A Time of Renewal

By Fr. Alex Andujar
Co-Spiritual Director

The season of Advent carries with it many themes. There is the joyful expectation in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. There is also the watchful anticipation we are to keep as we wait for the return of Christ at the end of the age. This is of course all mixed into the celebration of Christmas as a holiday in our culture which brings with it the gathering of family and friends, the exchange of gifts, and hopefully a chill in the air. But we should also look at this time through the lens of Cursillo.

At its heart, Cursillo is about renewal. What is more renewing than the birth of a child? What can renew the world more than the birth of and eventual return of our savior?

We should never forget that Jesus Christ came to live among us so that our relationship with God might be reconciled and renewed. But Jesus Christ’s vision for renewal is not a simple refurbishment. It is not a new coat of paint. It is a complete overhaul. It is a complete change in who we are and how we see the world.

Our challenge this season is to receive the renewal that has been promised to us by God and then bring that renewal to our families, congregations, and into the world. It is then and only then that we can say with joy, “Merry Christmas!”.