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March 2009
Dear Confreres and Friends,
This month, the theme is appropri-
ate to the liturgical season.
The message of our Rector Major to
the young on the feast of St. John
Bosco is presented for your reading.
Even though it came out in January,
some may have not had the chance
to read it.
Gael E. Sullivan,sdb
Office of Ongoing Formation
Lent: Liturgical Spiritual Exercise of
the Christian Community
As Preparation for the Easter Feast
By Arthur J. Lenti, SDB
On Wednesday February 25, the
Church enters into a spiritual exercise
with prayer and fasting and almsgiving,
attending with great seriousness to
its calling. Thirty-seven days later
on Holy Thursday evening (April 9),
the season of Lent comes to an end.
From Holy Thursday night until Easter
Sunday afternoon, the church keeps
the Paschal Triduum, the “Three Days
of Easter.”
[The Sacred Triduum]
The original nucleus of the
liturgical celebration of the Paschal
Feast was the Sacred Triduum, from
Thursday night to Easter Sunday. It was
the celebration of the Passion, Death
and Resurrection of Jesus. In this
context the sacraments of Christian
initiation, Baptism (with Confirmation)
and Holy Eucharist, were celebrated.
[Holy Thursday]
By the fourth century, Holy
Thursday, not part of the Sacred
Triduum, was celebrated as a special
commemoration of the “Institution
of the Holy Eucharist.” By the seventh
century, the rite of the “Washing
of Feet” (Mandatum or Love
Commandment) was introduced at
the celebration of the Eucharist on
Holy Thursday, in connection with
the reading of the narrative of the
“supper” from the Gospel of John.
Setting of these days, Thursday
night to Sunday, as the significant days
of the Paschal Feast was based on the
traditional interpretation of the Passion
narrative in the Synoptic Gospels.
According to the Synoptics, on the
night on which Jesus held a last supper
with his disciples, he was betrayed and
imprisoned, then brought to trial that
night and next morning, and died on
the cross in the afternoon of the same
day—a Friday and by coincidence the
eve of the great holy day of Passover.
He was buried hastily that evening;
and on Sunday morning (after the
Jewish Passover) the tomb was found
empty. This time frame gave rise to the
creedal formula, “on the third day” or,
“after three days” he was raised.
(The fact that this reconstruction
is historically debatable did not affect
the setting of these liturgical days.)
[Passion Sunday and Holy Week]
The Sacred Triduum being thus
was thus set, Holy Week came to be
defined in the liturgical calendar from
the fact that the Passion narrative
according to Matthew was read on
the Sunday preceding the Sacred
Triduum as a preparation to it. Hence
this Sunday became known as “Passion
Sunday,” and that whole week as “Holy
Week.” Later, the commemoration of
Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem
as narrated in the Gospels was added,
and it acquired such popularity that
this Sunday became known as “Palm
Sunday.” In the new liturgy, however,
this secondary commemoration has
been retained only as an introduction
to the liturgy of Passion Sunday.
[The Season of Lent]
Lent as a more or less extended
spiritual exercise preparatory to the
celebration of the Sacred Triduum and
the Paschal Feast dates from the late
fourth century. It varied in length in
different areas of the Church at different
times. As the period of preparation and
initiation of individuals seeking to be
baptized, Lent had at first no specified
duration. Sometimes it took months
or years for these individuals, called
catechumens, to be initiated gradually
to the Christian way of life. But at a
certain point of their preparation the
catechumens would be “elected” and
called to spend the last few weeks
before baptism in fasting, prayer and
practice of charity. It is at this point
that Lent became a celebration of the
Christian community.
In the Western Church, Lent
received its final form in the seventh
century, when the 40-day structure
commemorating the 40-day fast of
Jesus in the desert became normative.
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As a fasting exercise, Lent was reckoned from the Easter
Vigil on Holy Saturday back to Wednesday of the seventh
week before Easter (Ash Wednesday). That’s 40 days—
counting the Easter Triduum, but excluding Sundays, which
were not part of the liturgical fast. As a preparation for the
Easter Triduum, Lent, consonant with its original purpose,
begins on Ash Wednesday and ends quietly the evening of
Holy Thursday (37 days).
[Character of Lent]
Since Lent was and is celebrated as an extended
preparation for the Easter Triduum, which from earliest
days was the time of the Christian sacraments, the primary
character of Lent is sacramental.
It was in the first place a time of Christian initiation,
that is, a time of gradual initiation of catechumens into
the Christian community and way of life, leading to their
full induction through the sacraments of Baptism (with
Confirmation) and Holy Eucharist at the Easter Vigil. For this
purpose the “Order of Catechumens” was established.
In the second place it was a time for the reconciliation
and re-admission of sinners, globally designated as the
“Order of Penitents.” Penitential exercises (chiefly fasting,
prayer and almsgiving) were part of the reconciliation
process, before re-admission.
[Sacrament of Reconciliation1]
The reform of the penitential liturgy after Vatican II
(since 1975) renewed the sacrament in such a way that the
symbols and texts used more clearly expressed its nature
and effect. The celebration of the sacrament now includes
the elements of greeting, Scripture reading, confession
and counsel, imposition of a penance, act of contrition,
absolution, praise of God, and dismissal.
The new order of the liturgy for penance and
reconciliation develops the symbolic character of the
sacrament and gives emphasis to two aspects in particular.
First, it makes evident that repentance and reconciliation do
not involve merely an action that takes place between God
and individual sinners, mediated by the priest, but constitute
an event that affects the whole Church community. Secondly,
a variety of forms and symbolic actions of reconciliation are
available in addition to the sacrament of reconciliation itself.
These are designed either to complement the sacrament or
to lead us toward it.
The forty days of Lent as a preparation for Easter offer
us many penitential symbols and opportunities. Such are
the cross of ashes we receive on our foreheads on Ash
Wednesday, the penitential rite in the Mass, penitential
prayer services, exhortations to repentance, prayers for
penitents, observance of Friday as the day of Christ’s death.
All these tokens call us to enter into the Church’s Lenten
exercise with true devotion.
1 Cf Adjunct II below.
The sacramental and penitential characters of Lent
were and are very important also for the rest of the Christian
community. The whole Church stood by the catechumens
and the penitents in support. But they also joined them
“in spirit,” through renewed personal conversion and re-
commitment. Hence the whole Christian community is called
to participate in the sacramental and penitential exercises.
The scriptures, prayers and rites of the sacramental season
give clarity and purpose to the life-long struggle against
evil—a struggle that draws strength from the power of the
Cross of Jesus.
[Fasting, Prayer, Almsgiving]
The penitential exercises of Lent consisted primarily
in fasting, prayer and almsgiving as interpreted and
spiritualized by Jesus, for example in Matthew’s Sermon on
the Mount (Mt 6, 1-18).
The Lenten Fast of the Christian was patterned after
Jesus’ own example, as he fasted in the desert and rejected
the three great temptations, thereby radically rejecting
worldly purposes and choosing the Cross. Prayer was
likewise intensified during Lent after Jesus’ teaching and
example. Almsgiving was broadened to include all works of
mercy as taught and exemplified by Jesus in his ministry.
But it should be noted that these Lenten practices
are conceived as exemplifying together a gospel way of
Christian life. Fasting is a symbol of the renunciation that
enables the Christian personally to enter the way of the
Cross. Intensified prayer keeps the Christian united with
Christ in a spirit of worship and self-offering. Then fasting
and prayer jointly are to make us steadfast and effective in
the service of charity, which seeks to address contemporary
situations in imitation of the pastoral charity of Christ.
In his Encyclical Deus caritas est Pope Benedict XVI
speaks at length on the subject of Christian charity. He
writes at one point: “33. The consciousness that, in Christ,
God has given himself for us, even unto death, must inspire
us to live no longer for ourselves but for him, and, with
him, for others. Whoever loves Christ loves the Church,
and desires the Church to be increasingly the image and
instrument of the love that flows from Christ.” — “36. When
we consider the immensity of others’ needs, […] we can be
tempted to give in to inertia, since it would seem that in any
event nothing can be accomplished. At such times, a living
relationship with Christ is decisive. […] Prayer, as a means
of drawing ever-new strength from Christ, is concretely and
urgently needed. People who pray are not wasting their time,
even though the situation appears desperate and seems to
call for action alone. Piety does not undermine the struggle
against the poverty of our neighbors, however extreme. In
the example of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta we have a clear
illustration of the fact that time devoted to God in prayer
not only does not detract from effective and loving service
to our neighbor, but is in fact the inexhaustible source of
that service. […]”
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The Lenten spiritual exercise is thus designed to express
our desire for conversion, reconciliation and wholeness—
in sacramental union with Christ’s passion, death and
resurrection.
Adjunct I: To Keep a True Lent (Robert Herrick, 1648)
Is this a fast, to keep
The larder lean,
And clean
From fat of veals and sheep?
No; ’tis a fast, to dole
Thy sheaf of wheat
And meat
Unto the hungry soul.
Is it to quit the dish
Of flesh, yet still
To fill
The platter high with fish?
It is to fast from strife,
From old debate
And hate;
To circumcise’ thy life;
Is it to fast an hour
Or ragged to go
Or show
A downcast look and sour?
To show a heart grief-rent;
To starve thy sin,
Not bin.
And that’s to keep thy Lent.
Adjunct II: Sacrament Of Reconciliation
(Brief Historical Survey)
Since the bodily, visible dimension is part of being
human, repentance must also be expressed in visible signs
and actions that reveal both the penitent’s turning away
from sin and his or her reintegration into the company of
Christ’s disciples, the Church.
There is no question here of justification by works. It is
excluded because every human act of repentance is always
anticipated by the grace of a loving God: Grace and grace
alone is what makes us capable of repentance in the first
place.
Out of concern for the reconciliation of sinners, the
Church at various times and in different regions developed
a variety of penitential practices of differing severity.
Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (as proposed and
interpreted in the Gospel tradition) as well as other good
works were regarded as sufficient for the forgiveness of
daily faults.
The so-called deadly sins (especially apostasy, murder,
and adultery) were, at a very early stage, subjected to
public penance. This consisted essentially of the following
steps: (1) confession to the bishop; (2) reception into the
status of penitent with assignment of particular penitential
duties; (3) exclusion from the Eucharistic celebration and
from reception of Communion; (4) After the penitential
duty was completed, reconciliation (that is, the reception
of the sinner back into the community) was accomplished
through imposition of hands by the bishop.
In the sixth century, under the influence of peripatetic
Irish and Scottish monks, the practice of so-called tariff
penance was introduced: The penitent confessed his or her
sins to a priest who assigned an appropriate penitential duty.
After its completion (or even immediately) the penitent
received absolution. The custom of private confession
developed from this practice. In private confession the
ecclesial aspect scarcely played any further part.
In the modern era the practice of devotional confession
arose, with confession of only minor sins, especially as a
preparation for Communion.
From the sixteenth century onward the celebration
of the sacrament was moved from the sanctuary to the
confessional.
Even before this, the juridical formula of absolution (I
absolve you) was introduced—replacing the priest’s prayer
of absolution, that is, the prayer that God would forgive
the sinner (a form that the Eastern Orthodox Churches still
retain).
The reform of the penitential liturgy after Vatican II
(since 1975) renewed the sacrament in such a way that
the symbols and texts used more clearly expressed its
nature and effect. As noted above, the celebration of the
sacrament now includes the elements of greeting, Scripture
reading, confession and counsel, imposition of a penance,
act of contrition, absolution, praise of God, and dismissal.
Another form was given for community celebrations
of reconciliation with individual confession and absolution,
in which the confession and absolution are embedded in a
service of the Word that emphasizes the liturgical-ecclesial
character of the sacrament.
General confession and absolution is reserved for
special situations.
Absolution is always accompanied by extension of
the hands and a sign of the cross in order to indicate the
connection between Jesus’ death on the cross and the
reconciliation of the penitent.
Again as noted above, the new order of the liturgy of
penance and reconciliation develops the symbolic character
of the sacrament and gives emphasis to two aspects in
particular. First, it makes evident that repentance and
reconciliation do not involve merely an action that takes
place between God and individual sinners, mediated by
the priest, but constitute an event that affects the whole
Church community. Secondly, a variety of forms and
symbolic actions of reconciliation are available in addition
to the sacrament of reconciliation itself. These are designed
either to complement the sacrament or to lead us toward it.
The forty-day Lenten penitential period as a
preparation for Easter offers us many penitential symbols
and opportunities. Such are the cross of ashes we receive
on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday, the penitential rite
in the Mass, penitential worship services, exhortations to
repentance, prayers for penitents, observance of Friday as
the day of Christ’s death. All these tokens call us to enter
into the Church’s Lenten exercise with true devotion.
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Biblical Source I: Matthew 6:1-18
“(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds in
order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have
no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give
alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites
do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of
others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know
what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be
secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to
stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so
that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have
received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner
room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And
your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that
they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be
like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask
him.
“This is how you are to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors;
and do not subject us to the final test,
but deliver us from the evil one.
If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly
Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.
“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to
others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received
their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash
your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except
to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees
what is hidden will repay you.
Biblical Source II: Mark, Matthew and Luke (Predictions of
the Passion and Connected Teachings)
[Note: Jesus follows each of the three
predictions of his passion and death in the Synoptics
with teachings intended for his disciples (and
therefore for all his followers). These teachings
illustrate basic points of discipleship in the light of
the Cross, that is, of Jesus’ own abasement and
service.]
1a. First prediction of the Passion
Mk 8:31-33: He began to teach them that the Son of
Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the
chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after
three days. He spoke this openly. Then Peter took him aside
and began to rebuke him. At this he turned around and,
looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind
me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human
beings do.”
Mt 16:21-23: From that time on, Jesus began to show
his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be
killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took him
aside and began to rebuke him, “God forbid, Lord! No such
thing shall ever happen to you.”
He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!
You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does,
but as human beings do.
Lk 9:21-23: He rebuked them and directed them not
to tell this to anyone. He said, “The Son of Man must suffer
greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and
the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after
me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily
and follow me.
1b. Connected teaching: Conditions of Discipleship
Mk 8:34-36: He summoned the crowd with his disciples
and said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must
deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel
will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Mt 16:24-26: Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever
wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his
cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life
will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole
world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange
for his life?
Lk 9:23-25: Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to
come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross
daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose
or forfeit himself?
2a. Second prediction of the Passion
Mk 9:30-32: They left from there and began a journey
through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about
it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son
of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him,
and three days after his death he will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying, and they were
afraid to question him.
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Mt 17: 22-23: As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus
said to them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,
and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.”
And they were overwhelmed with grief.
Lk 9: 43b-45: While they were all amazed at his every
deed, he said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am
telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”
But they did not understand this saying; its meaning
was hidden from them so that they should not understand
it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
2b. Connected teaching: True Greatness
Mk 9:33-37: They came to Capernaum and, once
inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you
arguing about on the way?”
But they remained silent. They had been discussing
among themselves on the way who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and
the servant of all.”
Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his
arms around it he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name,
receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but
the one who sent me.”
Mt 18:1-5: At that time the disciples approached Jesus
and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and
said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like
children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever
humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in
my name receives me.
Lk 9:46-48: An argument arose among the disciples
about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a
child and placed it by his side and said to them, “Whoever
receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever
receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who
is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”
3a. Third prediction of the Passion
Mk 10:32-34: They were on the way, going up to
Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were
amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the
Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going
to happen to him.
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of
Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to
the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge
him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise.”
Mt 20:17-19: As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he
took the twelve (disciples) aside by themselves, and said to
them on the way,
“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of
Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes,
and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to
the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and
he will be raised on the third day.”
Lk 18:31-34: Then he took the Twelve aside and
said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and
everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man
will be fulfilled.
He will be handed over to the Gentiles and he will be
mocked and insulted and spat upon; and after they have
scourged him they will kill him, but on the third day he will
rise.”
But they understood nothing of this; the word remained
hidden from them and they failed to comprehend what he
said.
3b. Connected teaching: Service of the Cross
Mk 10: 35-45: Then James and John, the sons of
Zebedee, came to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want
you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”
He replied, “What do you wish (me) to do for you?”
They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may
sit one at your right and the other at your left.”
Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are
asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized
with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The
cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with
which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my
right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for
whom it has been prepared.”
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at
James and John.
Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know
that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles
lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority
over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever
wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever
wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the
Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to
give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mt 20:20-28: Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee
approached him with her sons and did him homage, wishing
to ask him for something. He said to her, “What do you
wish?” She answered him, “Command that these two sons
of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in
your kingdom.”
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Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you are
asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied, “My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at
my right and at my left (, this) is not mine to give but is for
those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this, they became indignant at the
two brothers. But Jesus summoned them and said, “You
know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and
the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever
wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to
serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Lk 22:24-27: Then an argument broke out among them
about which of them should be regarded as the greatest.
He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over
them and those in authority over them are addressed as
‘Benefactors’; but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let
the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader
as the servant.
For who is greater: the one seated at table or the one
who serves? Is it not the one seated at table? I am among
you as the one who serves.
[Note: Lk places this parallel passage in the
context of the Last Supper. In this respect, this
passage on service should be compared with
Jn 13:5-15 (Washing of Feet and Connected
Teaching.)]
Salesian Source: Salesian Constitutions ##
18. Work and temperance
“Work and temperance will make the Congregation flour-
ish”,1 whereas the seeking of an easy and comfortable life
will instead bring about its death.2
The Salesian gives himself to his mission with tireless
energy, taking care to do everything with simplicity and
moderation. He knows that by his work he is participating
in the creative action of God and cooperating with Christ in
building the Kingdom.
Temperance gives him the strength to control his heart, to
master himself and remain even-tempered.
He does not look for unusual penances but accepts
the daily demands and renunciations of the apostolic life.
He is ready to suffer cold and heat, hunger
and thirst, weariness and disdain whenever God’s glory
and the salvation of souls require it.3
1.MB XII, 466; BM XII, 338.
2.cf. MB XVII, 272.
3.cf. C 1875, XIII, 13.
71. Obedience and the mystery of the cross
“Substitute acts of penance,” Don Bosco tells us, “with acts
of obedience.”1
Sometimes obedience will clash with our own selfish
attitudes and desires for independence, or may really test
our love. This is the moment to look to Christ, who was
obedient even unto death:2 “Father, if this chalice cannot
pass from me unless I drink it, thy will be done.”3
The mystery of his death and resurrection teaches us how
fruitful it is for us to obey: the grain of wheat which dies in
the obscurity of the earth bears much fruit.4
1 MB XIII, 89, BM XIII, 68
2 cf Phil 2, 8 cf. MB IV, 233, BM IV, 163
3 Mt 26, 42
4 cf. Jn 12, 24
73. Poverty and the Salesian mission
Don Bosco lived his poverty in detachment of heart
and generous service of others; his manner was marked
by austerity, hard work and much initiative.
Following his example we too live detached from all
earthly goods;1 we participate with a spirit of enterprise
in the mission of the Church and in her struggle for justice
and peace, especially by educating those in need.
The witness of our poverty, lived in a common sharing
of our goods, helps the young to overcome
their selfish possessive instinct and opens them
to the christian sense of sharing.
1 cf C 1875, IV. 7
84. Attitudes and means for growing in chastity
Our chastity is not a conquest made once for all time.
It has its moments of peace and moments of trial.
It is a gift which because of human weakness demands
a daily pledge of fidelity.
For this reason the Salesian, faithful to the Constitutions,
lives a life of work and temperance, practices
mortification and the custody of the senses,
makes discreet and prudent use of the means of social
communication, and does not neglect the natural means
which contribute to physical and mental health.
Above all, he implores God’s help and lives in his
presence; he nourishes his love for Christ at the table
of the Word and the Eucharist, and humbly purifies it in
the sacrament of Reconciliation; he entrusts himself
with simplicity to a spiritual director.
He turns with filial trust to Mary, the Immaculate Help
of Christians, who helps him to love as Don Bosco did.
R 44, 66-68
90. The community in continual conversion
The Word of God calls us to continual conversion.
Aware of our weakness, we respond by vigilance
and sincere repentance, brotherly correction, mutual for-
giveness and the calm acceptance of our daily cross.
This commitment to conversion on the part of each mem-
ber and of the whole community is brought
to its fulfillment by the sacrament of Reconciliation.
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Prepared by the daily examination of conscience
and received frequently according to the Church’s
directives, this sacrament gives us the joy
of the Father’s pardon, rebuilds brotherly communion,
and purifies our apostolic intentions. R 73
Christian Source: Five Lenten Meditations
(Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
1. Walking under the Cross Brings Peace and Joy
Rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings,
so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his
glory is revealed. [1 Peter 4:13]
All who suffer and carry heavy burdens are called
by Jesus to cast off their yoke and take up his, which is
easy, and to bear his burden, which is light. His yoke and
his burden are the cross. Walking under this cross is not
misery and despair, but refreshment and peace for one’s
soul; it is the highest joy. Here we no longer walk beneath
our self-made laws and burdens, but rather under the
yoke of him who knows us, and who himself walks along
with us under this yoke. Under his yoke, we are assured of
his proximity and fellowship.
When a disciple picks up his or her own cross, it is
actually Christ himself who is thereby found.
What are the “self-made laws and burdens” that I
labor under? Do I know the joy of working under Jesus’
yoke?
2. Beware of Boasting about Faith—Remember the
Bitter Lesson of Peter
Peter said to him, “Even though I must die with you,
I will not deny you.” [Matthew 26:35]
It is good that we not boast about faith. Faith is not
indicated by boasting. It is precisely because everything
depends on our really having faith that every desire for
boasting must fade away. Whether we believe or not
will become apparent. It will become apparent daily, and
declarations will be of no help at all. You all know how, in
the passion story, Peter says to Jesus: “Even if I must die
with you, I will not deny you!” and Jesus’ answer: “Before
the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” and the
story ends, “Peter went out and wept bitterly.” He had
denied his Lord.
Grand declarations however sincere, however
solemn, are closest to denial. May God keep all of us from
that.
Lord, when I am tempted to take pride in my faith,
may I learn to bite my tongue and turn to you in silent
prayer.
3. Demanding to Know Why We Suffer Is
“Unbelief’s Greatest Question”
I believe. Help my unbelief! [Mark 9:24]
Your faith shall be tried by sorrow. God sends his
children sorrow just when they need it most, when they
have become far too confident on this earth. Then a great
hurt comes into our lives, a hard sacrifice, a great loss,
sickness, or death. Our unbelief rears up. Why does God
demand this of me? Why did God allow it? Why, yes, why?
That is unbelief’s greatest question. It tries to choke our
belief. No one is spared this anguish. It is all so puzzling,
so mysterious.
In this hour of god-forsakenness, we may and ought
to say: “I believe, dear Lord; help my unbelief, yes, dear
Lord, even in darkness, even in doubt, even in god-
forsakenness! After all, dear Lord, you are my dear father,
who makes all things work together for my good. Dear
Lord Jesus Christ, you yourself cried out: ‘My God, why
have you forsaken me?’ You wanted to be where I am!
Now you are with me. Now I know that, even in my hour
of need, you do not forsake me.”
Yes, Lord, I do believe. Help me to overcome my
unbelief.
4. The Sign of Perfected Love Is The Cross of Jesus
May I never boast of anything except the cross
of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been
crucified to me, and I to the world. [Galatians 6:14]
Faith alone justifies us before god. Hope directs
our attention to the end. But love perfects. At the end,
everything must become love. Perfection means love. But
the sign of perfection in this world is called “cross.” That
is the way perfected love must go and always will go in
this world. However, this truth shows us, first of all, that
this world is ripe for demolition, overripe. It is only god’s
indescribable patience that is still waiting to the end. This
truth shows us, secondly, that the church in this world
remains a church under the cross. Woe to the church that
already here wants to become a church of visible glory. It
has denied its Lord on the cross. Faith, hope, and love all
lead to the cross to be perfected.
Forgive us, crucified Lord, for the times when we
ignore your cross or when we are embarrassed by it. Help
us to see your cross for what it is—love made perfect.
5. Why, Indeed, Is There So Little Victory in Our
Lives?
In all these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us. [Romans 8:37]
This is the question God addresses to us: “All
that I have done for you, and you live as if nothing had
happened! You submit to sin and the fear of death as if
they could still enslave you! Why is there so little victory
in your lives?
Because you won’t believe that Jesus is victor over
death and sin, victor over your life. It is your lack of faith
that leads to your defeats. But now Jesus’ victory is
proclaimed to you once again... It is victory over sin and
death for you, too, whoever you may be.
Take hold of it in faith. Jesus will once again forgive
you, and from now on sin won’t have to rule over you
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anymore. Jesus will rule over you, and he is stronger than
every temptation. In the hour of your temptation, and in
your fear of death, Jesus will conquer you, and you will
acknowledge that Jesus has become victor over your sin,
over your death. As often as you give up this belief you
will flounder and be defeated, sin and die; as often as you
lay hold of this belief, Jesus will have the victory.”
Help us, Jesus, to overcome the defeatism—the
faithlessness—that keeps us from claiming the holiness
your cross has earned for us.
MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR
TO THE YOUNG 2009
My Dear Young People,
Last summer I took part in the World Youth Day in Aus-
tralia. It was great to see so many young people coming
from all parts of the world, despite the distance and the
expense, belonging to diocesan groups, to groups led by
religious institutes or by the movements.
My thoughts immediately went to the great adventure
that began with Jesus of Nazareth. From the edge of the
ocean I thought of the banks of a lake in a tiny and un-
known country. Those banks enclosed the whole world of
a group of fishermen whose experience was limited to the
waters of a lake with its sudden storms and its long and
mysterious silences, and it was precisely on the banks of
that lake that they met Jesus.
Fascinated by the man, they followed him, listened
to him and often didn’t understand him. They had doubts
about him until the end, and they betrayed him. Finally,
however, they all associated themselves with Peter’s pas-
sionate profession of faith: «Lord to whom shall we go?
You alone have the words of eternal life» (Jn 6,69). They
had been caught up in his total selfless love. A love far
greater and more real than all their weakness, their every
betrayal. And so that tiny seed germinated, and became a
great people who cover the face of the earth: the Church.
I also had the joy of meeting the young people of the
Salesian Youth Movement. In front of those thousands of
enthusiastic young people there came into my mind the
memory of a small group of young men who on the cold
evening of 18 December 1859 had met together in Don
Bosco’s room to make the most important decision of their
lives: to stay with Don Bosco, giving themselves totally to
the Lord. And so in a simple and humble way, 150 years
ago, a seed was sown. I can see the young Cagliero who
a week before that decision, walking up and down the
yard, uncertain, confused, thinking first one thing and then
another, until he finally declared: «Monk or no monk, I’m
staying with Don Bosco!». He stayed with Don Bosco, car-
rying that tiny seed to the furthest boundaries of Patago-
nia. It is a story far greater than him, far greater than those
poor but generous young men. From that tiny seed there
came the Salesians, the Daughters of Mary Help of Chris-
tians, and the Salesians-Cooperators.
A story that has reached even us because that seed
has become a great tree: the Salesian Family.
Yes, it’s true; they were poor young men, limited in
their human and cultural experience. But, in Don Bosco,
they had met Jesus Christ who launched them on a
mission that humanly-speaking was impossible, a mad
adventure: «You will be my witnesses to the ends of the
earth» (Acts 1,8). To you too, young people of the begin-
ning of this third millennium, Jesus entrusts the mission
which two thousand years ago he gave to his disciples: «I
am sending you to proclaim my gospel to the ends of the
earth. Go with that love and that apostolic and educative
passion which led Don Bosco always to give preference to
the young, the poor, the people not yet evangelized.»
Do not be afraid! The Risen Jesus will give you the
power, the energy, the joy that come from the Holy Spirit.
With the strength of the Spirit, the Church carries out her
mission, making Jesus present today; the same Spirit who
raised up and formed Don Bosco, has made that seed a
fine large tree. To continue this mission I address to you
dear young people, the pressing invitation to collaborate
with your youthful enthusiasm and drive in making the
Salesian Family into a great Movement, as vast as the
world, for the salvation of the young.
You are not just the ones to whom the Salesian mis-
sion is directed, but, with the freshness of your youth, you
are the beating heart of this great Movement. So you may
ask: «But what do we have to do, how can we respond to
the mission which Jesus entrusts to us, and in practical
terms how do we set about evangelizing and educating our
companions?».
I’m sure that if you know how to find a place for
prayer, and you listen attentively with docility to the Holy
Spirit, it will become more and more clear what to do in a
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practical way in this work of your own evangelization and
education and that of your companions which is so impor-
tant.
But here in very simple terms I want to give you some
suggestions to reflect on in the generosity of your hearts.
Above all I invite you to cultivate as a fundamental atti-
tude: the will to walk together towards a shared goal, with
a deep spirit of communion, with the convinced desire for
synergy, with a mature ability to plan together. We have
received the great gift of Salesian Youth Spirituality which
constitutes the source of our communion and the energy
for our mission which we need to understand more deeply
and share more and more.
Our common mission, our shared goal is the world of
youth. For this reason, dear friends, we need to be part of
the youth scene. Jesus is sending you together with the
whole Salesian Movement to the world of today’s young
people, with its lights and shades, with its anxieties and
hopes, with its moments of joy but also its suffering, with
its irrepressible life, but also with its deserts where only
the bitter herbs of loneliness grow. I am thinking of the
world of the school, of the university, of work; I am think-
ing about the places for free time and entertainment; I
am thinking, in particular, about the desperate places of
youth deprivation. It’s a question of being actively present
in all these places fostering a better quality of life, better
and deeper interpersonal communication and sharing to
overcome so much individualism and so much loneliness
in which many young people are living, bearing witness
to the positive values that give meaning and flavor to life,
and above all, making the person of Jesus Christ the source
of the fullness of humanity, of life and of joy present
among the young.
Here is another suggestion: make the voice of the
young heard, in particular that of the many who don’t
have a voice and no one listens to; make their needs and
their expectations known, defend their rights and support
them in their demands. Above all make this voice of the
young heard among your own companions, who often
don’t know about these situations of marginalization and
hardship; make it heard by the groups of the Salesian Fam-
ily. Like Dominic Savio who took Don Bosco to the person
sick with the plague and left on his own, you too ought to
take the Salesian Family by the hand so that it takes care
of today’s sick people. If you don’t go there among your
peers, perhaps no one else will in your place.
But also together, as a Movement, you ought to be
the voice of the young speaking to society and also to the
Church: with a spirit of creativity promote initiatives that
make their plight known, their problems, hardships, their
expectations and hopes. The many good things too that
are already taking place in the world of youth need to be
made known, the many positive initiatives for which often
no space is found in the media; in this way foster a posi-
tive view of the world of the young among adults, infecting
them with your enthusiasm and drive.
We are being called to go together to the heart of life,
accepting the challenges arising from its cultural and social
complexity. The family, school, social communication,
culture, and politics - all require new forms of solidarity.
The response is to be found in living as active citizens for
the common good, which, for the Salesian Family means
promoting a shared commitment with regard to the great
challenges: of life, of poverty in all its forms, of evangeliza-
tion, of peace, of human rights. For you, young people,
civilian, social and missionary voluntary service constitutes
a possible vocation of significance and of great commit-
ment which the Movement ought to promote.
Another area to be considered as a Movement is mis-
sionary commitment. In these last few years in the mis-
sionary expeditions there have always been some young
people who are devoting some years of their lives to
spreading the Gospel; but also in your own countries you
can set up net-works of collaboration and support which
sustain the missionary work of the Salesian Family and of
the Church.
Be ready and willing to opt for demanding and gener-
ous forms of service even to the extent of accepting the
gift of God who calls you to a vocation of special consecra-
tion.
Strengthen your own Salesian Youth Movement pro-
moting contacts and knowledge about each other be-
tween the various groups in the same Salesian center or in
the same local area, encouraging the sharing of ideas and
resources, collaboration in joint projects in the service of
the great causes of life and of solidarity. Open up the SYM
to other Movements in the local Church, collaborate with
institutions and organizations in civil society, especially
those which are working among the young and in the field
of youth in straightened circumstances. Make the Sale-
sian presence, as a Movement, visible in the Church and
in society by taking part in joint projects, offering your re-
sources and capabilities in support of initiatives on behalf
of the young, encouraging forms of collaboration that are
multifaceted, flexible, directed towards the same goal, and
can be repeated…
And now the final suggestion which I think it is impor-
tant that I make. The Salesian Movement was born from
the apostolic heart of Don Bosco, enflamed with char-
ity for the salvation of the young. For this reason we will
build the Salesian Movement if we are present among the
young with hearts centered on Christ. We are being called
to model our heart, poor and sometimes even sinful on
that of Jesus, in whom God revealed Himself to the world
as the One who gives life, so that man might find happi-
ness and have life to the full (cf. Jn 10,10). What is needed
is a faith that constantly grows stronger, nourished by the
Word of God and by the Eucharist, which is often im-
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mersed in the ocean of God’s mercy and discovers more
and more how beautiful it is to allow oneself to be helped
by a spiritual guide.
Following paths of spiritual growth and development
and of pastoral formation we will be able to carry out our
shared mission which is the Christian education and guid-
ance in life of the young person.
Here is the question put by the Pope to the young
people at the last World Youth Day in Sidney; he said: «
Dear young people, let me now ask you a question. What
will you leave to the next generation? Are you building
your lives on firm foundations, building something that
will endure? Are you living your lives in a way that opens
up space for the Spirit in the midst of a world that wants
to forget God, or even rejects him in the name of a falsely-
conceived freedom? How are you using the gifts you have
been given, the “power” which the Holy Spirit is even now
prepared to release within you? What legacy will you leave
to young people yet to come? What difference will you
make? (Homily at the final Mass at Randwick Racecourse
on 20 July 2008).
Let us walk together with hope: «You shall receive
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you
shall be my witnesses to the ends of the earth » (Acts
1,8). My dear young people, these words of Jesus are ad-
dressed to each one of you. Never ever forget it! The Risen
Jesus opens up for each one of you these wide horizons,
points out to you too the ends of the earth. But these
begin here and now in your own countries, in your own
cities where Providence has placed you. We are part of a
great Family born in the heart of Don Bosco and increased
with the gift of Mary Mazzarello and of all the Saints who
have given it life, in a special way the young saints, Domi-
nic Savio, Laura Vicuña, Zephyrinus Namuncurá, the five
young martyrs from the Poznań oratory, and so many oth-
ers. Today the Lord is calling us to continue this beautiful
adventure for the benefit and the salvation of the young.
Mary, who was the Mother and Teacher of Don Bosco,
cannot leave us alone on this journey. She is for us too the
Mother and Teacher who opens our hearts to Christ and
to the young, so that at the service of the poorest young
people we can build a Movement of salvation and the full-
ness of life.
Turin, 31 January 2009
On the Solemnity of Saint John Bosco
Fr. Pascual Chávez Villanueva, SDB
Rector Major
A Glimpse at the
First Semester
Courses
in the program
Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology
Autumn Session — September-December 2009
HS 2881- Don Bosco Founder
Instructor Arthur Lenti, SDB
Don Bosco Founder: History and Spirit surveys the life
and times of St. John Bosco (1815-1888), in the context
of 19th-century social political and religious history. Top-
ics’. John Bosco’s education, his spiritual and theological
formation during the post-Napoleonic Restoration; his
vocational choices and work on behalf of young people
at risk his subsequent apostolic commitment in the field
of education; the founding of religious communities
(specifically the Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of
Christians) at the time of the liberal revolution and the
unification of Italy. The course ends with the approval of
the constitutions of the Salesian Society in 1874.
SP 2505 - Spirituality of Francis de Sales
Instructor Joe Boenzi, SDB
Beginning with a general survey of the life and work
of Saint Francis de Sales (missionary, bishop, founder
and doctor of the Church), students analyze the major
themes of his spiritual teaching: (1) devotion and gentle-
ness: two sides of Christian humanism; (2) meeting God
in daily life; (3) means for progressing in the love of God.
The special role of Saint Jane Frances de Chantal is high-
lighted in synthesizing the impact of Salesian thought on
the spirituality and pastoral life of the Church.
STSP3080 – Interactive Evangelization
Instructor: John Roche, SDB
The “new evangelization” first proposed by Paul VI and
strongly endorsed by John Paul II reaches far beyond
older definitions of mission outreach. In this moment,
wrestling with the “dictatorship of relativism” and other
realities addressed by Benedict XVI, religious educators
have a duty to understand the times and respond accord-
ingly with every resource. Such a response demands of
the educator and minister the high levels of integration
and an ever-deepening of faith. Examining the cumula-
tive impacts of globalization and secularization and by
referencing prophetic voices addressing these evolv-
ing realities, the students will become conversant with
various models of theology and spirituality which aptly
demonstrate and reinforce the conviction that the Gos-
pels are up to the challenges and tasks presented in this
milieu. Among many of these prophetic voices has risen
a discernible strain advocating the power of the shared
journey of faith and a spirituality of accompaniment.
Don Bosco Hall, Berkeley, California, USA
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