Palanca Guidelines printable pdf download

MASSACHUSETTS EPISCOPAL CURSILLO

PALANCA GUIDELINES

Palanca is:

An outward and visible sign through prayer and action of our Christian love.

In this way, God’s love is used as a lever to bring about that

which we cannot do by ourselves.

We offer ourselves in prayer and action to become a PALANCA PERSON.

Prayer is the operative word . . . As individuals and as a part of a praying community . . . We live our life

as a PALANCA PERSON in these ways:

✓ Proper love and care for our family

✓ A good day’s work reflecting God to our co-workers and friends

✓ Responsible citizenship

✓ Bringing Christ to our environment

✓ Seeing Christ in each person just as he/she is

A few specific ways of realizing the enormous potential are listed below.

Remember the outward signs (letters, posters, etc.) are indicating the prayer, the action, the offering,

the sacrifice which is the palanca.

• HOLY EUCHARIST: Receive the elements in the name of a person.

• OFFERING a discipline or a sacrifice in conscious prayer for someone; fasting, not smoking, not

drinking, practicing patience for example.

• DIRECT COMMUNICATION: Writing or speaking with someone to tell how they bring Christ

into your life; how you admire their unique gifts; tell what is your specific prayer or offering is for

that person, etc.

• A GIFT OF SERVICE: Such as taking care of their children, cooking a meal for an invalid,

writing a letter for a handicapped person, visiting, etc.

• OF AN OBJECT: If, and only if, it is understood to stand as a symbol of your love in Christ, a

poster, with Palanca always indicated; something you have made in love and prayer, something

with a very special meaning.

• OFFERING a pleasant task or personal situation of thanksgiving and conscious prayer for the

recipient; making something you enjoy doing, burning a candle, being in the midst of a happy

family gathering, etc.

• OFFERING an unpleasant task or situation in conscious prayer for someone; being stuck in traffic,

scrubbing the toilet, pain, etc. may be offered to the glory of God in someone’s name.

Revised July 31, 2010

Palanca Guidelines