3865(II)_'Father, send me anywhere as a gift to Don Bosco!'

By Fr. Vaclav Klement, SDB

10 January 2016 - New Year missionary request letter to the Rector Major is one of the best gifts that any Salesian can offer to the successor of Don Bosco. It's wonderful, that again, one of us is writing to the Rector Major just on the New Year 2016! Praise be the Lord!

We pray for the missionary journey of the author of this request and also for many more young Salesians in the EAO region to follow the Cagliero's way also today! Indeed many young Salesians are discerning their missionary vocation in these days in many different provinces!

"Dear Fr. Ángel,

Peace be with you! Happy feast day of Mary, Mother Mother of God.

I am Br. ..... a young Salesian currently assigned as .... I write to you to express my willingness to join in the missionary work “ad gentes” of our Congregation. I do this freely without pressures. I have started my journey to seriously consider and pray to be a missionary from the time when I was in my first year of practical training.

This desire never left me but even more enkindled to take up the challenge and commit myself in the work of evangelization. Likewise, I am ever struck with the automatic signature in the emails some time back: “All for Jesus, Jesus for all!”: this one kept on disturbing me and it became part of me that I even made it a welcome phrase on my office door.

The presence of missionaries, my happy and fruitful encounters, pushed me share the same love that I have experienced from them. My classmates in the novitiate, post-novitiate and specific formation who are missionaries or coming form mission lands encouraged me to be more generous. They are all praying for me for this intention. They have been my inspiration. All of them kept this heart burning. With them, my desire was tested in fire.

Before I wrote this letter, I meditated upon Don Bosco’s dream of the roses and thorns. I know that there would be many difficulties but Christ is more than any wound caused by the thorns. This gave me courage to accept the challenge especially in this desire to follow Christ. Moreover, I have surrendered my heart to him. When I made my perpetual profession, I chose “…a new heart.” (Ez 36:26) as my profession theme...

Father, you may send me anywhere as a gift to Don Bosco in his Bicentenary. But if you would find it fitting, you may send me where you need Salesian Brothers and younger confreres.

I have expressed this missionary desire to my Provincial and Rector whom both gave me their blessing to write this request. I have also consulted several Salesians to verify my intentions. I love the Congregation and the Church where “…I am ready to give up to my last breath for my poor boys.”

I find today’s feast very fitting to write this letter to you since Mary is model in openness and generosity to heed the Lord’s call for each one of us. I pray that like Mary, I may be very attentive and open to the Lord’s will for me.

Sincerely yours.... SDB"