AMERICA/VENEZUELA - Pastoral Letter of the Bishops for the 50th anniversary of the “Cursillos of Christianity”: “This moment in the life of our nation is the moment for the brave, those who are willing to give reasons for their hope and faith.”

Caracas (Agenzia Fides) - “This moment in the life of our nation is the moment for the brave, those who are willing to give reasons for their hope and faith, with the awareness that these are based on the demands of love for God and neighbor,” reads the Pastoral Letter written by the Bishops of Venezuela for the 50th anniversary of the First “Cursillo of Christianity,” which will be celebrated this August 20.
In the letter, which is entitled “A shower of graces for 50 years,” the Bishops recall that the Cursillos have helped “make Venezuelan lay men and women more active in the building of God's Kingdom in our society, becoming apostles of Jesus Christ in their daily life.” In fact, the Venezuelan laymen “began to understand that their faith commitment could not be paralyzing in light of this reality that demanded a greater apostolic action within their daily life, thus freeing themselves from a sterile and unsure spirituality.”
Recalling the early days of the movement and its foundation in Spain, the Bishops affirm that “the Movement of Cursillos of Christianity began with a charism characterized by serious commitment with the world, as it launched those who participated in it, leading them to a profound conversion, so each one could be ferment of the Gospel in their environments, beginning with their own family.” In this manner, “the members should feel truly committed in what they live. They should shy from conformism, social paralysis, and watered-down spirituality. They should be aware of their role as instruments of God's Grace in spreading His Kingdom in our country.”
According to the Prelates, the charism of the “Cursillos of Christianity” can be described by two objectives... “the immediate one is the conversion of the person and the last one, is the spread of the Gospel in society.” It is a charism that “after 60 years in the world and 50 in Venezuela, is still valid.”
“Today, our country is in need of men and women who take up their faith in seriousness,” the text says. Thus, “we need the brave testimony of those who live responsibly, in this concrete case, of those who have already passed through the “Cursillo of Christianity,” who live in frequent and familiar contact with God through prayer, who are convinced that the faith should be illustrated with solid criteria taken from the Word of God and the Magisterium of the Church, who are aware of their vocation as apostles of the Gospel of love everywhere their go. Thus, Venezuela will live out this re-Christianization that it so needs and it will be able to recover the human and Christian values that have begun to fade.” In this manner, “Cursillos” should continue carrying out its mission in forming Christian leaders. Furthermore, the Bishops consider that the “Movement of Cursillos of Christianity is called in the present circumstances to courageously carry out pastoral work in their own surroundings...” especially in their families.
The Bishops conclude their letter by encouraging all the members of the Cursillos to continue radiating the values that have always characterized the Cursillos participants: “the joy of living the faith with great enthusiasm, the profound knowledge of what Christianity is, bravery in making commitments in living the faith, concern for making Jesus known, along with His love for all those around us, trying everything to change society so that it may be more human and Christian, the capacity of reaching various social sectors to bear witness to Christ in them, whatever consequences this may bring.” (RG) (Agenzia Fides 22/7/2009)