TWO RAILS, ONE TRACK; TWO BLADES, ONE PAIR OF
SCISSORS
Salesian life in metaphor
MELBOURNE: 17th Feb -- The opening addresses of the 4th
East Asian-Australian Brothers Congress were filled with metaphors of
complementarity. Bishop Belo, who expressed his delight at being 'here
with you to open this historic gathering...the frist time Salesians have this
kind of encounter here in Australia' dwelt on the complementarity of Brother and
Priest in the one consecrated Salesian life. 'For Don Bosco we are all
one'. the Bishop said. 'Priests and Brothers, Bishops and Cardinals, like the
two blades that make up a pair of scissors or the two metal rails that make up
the one railroad track'. Never one to miss an opportunity to urge people
to peace, Bishop Belo asked the Salesians present to 'make this occasion a
jumping-board to be better Salesians. Let each of us in our own way bring
peace to others. Let us learn the ways of non-violence. May this
conference help us to face the challenges of the Year 2000 and
beyond'.
A similar theme of complementarity came from the lips of Fr.
Joaquim D'Souza, Regional Superior. The 'honest citizens and good
Christians' of Don Bosco's langauge is today expressed in the idea of education
and evangelization. 'Thus', said Fr. D'Souza, 'we are engaged in bringing
together culture and faith, and in closing the gap between them, a gap which
Pope Paul VI once said is the great tragedy of our times'. From this
notion, Fr. Joaquim ephasised the special configuration of the Salesian
Congregation. 'In other words', Fr. Joaquim said', 'because his mission to young
people has a twofold dimension - the secular and the sacred - the Congregation
he founded for them has a twofold inner composition - the consecrated layman and
the priest'. In a series of metaphors, Fr. Joaquim further developed the
brother-priest complementarity: 'like the farmer who tills the ground...like the
miller who grinds the wheat...like the baker who kneads the dough...the priest
needs him to have bread to consecrate. They both complement each other to
offer the Eucharist...and to prepare young people for life in its fullness in
the secular and sacred dimension'.
