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VOCARE

The Quarterly Newsletter Of

THE SERRA CLUB OF THE BAY AREA

March 1, 2014

CHAPLAIN’S CORNER

Last month our beloved Chaplain Father Benny presented a reflection about prayer as the essential mechanism we use in our everyday dealings to communicate with our God. Today Father Benny follows with an account of the Rosary as a prayer instrument to establish this communication.

Importance: The word Rosary means "Crown of Roses," and each prayer in the Rosary is considered a flower presented to Mary. It is called the “Breviary of the common people” and the “Psalms of the Illiterate.” The prayers we repeat are Biblical and hence “inspired and the mysteries we meditate upon are taken from the lives of Jesus and Mary. The prayer “Our Father” was taught by Jesus himself. The “Hail Mary” is also rooted in the Scriptures. Its first half echoes the words of the Archangel Gabriel and those of Elizabeth, both addressed to Mary. The third prayer — the “Glory be to the Father” — ancient in its wording, surely reflects the unceasing prayer of adoration and praise found in the Book of Revelation. The various events in the lives of Jesus and Mary on which we meditate during the Rosary are expressions of the Paschal Mystery, that is, the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus, in which Mary shared.

History: Prayer using beads is as old as mankind. The Hindus in India used to recite the thousand names of their gods and goddesses and their "mantra” prayers using multi-bead strings, and their sages wear such strings around the neck, constantly rolling the beads in prayer. The Jews used bead-strings to repeat the Psalms, the Laws of Moses and the memorized sayings of the prophets. The Muslims use strings with a hundred beads for their prayer. In the ninth century, the Christian monks who recited the 150 psalms instructed the illiterate common people to recite the Our Father 150 times. It was in the eleventh century that the Europeans added the Hail Mary to the Our Father. According to a legend, in1214, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Dominic Guzman and instructed him to pray the bead-string in a new form as an effective antidote against the Albigensian heresy. The Rosary devotion attained its name and present form by 1500 A.D. An additional boost to the Rosary devotion was given in 1917, on the thirteenth of May, when our Blessed Mother, in her sixth apparition to the three shepherd children, demanded, "Say the Rosary every day… Pray, pray a lot and offer sacrifices for sinners... I'm Our Lady of the Rosary.” The “Fatima prayer” "O, my Jesus" was added in the twentieth century. Pope John Paul II enriched the Rosary by adding the “Luminous Mysteries” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae).

How to pray the Rosary: The ideal is to recite at least five decades of the rosary (and if possible, the entire twenty), with one’s whole family daily. We need to say the Rosary slowly enough to make its recitation devout and reverent. We are to reflect for a minute or two on the mystery, and then concentrate on the meaning of the prayers as we say them, to avoid distractions. Besides saying the rosary with others in the family before bedtime, let us make it a habit of reciting the rosary during our journey to the workplace and during our exercises.

NEWMAN CONNECTION

Serra Club of Galveston

“It’s getting to be that time again to start working on the Newman College Connection Program” was the message from Megan Tay coordinator of this program to Jerry Schrader requesting it to be transmitted to all Serrans in District 10, as she was making it known to ALL Serrans in the USA.

Jerry had planned and made a visit on Friday Feb 14 to the members of the Serra Club of Galveston with the objective to discuss the Newman College Connection Program. As you might remember in years past we had used the College Connection in our attempt to keep our young college bound high school graduates connected to our Catholic Faith.

The success and growth observed in the program convinced Judy Cozzens that becoming part of the “Newman Connection” with its increased resources would be of much benefit to our youngsters.

The GOALS of the Newman Connection are the same; its implementation has BEEN SIMPLIFIED to make the registration a very easy and straight forward process.

Jerry’s meeting in Galveston was a most pleasant and productive occasion as he explained in detail the “nuts and bolts” of the Newman Connection to Sue Cantini and members of the Serra Club of Galveston who were having one of their regular meetings.

Please note no information as to implementation, registration, and other details of the program are given here in an effort to avoid any possible confusion. This information is being provided by Jerry and or Megan Tay from the Newman Connection.

For your convenience Jerry’s and Megan’s emails are: , and

Other Serra Clubs of District 10

Jerry Schrader has provided the Newman Connection information to ALL other clubs of District 10 so that ALL clubs in District 10 should be able to participate in this most worthy project that has proven so effective in keeping our youngsters connected to our Catholic Faith, while they start their higher education while away from home.

Any question and or additional information will be yours if you get in touch with Jerry.

VOCATIONS CROSS

The Travelling Vocations Cross Program was started approximately four years ago and continues its operation in several Parishes assigned to the Serra Club of the Bay Area, among them: St. Mary in League City; St. John the Baptist in Alvin; Queen of Peace (In Spanish) in La Marque; and most recently is being initiated at St. Philip Neri in Houston.

Concurrent with the program’s practice for the Traveling Cross where the families pray for Vocations and moves monthly from home to home, the Catholic School at St. Mary Parish “adopted” the program; the children pray for Vocations and the Traveling Cross moves from classroom to classroom every Friday. This practice has been in operation for several years under the direction of Mrs. Susan Wood, a teacher at St. Mary School.

Recently we became aware of the school children’s activity as we visited Mrs. Wood at St. Mary School with whom we are studying the feasibility to expand participation of this Vocations promotion activity in St. Mary Parish / School community.

This activity will be independent of the existing programs, the one with participation of all parishioners; and the one at school where the Cross travels from classroom to classroom. One possibility for the new initiative will try to form a parent / student “team” to accept and bring the Cross home every week / month for prayer, and to foster the family appreciation, respect and love for the vocation to the Priesthood, and Consecrated Religious Life.

The Traveling Vocation Cross Program is very similar in content or prayer format to the TRAVELING CHALICE PROGRAM that has been in operation by Serra Clubs in the US where the Chalice replaces the Cross.

For anyone, anywhere, desiring information to start the Vocations Cross we will be delighted to furnish a quick How To, including the prayers in English and Spanish. Let us help you.

GOOD MORNING VOCATIONS

Just a quick reminder that one of the three scheduled “GOOD MORNING VOCATIONS” events by Father Dat and Sister Anita will be held this coming Saturday March 1, at St. Joseph Catholic Church located at 1907 Carolina, Baytown, Texas 77520.

Everyone is invited with the only proviso that you register for FREE Tickets at the office of Vocations: http://www.houstonvocations.com , or give a call to Marissela Lopez at 713 652 8239. As you all know, Father Dat is scheduled to leave the Vocations Office for a new assignment in the very near future so this is a good opportunity to come and enjoy Father Dat’s company and wisdom once again.

HASTA PRONTO

Until next time, let us go pray as Father Benny suggested, work for Vocations, and search for the face of Jesus in each other. Your comments are always welcomed.

Miguel A. Zamora

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