Ja sam Matej Samardžić, rođen i odrastao u Zagrebu, a podrijetlom iz Sinjske krajine. Imam 32 godine, poduzetnik sam i manager u vodećoj Hrvatskoj agenciji za nekretnine. Primarno razvijam posao i djelatnike osobito na Hrvatskoj obali što je vrlo dinamično i izazovno služenje. Uz posao sudjelujem u različitim projektima poslovno-razvojne namjene, društvenim projektima evangelizacije i pomaganja mladima, kao i socijalnim projektima koji za cilj imaju pomoć najpotrebnijima. Kao putokaz kroz život uvijek uzimam Božju Riječ, a svakodnevna molitva i sakramenti čine me čovjekom koji može ljubiti i služiti. Slobodno vrijeme najviše posvećujem Bogu i svojoj velikoj i širokoj obitelji, a volim i umjetnost i putovanja.
Moja je draga majka u Kursilju dugi niz godina. Vidio sam da je oduševljena i da Bog kroz taj pokret daje plodove u njezinom i našem životu. Ipak, mene to prije susreta s Kursiljom i živim Bogom nije baš zanimalo jer sam bio prilično drugačiji čovjek. Živio sam brz život, prioritet je bio samo i jedino posao i uspjeh. Mogu reći da sam takvim životom malo i „izgorio“ duhovno, ali skoro i fizički. Moja majka, vidjevši kako živim, nagovarala me čitavu prvu polovinu 2019. godine da odem to ljeto na Krapanj i ja sam pristao. Došao sam i šokirao se jer sam vidio drugačije ljude nego što sam navikao. Svi su bili radosni, smijali se, zajedno se družili, poštivali se međusobno. Na prvu se nisam osjećao „dijelom te ekipe“, ali sam već istu večer upoznao prijatelje za cijeli život i uklopio se u ekipu s termina. To je na kraju bilo najljepših sedam dana u toj godini, predivno vrijeme na moru s dragim ljudima i Bogom. Bez partijanja, ispraznih „uživanja“, luksuznih lokacija i svega na što sam do tada navikao kada bi se „odmarao na godišnjem“. U tih sedam dana dogodile su se velike duhovne promjene u mom životu – kroz molitve svećenika oslobodio sam se nekih loših utjecaja, a kroz druženje i radionice naučio voljeti bližnjega bez obzira na njegove karakteristike. Kroz svetu Misu, klanjanja i razmatranja osjetio sam Božju snagu i ljubav. Mogu pouzdano reći da sam s Krapnja te godine otišao kao potpuno novi čovjek. Sljedeće sam ljeto samoinicijativno i s radošću ponovno otišao na Krapanj i tu sam uz Božju pomoć učvrstio i zaista odlučio živjeti sve odluke koje sam donio i „vježbao“ od prošle godine.
Krajem iste godine dolazim po pozivu na prvu formaciju gdje se upoznajem s mogućnošću animiranja i služenja Bogu u Kursilju. S obzirom na velike plodove u mom životu i stvarnu promjenu mojeg ponašanja i razmišljanja, stavio sam se na raspolaganje Gospodinu i zajednici koja mi je toliko pomogla i pomaže i dalje. Kroz formacije i susrete polako sam učio i učim kako biti animator i služiti grupi. Tu radost koja se rodila u meni nakon spoznaje da je Bog živ i da nas voli takve kakvi jesmo nisam mogao zadržati samo za sebe. Do sada sam služio kao animator na studentskim terminima, ali i mladim krizmanicima koji su još u osnovnoj školi. Divno je vidjeti kako Bog djeluje kroz te mlade ljude i koliko dragocjenih misli i spoznaja po Božjoj milosti izvire iz njih, bez obzira na dob. Trudim se biti podrška svima nakon završetka tečaja svojim ponašanjem i djelovanjem dajući tako primjer kršćanskog života koji je drukčiji.
Bog je preko Kursilja stvorio zadovoljnog i radosnog Mateja koji uživa u blagodatima živog odnosa s Bogom. Izliječio je moje rane, uklonio sve zapreke za ljubav prema čovjeku. Otvorio mi je srce i oči da u svakome vidim darove i ljubav Božju, da se divim svakoj osobi, da budem ponizan. Poučio me koliko i kakvo blago imamo u sakramentima i svetoj katoličkoj Crkvi. Otvorio mi srce i usta da uvijek hvalim Njega za sve što se događa u mom životu, bilo to na prvi pogled dobro ili loše. Osnažio me za kršćanski život i poučio me da otvoreno svjedočim svoje iskustvo s Njime.
Bogu hvala i slava!
My name is Matej Samardžić, born and raised in Zagreb, although through my parents originally from Sinjska Krajina. I am 32 years old, I’m an entrepreneur and CEO in the leading real estate agency in Croatia. I develop my job and employees primarily on the Croatian coast, which is a very dynamic and challenging way of serving. Alongside work, I take part in different business-development projects, social evangelical projects where we help the youth, as well as social projects aimed at helping the neediest. I always consider God’s word as a guide in life, and daily prayer and the sacraments make me a person able to love and serve. I devout most of my free time to God and my large family, and I also love art and travel.
My dear mother has been a part of Cursillo for many years. I saw how excited she was and how God gave her blessings through that course in her and our lives. Still, I wasn’t really interested because I was a completely different man before I met Cursillo and my life with God. I lived a fast life, my only priority was success and work. I can say that I have “burnt out” spiritually a little through that life, and nearly physically as well. My mother, having seen how I lived, tried to talk me into going to the camp on Krapanj the entire first part of 2019 and I agreed. I came and was shocked because I saw people who were different from what I was used to. Everyone was happy, laughing, hanging out together, respecting each other. At first I didn’t feel like “part of the gang”, but the very same night, I met people who would become my lifelong friends and I fit into the group in the camp. That ended up being the best 7 days in that year, a beautiful time at sea with wonderful people and God. Without partying, hollow “pleasures”, luxurious locations and everything I got used to when I would “reast on my vacation”. Huge spiritual changes happened to me in those 7 days – I was freed from some bad influences through the priests’ prayers, and I learned to love my neighbour regardless of their traits through the workshops and hanging out with people. I felt God’s power and love through the holly Mass, adoration and meditation. I can reliably say that I left Krapanj that year as a completely new man. The next summer I happily went on my own initiative to Krapanj again and there, with God’s help, I was definitely sure and really decided to live all of the decisions I had made and “practiced” since last year.
At the end of that same year, I came to my first formation for animators, where I was called to serve God in Cursillo. Regarding the great blessings in my life and the real change of my behaviour and way of thinking, I made myself available to the Lord and the community that helped me so much and continues to help me. Through the formations and meetings I slowly learned and am learning how to be an animator and serve the group. I couldn’t keep that joy, that appeared in me after learning that God is alive and that he loves us the way we are, to myself. Until then I served as an animator in weeks for students, as well as in Cursillos for confirmation candidates who are still in elementary school. It is wonderful to see how God works through those young people and how many cherished thoughts and revelations come from them through God’s grace, regardless of how old they are. I try to be supportive to everyone after finishing the course by giving an example with my behaviour and showing them how a Christian life is different.
Through Cursillo, God made me a different man. I realized that the only happiness and fulfilment is in Him, I got reassured that he loves me and wants me forever. I realized that God is always alive and by my side, and that His word, the holy mass, confession and sacraments strengthen me and lead me along the right way through life. I changed my priorities in life by putting love towards God and my neighbour first, which got reflected on my business life, as well as the satisfaction of my employees and clients. Cursillo taught me that every man is my brother and sister, that there is no “deadly poison” in man. It taught me that Christianity is joyful, that God’s word really is the Joyful news! And what is most important, it guided me to a real and living relationship with God who is the source of everything that I am today.
Through Cursillo, God created a joyful and satisfied Matej, who enjoys the blessings of a living relationship with God. He cured my sins, removed all the restraints of love towards man. He opened my heart and eyes to see God’s gifts and love, to admire every person, to be humble. He taught me how much and what wonderful a treasure we have in the sacraments and in the holy Catholic Church. He opened my heart and mouth to always worship Him for everything that is going on in my life, whether it seems good or bad at first sight. He strengthened me for a Christian life and taught me to openly testify my experience with Him.
Praise the Lord!
