austraLasia #3424

 
Witness Experience Reflection of GC 27
SAN FRANCISCO: May 4 2014 -- “Dear Brother and Sister Salesians,

It seems like it was only a few days ago I was sitting in the auditorium of the Salesianum with over two hundred Salesians from around the world voting “placet” on the final text of a document we had been studying, reflecting on, and constantly editing. It is difficult to imagine that this Saturday
will mark three weeks since the conclusion of General Chapter 27.

I am truly grateful to my brother Salesians who had the confidence in me and elected me to represent our province as our delegate to GC27. I can honestly say that it was an amazing experience. Since my return so many have asked me to pinpoint one thing that stands out. Quite easily I could respond with any number of moments like the pilgrimage to the Salesian holy places in Turin, our special concert by the choir of the Sistine Chapel in the Sistine Chapel, being part of the election of the new Rector Major and General Council, or our audience with the Holy Father, Pope Francis. While all of those were significant and great moments of grace, I really have to say that what stood out for me was the daily sharing of community life with my brother Salesians from every province all over the world.

For two months we wrestled with the best way to define and articulate what it meant to live the Chapter theme of “being witnesses of the radical approach of the Gospel.” We were challenged to listen to one another, interpret the reasons, and come up with caminos—ways to be visible, credible, and fruitful mystics in the Spirit, prophets of fraternity, and servants of the young.

While we finished a final document to GC27, I now realize that it will not just be the words of a document that will lead us to the personal, communal, and pastoral conversion that Chapter calls us to, but rather a daily commitment and a willingness to be open to conversion. This is what I, along with 224 of my confreres, lived for two months. Whether it be sharing Eucharist in a multitude of languages, walking around the property and praying the rosary, conversations about things that inspire us or challenges we face as individual provinces or as a congregation, or just a laugh after a long day of work, all of these were moments I will not forget. At the end of the day, what struck me most, were the people, the relationships I cultivated, the sharing of daily life. Each one of these people helped me to understand my vocation better. Each of these confreres reminded me, inspired me, and helped me to open my heart to conversion.

This is what I bring back to our province.

I realize that coming home, it is very easy for me, and really for all of us, to daily fall prey to the predominant culture and its values. It is easy to go through the motions of just saying prayers and having a lackluster spirituality, which really depends more on us than on God. It is easy to give in
to gossip, back-biting, prejudice, and attitudes that tear down community rather than build it up. It is easy to allow ourselves to be masters of our
work and sometimes even of our young people. It is easy to live this comfortable and easy life.

But yet GC27 calls me, and all of us in the province, out of that easy life and be uncomfortable. GC27 challenges us to place God at the center of our lives. We are called everyday to recognize that our “young people are our burning bush”, that God is in the daily mess of our lives—our work with one another, our disagreements, our shared concern for a sick confrere or co-worker, the parent who can’t make tuition payments or struggling just to be a good parent. To be a Salesian mystic is not only find God incarnate in the tabernacle in the chapel, but to discover the Word incarnate in the relationships we experience everyday. GC27 calls us to form intentional communities that foster collaboration. We don’t form communities for efficiency sake, but rather we become one in our love and acceptance of one another. While we see the disintegration of the family all around us, we become prophetic by our mutual care for one another, which calls us to daily forgive one another and not just tolerate each other. Our being prophetic is having the courage to walk along side the other, even if that means we sometimes need to challenge and fraternally correct one another so that each of us can grow to be the person God is calling us to be—for the young. GC27 calls us to be people who place the needs of the young, especially those on the margins, at the forefront of all that we do, decide, and plan. Our predilection for the young in the way of Don Bosco is more than just offering them social services or more programs and activities.

Our mission is to walk along side the young, in the midst of their world, their reality, their playground, so that they can encounter the Lord of Life. This mission is not one that we SDBs assume on our own, but as our Rector Major consistently emphasizes, must be shared with the many lay people who are convinced that our ministry with, for, and by young people is our surest way to our own holiness.

After his final discourse to the Chapter assembly, our Rector Major greeted each member. I’m sure that what he said to me wasn’t special or particular to me and was probably the same message he shared with each of person who came up. Nevertheless, his message was clear and really quite simple: Go home and be a good Salesian! Be a good Salesian for our brothers. Be a good Salesian for our young people.

I know that there will be moments, post-GC27, where I will fail and fall short at being a good Salesian. I will fail at being visible, credible, and fruitful as a mystic, prophet, and servant. I will succumb to the easy path of this world. However, I also believe in the final words of my religious profession: “with the help of my brother Salesians, keep me faithful, day by day.” I will need the help of every confrere, as well as the many lay people who share this mission of DA MIHI ANIMAS CETERA TOLLE, and the countless young people to whom God sends to keep me faithful. In return, I will try, even with all my limitations, to do the same. We can only do this if we do this together.