty-one years ago said, “I decided to attend a Cursillo in Christianity and it was a life changing experience for me. For the duration of the Cursillo I opened my heart to God and experienced his love, forgiveness and grace. I started encountering a personal relationship with the person of Jesus Christ where I realised that he was the only way, the truth and the light”. A recent attendee said this after attending his Cursillo weekend, “I had always heard that the Cursillo was a very positive thing. My expectations for the weekend were certainly met. I needed to deepen my relationship with God and the Cursillo gave me the understanding and tools to use for the rest of my life and what it truly means to fully live a Christian life. For me it was a spiritual journey, the weekend builds on you, leading you closer to God. The Cursillo opened my heart more fully to the love of Christ. I came home floating above the ground, excited and anxious to share with my family, and everyone, Christ’s love. It was a worthwhile weekend. Dealing with faith, love and repentance, it gave me a sense of having a mission in life, which is what
every Christian must adopt and practice in his or her life. I experienced the love of God like I never had before that weekend and I would highly recommend it to anyone.” Can you spot the difference, I guess not. Whilst these testimonies speak about events that took place 31 years apart, the experience has been exactly the same, it is all about God and how much he cares about us. They speak about how their lives have changed after opening up their hearts to God and this is there for the taking to all of us.
Community Centre on the 20th and 21st October, everyone is invited. Additionally the Movement will be running Cursillo weekends at the Retreat Centre from the 12th till the 15th October for women and from the 9th till the 12th November for men. Please contact us on 58008885 or send us an email on cursillogibraltar@gmail. com and we shall send you an enrolment form, we look forward to seeing you there. God Bless Cursillo Team of Leaders
Party time!
The Cursillo Movement will be celebrating our 40th anniversary in an event that is to be celebrated at the Catholic
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Maria Louisa Aguilera (OCV)
The ANNIVERSARY REFLECTION of a
LIVING
IN THE
CONSECRATED at the CATHEDRAL of
R
eflecting back on my consecration of four years ago, brings happy memories of a glorious day and a picture-perfect ceremony. At times, it seems distant and at other times as if it were yesterday.
The Overpopulation Myth: If all of humanity lived in one city...
In 2013, they calculated that if all 6.9 billion people lived in one city in the US with a similar density as for instance London, they would use up 553,745 square miles, shown below. Even if that area were redrawn for today’s population of 7.5 billion... ...the
rest of World would be uninhabited.
Fact Checked
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There have been a lot of changes these past four years, both external and personal. Like all vocations it takes a lifetime to unfold, understand, live out ever more faithfully, and bring to full fruition. Through grace I have been blessed with wonderful mentors to help me realize both the gift of this vocation, and its responsibilities. These loving and helpful people have offered advice and feedback that has enabled me to continue to become ever more mature and responsive to the Divine call (I take this opportunity to Thank each one of you, as I’m sure you’ll know who you are upon reading this). Another consecrated virgin from the United States, a good friend of mine, once told me to regularly refer back to the Rite of Consecration itself, to take just a paragraph, a sentence, or even one word and reflect on it.
My former Bishop told me to never despair, even when daily life can become dry, arid and worst of all, a monotonous routine. It is when one reaches this point that one may want to give up and be led by what seems like the most attractive way of life – to blend in to materialism, noise and so on, that the world has to offer instead. Yet, if we look deep within us, our hearts were once touched by our Lord when we received our personal Call, and the light of ‘His candle still burns within us’ – even if it’s a small insignificant flame about to die out... cling on to that, remember who, whose, and what we are and how to live our calling in an exceptional manner. I was reminded upon reading the Rite: “Never forget that you are given over entirely to the service of the Church and of all your brothers and sisters. You are both in the Church and in the World, in the things of the Spirit and in the things of the World…Help the poor, care for the weak, teach the ignorant, protect the young, minister to the old, bring strength and comfort to widows and all in adversity”. In the Rite we have a treasure, let
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CONSECRATED VIRGIN
WORLD
ST MARY CROWNED 7 th SEPT 2013 us not forget it, or let it become a dusty book on the shelf. After being consecrated for four years I eagerly look to the horizon and our beautiful sunsets and ask our Lord to continue guiding me in what He wants of me within my home town and Diocese of Gibraltar. I feel truly blessed each day to be wholly His, and I pray that if it is His will, more women may answer His Call if they feel called to this unique vocation ‘Consecrated Women Living in the World’ not to ignore it, but contact someone you’re comfortable with speaking to, be it a priest, a friend and most of all, Pray to God about it and ask Him to guide you.
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Thanking everyone who has guided me and who continues to do so. God Bless.
Maria Louisa Aguilera (OCV) Plant Photos: Maria Louisa Aguilera, Consecration Event Photos 2013: A. Sargent
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