let each salesian


let each salesian

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GUIDELINE 1: RETURN TO DON BOSCO.
Let each Salesian:
Re-awaken in his heart a renewed interest in a deeper,
more systematic knowledge of Don Bosco through a
serious and persevering study of Salesian history,
spirituality, pedagogy and pastoral ministry, and of the
Preventive System to put it into action.
Read meditate frequently on the Constitutions – ‘Don
Bosco’s will and testament’ [C. 196 ]
Renew his personal devotion to Don Bosco in order to
share his passion for God and for the young.
GUIDELINE 2: RETURN TO THE YOUNG.
Let each Salesian:
Learn to encounter God through the young to whom he
is sent.
Find the time to be present with the young as a friend,
educator and witness to God, whatever his role in the
community may be.
When age, health or other reasons prevent a physical
presence among the young, cooperate in the mission to
them, through prayer, by showing interest, by offering
up his own life.

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GUIDELINE 3: CHARISMATIC IDENTITY AND
APOSTOLIC PASSION.
Let each Salesian:
Ask God each for the grace of unity between
contemplation and apostolic activity and commit
himself to realizing it, thus avoiding the risk of
fragmented and superficial activity.
Take personal responsibility for his own spiritual and
pastoral formation in order to mature authentically in
his vocation.
Renew of strengthen the practice of being accompanied
by a spiritual director, looking at Don Bosco’s
experience.
Be ready to share his own faith journey, richness of
Salesian spirituality and apostolic activity with his
confreres, with lay people who share responsibility with
us, with the members of the Salesian Family and with
the young.
GUIDELINE 4: AN EVANGELIZED AND
EVANGELIZING COMMUNITY.
Let each Salesian:
Make a personal plan of life which offers the necessary
time for individual and community prayer, give
attention to meditation on God’s Word, make good use
of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and give pride of
place to the daily Eucharist.

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GUIDELINE 5: CENTRALITY OF THE PROPOSAL OF
JESUS CHRIST.
Let each Salesian:
Apply himself to a systematic and spiritual study of the
Word of God in order to assimilate it and make Jesus
the inspiration, criterion and purpose of every educative
and pastoral activity.
Give witness to his own faith, saying what effect the
meeting with Christ has had in his life.
See to his own updating in areas of study which permit
a critical interpretation of our times and an effective
way of proposing the faith
GUIDELINE 6: EVANGELISATION AND EDUCATION.
Let each Salesian:
Appreciate that a direct and warm relationship with
each young person is a privileged form of witness and
proclamation.
GUIDELINE 7: EVANGELISATION IN VARIOUS
CONTEXTS.
Let each Salesian:
Learn the languages of the people with whom he works
with a view to guaranteeing a truly inculturated
evangelization.

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GUIDELINE 8: OUR WITNESS AS THE FIRST
VOCATIONAL INVITATION.
Let each Salesian:
Keep alive an awareness of the gift of his own vocation,
assuming an attitude of thanksgiving to God.
Be committed to a witnessing to a joyful life and
sharing the story of his own vocation when opportunity
presents itself.
Strengthen fidelity to his vocation by constant recourse
to spiritual guidance; let him also, in difficult moments,
value the help that can be given by human sciences.
Pray daily for vocations.
Transform the patience demanded by discomfort and
suffering at the time of old age or illness, into a trusting
offering of himself on behalf of vocations.
GUIDELINE 9: APOSTOLIC VOCATIONS.
Let each Salesian:
Be convinced that each young person has a God-given
mission, and accompany him or her in discovering it.

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GUIDELINE 10: ACCOMPANIMENT OF
CANDIDATES TO THE SALESIAN CONGREGATION.
Let each Salesian:
Learn to recognize the signs of a vocation that young
people manifest and have at heart inviting them to
Salesian consecrated life.
Be available for spiritual accompaniment and see to his
preparation for the task.
GUIDELINE 11: THE TWO FORMS OF THE
SALESIAN CONSECRATED VOCATION.
Let each Salesian:
Value and foster the uniqueness of the Salesian
consecrated vocation in its complementary forms.
GUIDELINE 12: PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY
WITNESS.
Let each Salesian:
Dedicate his whole life to God and the young with inner
detachment, recalling what Don Bosco once said: “ we
need to have poverty in our hearts to practise it.”
Express his poverty through tireless self-sacrificing
work, fleeing laziness or frenetic activity, also by
giving a hand in work and service around the house.
Take care of his health and in agreement with the
community plan appropriate periods of rest.

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Live the temperance that Don Bosco wanted of us
through a simple lifestyle with regard to food, clothing,
journeys, furniture, use of work materials, media and
time, maturely accepting any discomfort when
something useful or necessary is lacking.
Rediscover the requirements of dependency on the
superior and the community and the sharing of goods as
required by the Constitutions [C. 75-76] and give an
account of what he receives and whatever comes to him
from any source.