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The day was clear and sunny as some 100 Secular Augustinian Recollects
from the Tagaste, St. John, and St. Cloud chapters arrived in Suffern
for the annual Lenten day of recollection on Saturday, March 15.
Members of the Union City chapter (St. Nicholas Delegation) could
not attend this time around due to other obligations. The topic
for this year’s gathering was Vocation, which followed in
the wake of the mandate of the last General Chapter that 2008 be
a special Year of Vocations, and the recent opening of Vocation
Year 2008 in both the Eastern and Western regions of the province.
With the vocational “crisis” adversely affecting all
Christian vocations, it is clearly important to enlist our SARs
in vocational promotion.
The retreat began with registration at 1:00 PM and a welcome to
all by Fr. Ramón Gaitan, prior of Tagaste. The two presenters
for the day were Frs. John Gruben and John Oldfield, with Fr. Gruben
speaking about general themes of Christian vocation and Fr. Oldfield
speaking about vocation from an Augustinian perspective. Each talk
was followed by a brief question-and-answer session. Dn. Juan José Guzman
led the Stations of the Cross. There was ample time between the
various activities for quiet time in the chapel or out on the monastery
grounds.
Fr. Charles Huse, prior provincial, was main celebrant
and homilist for the Mass, which was the celebration of Palm Sunday
with the blessing and procession of palms and the reading of the
Passion Narrative. Palms were blessed in the narthex of the monastery
chapel and everyone followed the cross bearer into the chapel while
the organ rang out with the traditional hymn “All Glory,
Laud, and Honor.” Br. Paul Rodriguez was narrator and Fra.
Eduardo Rodriguez read the other parts of the Passion while the
congregation took the role of the crowd. Fra. Jorge Mateos led
the music, accompanied by Marie Hiltz on the organ.
After the Mass, one-and-all retired to the Guild Hall for dinner.
Since it was the Feast of St. Joseph, the meal began with the traditional
St. Joseph table blessing, led by Fr. Gruben. Afterward everyone
dug into the decidedly un-Lenten buffet of lemon chicken, eggplant
rolatini, ziti, salad, and those marvelous St. Joseph pastries,
zepoly and cannoli, all provided by Pasta Cucina, a local Italian
eatery. As usual, our SAR brothers and sisters showed a wonderful
spirit of joy and fraternity throughout the afternoon and were
pleased by the opportunity to be together for a time of prayer,
reflection, and discussion along with some good food!
It was the sincere prayer of all those present that the Augustinian
Recollect Family would be blessed by “the Lord of the Harvest” with
an increase of vocations, and that all would work more diligently
through personal testimony and witness to draw others to the service
of Christ and his people.
Fr. John Gruben, OAR
