June09ONGFB


June09ONGFB

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San Francisco Province
June 2009
Dear Friends,
Arthur Lenti has given us this month, a
reflection on the holiness proposed to
youth. This comes after the month in
which we have celebrated the feast of
Dominic Savio. This reflection is enlight-
ened by the thoughts given to us by
Pascal Chavez, our Rector Major, in his
2004 strenna, Laura Vicuña also occupies
a place in this reflection. Next month Fr.
Art will give us a scriptural on the holiness
theme.
As always, the words of the Rector Major,
in this case a reflection on nextyear’s
strenna, are featured.
Gael E Sullivan, SDB
Office of Ongoing Formation
Don Bosco Hall, Berkeley
HOLINESS PROPOSED TO YOUNG
PEOPLE AS THE GOAL
AND STANDARD OF ORDINARY
CHRISTIAN LIFE
by Arthur J. Lenti, SDB
INTRODUCTION
The “Strenna” (that is, “New Year’s
Offering”) given to all Salesians for
2004 reads in Italian: “Riproponiamo a
Tutti i Giovani con Convinzione la Gioia
e l’Impegno della Santità come “Misura
Alta di Vita Cristiana Ordinaria”—
which might be rendered as follows:
“Let us Challenge All Young People with
a New Serious Proposal of Holiness to
Be Embraced Wholeheartedly and with
Joy “as the Goal and High Standard of
Ordinary Christian Living.”(1)
On New Year’s Day 2004, the
Salesian Rector Major, Fr. Pascual
Chávez, delivered his commentary
on the “Strenna.” As its title states,
it invites us to place again before our
young people young people a new
and serious proposal of holiness—a
committed and joyful spirituality
that would pervade and power their
ordinary Christian life.
The Rector Major introduces the
subject by recalling the conquest of
Mt. Everest some fifty years before
(1953) as a symbol of the spiritual
ascent to which Don Bosco called his
young people. Then as examples of
the conquest the Rector Major, as the
subtitle of the commentary indicates,
recalls the fiftieth anniversary of
Dominic Savio’s canonization” [1954]
and the 100th anniversary of Blessed
Laura Vicuña’s death (1904). He
emphasizes that it is a matter of
challenging our young people (in Don
Bosco’s words) “to give themselves
totally to God.”(2)
In the presentation the follows,
we shall first speak of Don Bosco’s
and the Salesians’ priorities in their
work of education of young people.
Next, we shall describe the Salesian
spirituality of young people, its nature
and characteristics. Finally, from Fr.
Chávez’ commentary we shall gather
a florilegium of salient statements apt
to bring such description into sharper
relief.
In the first place, we should speak
of the priorities of the Salesian mission,
namely, the preferential thrust of
the Salesian mission according to the
charism of the founder.
I. DON BOSCO’S AND THE
SALESIANS’ OPTION FOR THE
YOUNG
1. The Young, Absolute Priority
of the Salesian Mission
The lessons young John Bosco
read in, and learned from, the
vocation dream that he dreamt at the
age of 9 imparted the basic direction
to his whole life—a ministry to the
young. In the constitutions he wrote
for the two religious congregations
1
that he founded this option was
clearly articulated. Besides striving
for holiness, the Salesian fathers and
brothers were to be “engaged in all
works of charity, both spiritual and
temporal, on behalf of young people,
especially poor young people.” (3) The
Salesian Sisters were to work for the
salvation of their neighbor, “especially
through the Christian education of
girls of the working classes (figlie del
popolo).” (4)
In its Special General Chapter of
1971-72 (SGC), the Salesian Society
engaged in a radical re-examination of
its mission, the result of which was a
restatement of the ”absolute priority”
of the young, especially the “poor and
abandoned” among them. That this
was Don Bosco’s “absolute priority” in
the first place was taken as axiomatic.
(5)
The question remained with
regard to the meaning of the term
“young.” After all, the liturgy spoke
of Don Bosco as “father and teacher
of adolescents (adulescentium pater
et magister).” The SGC concluded
that the mission of the Salesians was
to pre-adolescents, adolescents and
young adults, in accordance with the
age that corresponds to those decisive
stages in human life in different
human groups and cultures. Care of
younger children might be undertaken
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groups. (6) (It should be said that the Salesian Sisters at the
time had a different view regarding this last point.)
2. The “Poor and Abandoned”
The SGC, after stating the priority of “poor and
abandoned” young people and the meaning to be attached
to the term “young,” went on record also regarding the
meaning of the qualifiers “poor and abandoned.”
It concluded that by “poor” we are to understand the
victims of any form of poverty. It may be material poverty
(the root cause of many other kinds of deprivation); it may
be social and cultural poverty (experienced as frustration
and alienation); it may be affective poverty (as is the
case with orphans and children of broken homes and
dysfunctional families); or again it may be and moral and
spiritual poverty (lacking moral values or even a knowledge
of God).
Don Bosco in his instructions often referred to the
“poorer and more abandoned” or “the poorest and most
abandoned,” and therefore more needy, young people,
perhaps wishing to establish a priority among priorities for
the Salesian mission.
This is the case, according to the SGC, when young
people live in extreme poverty, suffer hunger, are illiterate,
and therefore cannot hope for a normal life unless they are
helped. It is the case of young people who struggle with
serious religious and moral problems, who find themselves
enmeshed in marginal cultures of delinquency and
addiction. Such diverse kinds of poverty are often found
in accumulation in Third-World countries, as well as in the
larger cities of developed countries, where the children
of the very poor live in the hopeless conditions of a
“Fourth World.” Many Salesians, so the SGC noted, believe
that, since programs of social reform financed by public
agencies often do not reach the outer margins of poverty,
it is our mission to address these dire needs and so witness
to Christ’s saving love. (7)
The renewed Salesian Constitutions state: “With Don
Bosco we reaffirm our preference for the young who are
‘poor, abandoned and in danger,’ those who have greater
need of love and evangelization, and we work especially in
areas of greatest poverty.” (8)
The Salesian option for the young embraces all these
young people in all their real needs. As they are the objects
of the Salesian educational effort, they are thereby also
challenged with a realistic call to holiness.
3. Young People—Young Men and Young Women
A determination of the age and social condition of
the beneficiaries of the Salesian mission, important as
it was, was insufficient to deal with the socio-cultural
developments that were already in effect at the time of
the SGC. For example, in accordance with Don Bosco’s
spirit and practice, which was the spirit and practice of the
time, boys and girls were educated separately. The Salesian
Fathers and Brothers worked with boys, the Salesian
Sisters with girls.
But the second half of the twentieth century wit-
nessed socio-cultural developments that brought boys and
girls together not only in school but also in practically ev-
ery other area of their social life.
As far back as 1965, the Nineteenth General Chapter
of the Salesian Society took note of these developments
and stated, “we cannot ignore the contacts between
the sexes which are a commonplace in modern living.”
(9) The SGC (1871-72) spoke even more distinctly on the
subject. In a paragraph entitled “Young Women,” referring
back to the statement of GC XIX, recognized “a need for
an integrated education for our young people. In this
education all the values of life (love, beauty, etc.) seen in
the light of the divine plan, will be precious elements for
the maturing of their personality.” (10) The Seventeenth
General Chapter of the Salesian Sisters (1881) spoke in
similar terms and directed the Sisters involved in education
to “adopt a balanced position [in the matter], and to
equip themselves, as other modern educators were doing,
to work also for young men whenever pastoral reasons
demanded it.” (11) The Salesian Regulations of 1884 allow
provincials, under certain conditions, to “open our schools
to young women.” (12)
By the end of the twentieth century coeducation
was regarded as normal both by the Salesians and the
Salesian Sisters. (13) And symbolically enough, in 1996, the
two Salesian schools at Valdocco (Salesians and Salesian
Sisters) by common agreement went coeducational.
In his letter on the New Evangelization, the Rector
Major, Fr. Viganò, while recognizing that coeducation
complicates rather than simplifies the educational
endeavor, writes:
The two sexes, complementary as they
are one to the other, require that persons be
formed according to the specific requirements
of their sex on the one hand, and on the other
that a kind of reciprocity be cultivated in them
[for maturity]. […] Experience shows that this
will not be effective without a spirituality of
young people. (14)
II. A SALESIAN SPIRITUALITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE
1. Salesian Education, Salesian Spirituality and Call to
Holiness
According to the official document referred to above (Fr.
Chávez’ commentary on the “Strenna” for 2004), the
challenge of the Salesian proposal of holiness is addressed
to all young people (“tutti i giovani”), young men and
young women, including those most at risk. Normally both
young men and young women under Salesian auspices
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receive a spiritual formation together with their education
imparted in accordance with the Salesian educational
method. For the method is also a way of the spiritual life.
Pope John Paul II, speaking of Don Bosco educator
and spiritual master in his letter Juvenum patris (for DB 88)
writes:
We need to get back to the true concept of
“holiness,” as a component of the life of every
believer. The originality and the boldness of a
plan for a “youthful holiness” is intrinsic to the
educational art of this great Saint, who can rightly
be called the “master of youth spirituality.” His
secret lay in the fact that he did not disappoint
the deep aspirations of the young (the need for
life, love, expansiveness, joy, freedom, future
prospects). At the same time, however, he led
them gradually and realistically to discover for
themselves that only in the “life of grace, i.e., in
friendship with Christ, does one fully attain the
most authentic ideals.” (15)
2. A Salesian Spirituality of Young People, Bosconian
Style
Don Bosco did in effect conceive and impart a spiri-
tuality intended for young people—“a method or way of
life,” to use his expression, that bears a typically Bosconian
stamp. He invited the young people of his earliest Oratory
to choose certain values, to adopt and act by certain stan-
dards, to organize their life as believers in a way that was
“Catholic”—in a word, to live in accordance with a spiritu-
ality and thereby enter the “way of holiness.”
That spirituality was a simple one to be sure, but it
was also designed and able to take the young people far
along the way of holiness. Moral lessons and spiritual
guidance were proposed though the Companion of Youth
(Giovane provveduto, 1st ed., 1847). They were also given
expression in Don Bosco’s biography of Louis Comollo (1st
ed., 1844), in his History of the Church (1st ed., 1845), in
his Bible History (1st ed., 1847) and in the Regulations of
the Home Attached to the Oratory (unpublished at the
time). These spiritual writings and the all-important, in
fact decisive, presence and inspired word of Don Bosco
himself, the educator and spiritual master, nourished the
spiritual life of young people like Michael Rua, Dominic
Savio and others in the 1850s. The great “experiment”
in the education of young people, and in the same act
in a spirituality of young people, continued in narrative
form in the biographies of Dominic Savio (1859), Michael
Magone (1861) and Francis Besucco (1864), in which Don
Bosco described three different, and yet so similar, spiritual
journeys.
The Bosconian style is evidenced in all of Don Bosco’s
writings intended for young people. But it is given the most
distinctive expression in the introductory section of the
Companion of Youth, just mentioned.
The Introductory Address (“Calling on the Young”) is
Don Bosco’s most personal statement of his love for young
people. He writes, in summary, “to discourage you from
virtue the devil tries to deceive you in two ways. The first
is to make you believe that the Christian life is a life of
sadness. On the contrary, it is a life of joy: ‘Serve the Lord
with gladness.’ The second is to deceive you into putting
off giving yourself to God to your old age. You would be
taking a grave risk. It is important that you make a decision
for God when you are young. This book is meant to show
you the way.” He concludes:
My friends, I love you with all my heart, and
your being young is reason enough for me to love
you very much. You will certainly find books writ-
ten by persons much more virtuous and much
more learned than myself; but, I assure you, you
would be hard put to find anyone who has a great-
er love for you in Jesus Christ, or who cares more
about your true happiness. (16)
The Address is followed by four series of
meditations providing spiritual and ascetical guidelines
for a young person’s Christian life. They are indebted to
St. Alphonsus’ Maxims for Eternity, and Preparation for
Death, to Charles Gobinet’s (1614-1690) Instruction de la
jeunesse, and to others.
In the paragraph, “Means to lead a good Catholic
life,” the chief structural concepts are as follows: God
loves the young, and wants them all to go to heaven. A
life of virtue is a life of joy, as the saints have shown us.
Obedience, spiritual reading, and the word of God are
ways to virtue. (17)
In the section, “Means of Perseverance,”
Don Bosco gives advice on temptation, deceits of the
devil, purity, devotion to Mary and vocation. There are
also things to guard against. They are idleness, bad
companions, bad conversations, scandal, temptations and
suggestions of the devil. (18)
Seven important considerations follow—all except
one derived literally from St. Alphonsus’ Maxims for
Eternity. They deal with such topics as the end of man, sin,
hell, etc. The last meditation, on Heaven, is derived from
St. Francis de Sales’ Introduction to the Devout Life. (19)
Thus was the Spirituality of Young people in the
Bosconian style created and handed down to subsequent
Salesian generations. It imparted purpose and depth to
Salesian educational efforts for years and lifetimes to
come.
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3. Don Bosco’s Spiritual Insights Adapted to New
Generations of Young People
The evolution of ideas and lifestyles begun and increasing in
momentum during the latter half of the twentieth century called
for an adaptation of traditional Salesian spirituality to the new
realities, so as to enable Salesian educators to make a realistic
proposal of holiness to young people today. This was in effect
attempted by the SGC (1971-72) and by the twenty-first GC
(1977). Later in 1990, the twenty-third GC of the Salesian Society
as part of its theme “Educating young people to the faith,”
undertook to articulate at some length such Salesian education
to the faith in terms of a “Spirituality of Young people.” The
section is in effect entitled, “Salesian Spirituality of Young People
(La spiritualità giovanile salesiana),” (20) with the understanding
that it is also spirituality for adults, that is for the educators.
Educator and pupil need each other and are collaborators in this
undertaking.
Pope John Paul II in his DB-88 letter to the Salesians
(Juvenum Patris) writes: “[Don Bosco] realized his personal
holiness through an educative commitment lived with zeal
and an apostolic heart. […] At the same time he knew how to
propose holiness as the practical objective of his pedagogy
[educational method]” (21) Again the Pope, as quoted above (but
it bears repeating), writes:
The originality and the boldness of a plan for ‘youthful
holiness’ is intrinsic to the educational art of this great
Saint [Don Bosco]. He can be rightly called the “master of
youth spirituality”. His secret lay in the fact that he did not
disappoint the deep aspirations of the young (the need for
life, love, expansiveness, joy, freedom, future prospects).
At the same time, however, he led them gradually and
realistically to discover for themselves that only in the “life
of grace,” i.e. in friendship with Christ, does one fully attain
the most authentic ideals. (22)
(4) It is a Spirituality of Communion in the Church
Daily life is experienced in the Church (cf. Const. 13 and 35),
as the natural setting for growth in faith through the sacraments.
In the Church the young people find Mary (cf. Const. 20 and 34),
who leads, accompanies and inspires them on the way.
(5) It is a Spirituality of Responsible Service
Daily life is offered to the young people as an opportunity for
generous service (cf. C 32), whether ordinary or extraordinary. (23)
III. RECTOR MAJOR’S COMMENTARY ON THE
“STRENNA” FOR 2004
INSIGHTS AND SALIENT STATEMENTS
After a fairly extensive Introduction (see above),
designed to set the stage and provide inspiration, the Com-
mentary is divided into four long paragraphs:
1. The Significance of this Jubilee (Dominic Savio’s and
Laura Vicuña’s) — These young saints exemplify the “high
standard of ordinary Christian living,” the aim of Salesian
education and Salesian spirituality for young people.
2. Memory — The great number of young saints and
saintly young people that is our heritage in education and
spirituality challenges us as educators and spiritual guides.
3. Prophecy — The prophetic witness of all our saintly
young people of the past speaks to our young people of to-
day.
4. Dominic Savio and Young People’s Holiness in the
Third Millennium — The holiness of Savio and other young
people, some mere children, alerts us to the spiritual poten-
tial inherent in the young, waiting to blossom in spite of the
negative pressures from modern culture.
IV. FLORILEGIUM: BRIEF ANTHOLOGY OF SA-
LIENT PASSAGES
4. Five Pivotal Aspects of the Salesian Spirituality of
Young People
The chapter on Salesian Spirituality of Young People of GC XXIII
(1990) is divided into five extensive paragraphs that are prefaced
by a “Synthetic Presentation” of the five paragraph headings with
a brief explanation for each and with references to articles of the
Salesian Constitutions. These represent the five pivotal aspects or
components of this spirituality.
(1) It is a Spirituality of the Quotidian (Ordinary Daily Life)
Ordinary daily life, as was the case with the life of Jesus of
Nazareth (cf. Const. 12) is the setting in which the young person
recognizes the presence of God actively at work, and lives in that
presence working toward personal realization.
(2) It is a Spirituality of Joy and Optimism
The young person lives ordinary daily life in an atmosphere
of joy and optimism, without however failing to meet one’s
commitments and responsibilities (cf. Const. 17 and 18).
(3) It is a Spirituality Based on a Deep Friendship with the
Lord Jesus
The Risen Christ (cf. Const. 34) renews the young person’s life
daily and infuses it with fresh hope, imparting to it meaning and
fulfillment.
[1. Challenging all young people]
[We believe] that from their teenage years young-
sters are capable of making courageous life choices as Dom-
inic Savio, Laura Vicuña [and others] did. We recognize that
young people have resources for good waiting to be devel-
oped, capable of choosing Jesus and his gospel values, and
determined to fight for these values. We may and should,
therefore, challenge them, in Don Bosco’s words, to give
themselves totally to God.
[Furthermore] great ideals are meant to be put not
just before the few, the select group of the “elect,” but be-
fore everyone, because everyone has a vocation [to person-
al holiness] and a mission [to others]. (24)
[2. Don Bosco calls for a high standard of ordinary Chris-
tian living]
The high standard of ordinary Christian living asked
for by Don Bosco could be summed up in basic ideas: cheer-
fulness, study and piety; or equivalently: cheerfulness and
the perfect fulfillment of one’s duties. But it is important
to note that here, as in his other educational insights, the
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aim was holiness, that is, conformity to Christ through obe-
dience and humility—giving oneself entirely to God, serv-
ing others and finding happiness in it. [He asked] neither
for long prayers nor for sacrifices inappropriate to young
people, but for cheerfulness and the carrying out of their
ordinary duties in church, school and society. Just as he rec-
ommended to the people at large love for the Eucharist, de-
votion to Our Lady, etc., or to educators reason, religion and
loving kindness; or to the Salesians work, temperance and
prayer—from the young he asked for cheerfulness, study
and piety.
I would say that in Don Bosco’s mind these are dif-
ferent ways of expressing the nature of Salesian spirituality,
which, while naturally taking on different forms, remains
the same in its essentials. Spirituality, in fact, is the force
that powers our life of faith, and that gives meaning, pur-
pose, unity and direction to our whole life. It is the expres-
sion of our fundamental religious option in terms of the way
we live our ordinary daily life. It gives authenticity to our
motives and our choices in life. (25)
place of the young; it is they themselves who have to be-
come responsible agents for change. (29)
[6. Holiness possible in young people:
Savio was not yet 15; Vicuña not yet 13; Namuncurá not
yet 19; the 5 Polish martyrs of Poznan between 19 and 23]
Taken together, these young people cover the age
of adolescence and young adulthood, 13 to 23. They devel-
oped their holiness to maturity is a Salesian atmosphere,
just like many other boys and girls who have found inspira-
tion in Dominic Savio. This fact forces us to recognize the
great educational force of the Salesian charism. […]
Why [is all this] of practical interest to us? Because
it is important that parents, teachers, educators, and adults
in general recognize the potential to be found in the souls of
young people. It can happen that the expectations we have,
the trust we are able to build up, the proposal we make are
far below [young people’s] capacity and willingness. It is not
common today to set the highest standards. Indeed often
today what is proposed is a life without ideals. […] (30)
[3. Significance of Dominic’s and Laura’s jubilee]
We could ask ourselves what these two young
saints, Dominic and Laura, have to say to the youngsters of
today. […] “[They remind] young people of the third millen-
nium that true happiness requires courage and a spirit of
sacrifice, the refusal to compromise with any kind of evil,
and the readiness to pay the price for fidelity to God even
with one’s life.” (26)
[4. Holiness the product of the Salesian educational
method]
Our saints, especially the young ones, are the best
seal that we have of the authenticity and validity of the
Salesian educational method. […] Don Bosco, the extraordi-
nary educator that he was, knew the hearts of the young so
well that he was able to direct them “joyfully’ along paths
that others considered too difficult and beyond the reach of
ordinary youngsters. […] (27)
Our task and our expertise lie in being travelling
companions of the young. (28)
[5. Adolescence and young adulthood important stages of
growth]
Adolescence and young adulthood are not waiting
times, but stages of growth in which the young person’s
potential for good is developed, courageous decisions are
made, and questions about life and its meaning are an-
swered. One must reject the notion that many young peo-
ple have to settle for a life without ideals. Rather one must
encourage the young to work for a better world.
Important values such as honesty, justice, solidarity,
communion, involvement, defense of human rights and of
the dignity of the individual, concern for the environment,
for peace, should be pursued as real commitments. There’s
where the hope of a better world lies. No one can take the
[7. Differences in times and cultures are bridged by
the fact that all young people are “young”]
The cultural awareness of young people in today’s
world, as well as their expectations, are different [than they
were in Savio’s time]. Yet their deepest aspirations remain
the same: a thirst for love, happiness and life. Differences
are bridged by the fact that he or she is a young person. The
question: To which fountains are we leading them so they
can quench their thirst? (31)
[8. What our young people are like in reality and
how we might respond]
In young people we can recognize:
—a great desire for life and meaning; […]
—hesitation and compromises in seeking a full and
happy life;
—sufficient ability to distinguish between the worth of
what is on offer: the long-lasting from the ephemeral, what
is ennobling from what is destructive;
—a desire to share worthwhile experiences with their
peers and with adults;
—generosity, even though often fragile and fleeting.
If this then is what our young people are like, what can
Don Bosco and Dominic Savio offer as a program of youth-
ful holiness?
This program is of interest to us because, translated
into present-day terms, it is a proposal of holiness for
young people of today.
Here are the points:
(1) Accept life as a gift, develop its best aspects with
gratitude and live it with joy.
(2) The heart, the backbone, the source and the guar-
antee of growth is the experience of God through living
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in God’s presence, friendship with Jesus and a way of life
faithful to Jesus: “Being faithful in carrying out one’s duties
spiritual and temporal.”
(3) Adopting a plan of life that includes being open to
society, to service, to solidarity and to charity. “Working to
gain souls for God.” (32)
CONCLUSION
1. Beatitudes for Young People on the Way of Holi-
ness (J. Aubry)
In 1990, the year of GC XXIII, a book appeared under the
editorship of the Salesian Generalate in Rome and intended
for the Salesian Family. It offered a number of essays (“con-
ferences on important aspects of Salesian spirituality”), one
in particular by Fr. Joseph Aubry on Salesian spirituality of
young people.
This author states that Don Bosco in the Companion of
Youth (Giovane provveduto) outlined a way of happiness
that was also a way of holiness for young people. He then
presents the basic principles of this “way of happiness-holi-
ness” in the literary form of beatitudes. (33)
(1) Blessed are you, young people, for God loves you
with a love of predilection and wants you to be happy. —
That young people are greatly loved by God was Don Bos-
co’s deepest conviction.
(2) Blessed are those who choose to serve God, for
thereby they choose life in its fullness. — In order to re-
ceive the happiness that God offers out of love one must
accept God himself and must be willing to “serve God.” This
means doing God’s will with love, doing what pleases God
in everything, and practicing the Christian virtues by imitat-
ing Christ.
(3) Blessed are those who choose God while young and
do not put it off, for thereby they choose a life of happiness,
followed by a peaceful death and a happy eternity. — Those
who fail to make their fundamental religious option and do
not give themselves to God in their youth put at risk both
their present and future life.
(4) Blessed are those who find the means of doing God’s
will, for thereby they enter the way of holiness. — One who
wishes to persevere in the way of happiness looks for help
to sustain him/her on the journey. Fortunate indeed are
they, if they find educators to show them how they may
serve God and so remain in God’s joy. Consequently they
accept the demands of daily duty, seeking God in prayer and
instruction, using the sacraments of reconciliation and com-
munion, and taking Mary as mother and help. The young
person will also need the courage to withstand and over-
come the enticements of evil, and to bear the pain entailed
in fidelity to conscience and to God.
(5) Blessed are those who make these choices, for
thereby their progress toward holiness is assured. — “Serv-
ing the Lord in holy joy” is a simple but effective method apt
to lead young people to holiness.
2. Closing Comment
Don Bosco firmly believed that young people can commit
themselves to a life of holiness, and that holiness is possible
in the young who make an early decision for the Lord. For
him Christian holiness does not require biological maturity
in a person. It is not dependent on prolonged prayers, ascet-
ical practices, miracles, ecstasies, or any other charismatic
experiences. It depends solely on the faithful fulfillment of
the duties of ordinary daily life and on one’s generous offer-
ing of self to God in love is spite of difficulties encountered.
This describes a “spirituality of the quotidian.” Don Bosco
wrote: “Let us stick to easy things, but let us do them with
perseverance.” (34)
Endnotes
(1) The clause “as the criterion of ordinary Christian living” is
a quote from Pope John Paul II’s proclamation, Novo millennio
ineunte (NMI) #31. The Rector Major’s commentary on the
yearly “strenna” is traditionally in the form of an address
delivered at the generalate of the Daughters of Mary Help of
Christians, who also handle its publication (Rome: Istituto FMA,
December 2003).
(2) P. Chávez, Commentary, Introduction and # 1 (“Significance
of this Jubilee”).
(3) SDB Constitutions, 1874.
(4) FMA Constitutions, 1877.
(5) SGC XX, Capitular Documents, Doc. I, Ch. 1 (“The
Mission…”) C) # 45-57.
(6) SGC XX, # 45-46.
(7) SGC XX, # 47-48.
(8) SDB Constitution 26 (1984),
(9) GC XIX, Document 17 (“Formation of the Young”), Ch. 5A,
p. 196.
(10) SGC XX, # 51.
(11) FMA GC XVII (Rome, September 15, 1981 - February 28,
1982) Atti, p. 112.
(12) General Regulations (1884) # 3.
(13) Cf. Acts of the Salesian International Colloquium of 1992
entitled “Coeducazione e presenza salesiana,” a cura di Cosimo
Semeraro (Leumann: Elle Di Ci, 1993) 234 pgs.
(14) E. Viganò, in Acts of the General Council # 349 (July-
September 1994) p. 23.
(15) P. John Paul II, Juvenum patris, # 16.
(16) Translation mine. Cf. The Companion of Youth by St. John
Bosco (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne, 1938), p. 4.
(17) The Companion of Youth, pp. 6-15.
(18) The Companion of Youth, pp. 16-35.
(19) The Companion of Youth, pp. 36-55.
(20) GC XXIII, Educating Young People to the Faith, Capitular
Documents, pp. 100-120, in Acts of the General Council # 333
(May, 1990). The official English translation of “Spiritualità
giovanile salesiana” is “Salesian youth spirituality.” But “Salesian
spirituality for/of young people” seems more appropriate.
(21) P. John Paul II, Juvenum Patris, # 5.
(22) P. John Paul II, Juvenum Patris, # 16.
(23) GC XXIII, Educating Young People to the Faith, Capitular
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Documents, in Acts of the General Council # 333 (May, 1990), p.
103.
(24) Commentary, Introduction.
(25) Commentary, Paragraph 1.
(26) Commentary, Paragraph 1. The Rector Major quotes
words of Pope John Paul II spoken of St. Maria Goretti on July 6,
2003.
(27) Here, starting with well-known names such as Dominic
Savio, Laura Vicuña, Ceferino Namuncurá, and passing over the
many martyrs, the Rector Major names 18 saintly young men
and women from 10 different countries, all of them products of
Salesian education.
(28) Commentary, Paragraph 2.
(29) Commentary, Paragraph 3.
(30) Commentary, Paragraph 4.
(31) Commentary, Paragraph 4.
(32) Commentary, Paragraph 4, final sections.
(33) Joseph Aubry, “Foi et bonheur. Don Bosco propose à ses
jeunes les Béatitudes évangéliques,” in Avec Don Bosco vers l’an
2000. Vingt conférences salésiennes (Rome: Salesian Generalate,
1990), pp. 52-83. The “beatitudes” interpret Don Bosco’s ideas
of holiness for young people as presented in the Giovane
provveduto. Cf. The Companion of Youth by St. John Bosco
(London: Burns Oates & Washbourne, 1938), Part I.
(34) G. Bosco, Cenno biografico sul giovanetto Magone Michele
[…] (Turin: Paravia, 1861), p. 47.
Readings:
A — From Sacred Scripture (Jesus Blesses the Chil-
dren): Mark 10:13-16 (Cf. Mt 19:13-15; Lk 18:15-17) —
[Mk 10:13-16] 13 People were bringing little children to
him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples
spoke sternly to them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, he was
indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to
me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the
kingdom of God belongs. 15 Truly I tell you, whoever does
not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never
enter it.” And he took them you in his arms, laid his hands
on them, and blessed them.
B — From Salesian Sources —
1. First Draft of Don Bosco’s Constitutions (1858), Pre-
amble, Rua Ms., Italian [Italics mine]:
At all times it has been the special concern of the min-
isters of the Church to promote, to the best of their power,
the spiritual welfare of the young. The good or evil moral
condition of society will depend on whether young people
receive a good or a bad education. Our Divine Savior himself
has shown us the truth of this by his deeds. For in fulfilling
his divine mission on earth, with a love of predilection he
invited children to come close to him: Sinite parvulos venire
ad me [Let little children come to me].
The Supreme Pontiffs, following in the footsteps of
the Eternal Pontiff, our Divine Savior, whose vicars on
earth they are, have at all times by the spoken and written
word promoted the good education of the young; and
consequently have they favored and supported those
institutes that are dedicated to this area of the sacred
ministry.
At the present time, however, this need is felt with far
greater urgency. Parental neglect, the abusive power of the
press, and the proselytizing efforts of heretics demand that
we unite in fighting for the Lord’s cause, under the banner
of the faith. Our efforts must aim at safeguarding the faith
and the moral life of that category of young people whose
eternal salvation is more at risk precisely because of their
poverty.
This is the specific purpose of the Congregation of St.
Francis de Sales, first established in Turin in 1841.
2. Salesian Constitutions (1984) # 26; # 31.
26. The young to whom we are sent
The Lord made clear to Don Bosco that he was to
direct his mission first and foremost to the young, especially
to those who are poorer.
We are called to the same mission and are aware of
its supreme importance: young people are at the age when
they must make basic life-choices which affect the future of
society and of the Church.
With Don Bosco we reaffirm our preference for the
young who are “poor, abandoned and in danger”1, those
who have greater need of love and evangelization, and we
work especially in areas of greatest poverty. R 1.3.11.15.26.
1. cf. MB XIV, 662.
OUR PASTORAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICE
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has
anointed me to preach good news to the Poor He has sent
me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of
sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord¬ (Lk 4,18-19).
31. Total development
Our mission is a sharing in that of the Church
which brings about the saving design of God, the coming
of His Kingdom, by bringing to men the message of the
Gospel, which is closely tied in with the development of the
temporal order.1
We educate and evangelise according to a plan for
the total well -being of man directed to Christ, the perfect
Man.2 Faithful to the intentions of our Founder, our purpose
is to form “upright citizens and good christians”.3 R 45, 22
1.cf. EN 31.
2.cf. GS 41.
3.Plan of Regulations of the Oratory, 1854 (MB 11, 46;
BM 11, 36).
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Presentation of the 2010 Strenna
«Truly, nothing is more beautiful than to know Christ and to make him known to others.»1
On the occasion of the centenary of the death of Don Michael Rua, who was totally
faithful to Don Bosco and to his charism, I want to invite the whole Salesian Family to
act as a real movement of disciples and apostles of Jesus and to be committed to the
evangelization of the young.
Being committed to evangelization is the fruit and the consequence of being the disciple
of the Lord Jesus, who following Him becomes his zealous missionary. In this way we want to
take up the challenge of helping the young «to look on this other person not simply with my
eyes and my feelings, but from the perspective of Jesus Christ»2
The 2010 Strenna takes its cue from the year of St Paul which has almost finished and from the Synod on the
Word of God during which I spoke about the passage in St Luke about the disciples on the way to Emmaus, which on
account of the contents and the method is seen as a model for the evangelization of the young.
“Sir, we want to see Jesus”
In imitation of Don Rua,
Many groups of the Salesian Family see themselves already in harmony
as authentic disciples
and zealous apostles
let us bring the Gospel
with this commitment. By way of example I refer you to two quotations from the
General Chapters of the SDB and the FMA.
The XXVI General Chapter of the Salesians recognizes the urgent need
to evangelise and the centrality of proposing Jesus Christ: «We perceive
to the young
evangelization as the principal requirement of our mission, aware that the young
have a right to have Jesus proclaimed to them as the source of life and promise
of happiness now and in eternity»3. Our « fundamental purpose is that of proposing that everyone should live their
human life as Jesus lived it. […]at the center … should be the proclamation of Jesus Christ and of his Gospel, together with
the call to conversion, to the acceptance of the faith, to their taking their place in the Church; then from this will come
faith journeys and forms of catechesis, liturgical life and the witness of charitable work »4 .
Then the XXII General Chapter of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians recognizes that it is the Love of God which
urges us on: «The Upper Room where the apostles were together is not a place for them to stay but one from which to
launch out. The Spirit changes them from fearful men into zealous missionaries who, full of courage, carry the good news
of the Risen Jesus along the world’s highways. Love leads to exodus and to a going out of oneself towards new frontiers
to make a gift of oneself: love grows through love.5 Mary, who from the Upper Room teaches us to throw open the
doors was the first to experience the exodus and to set out on her journey. The first to be evangelized became the first
evangelizer. Carrying Jesus to others, she offers her service, brings joy, makes love an experience».6
Suggestions for putting the Strenna into practice
Here are some ideas which will be useful so that the groups of the Salesian Family may together be engaged in
bringing the gospel to the young. They are offered to the individual groups but also to the Consultative Committees of the
Salesian Family at local and Province level.
1. The local and Provincial Consultative groups to
4. Make good use of the Apostolic Exhortations at the
reflect on and re-think the pastoral approach, so as to
conclusion of the continental Synods in order to identify
make effective the choices regarding the centrality of
priorities and approaches suited to the specific contexts
the proposal of Jesus Christ, personal and community
for the evangelization of the young. In the case of Latin
witness, the reciprocal relationship between education America, use the “Continental Mission” issued by the
and evangelization, attention to the variety of
Assembly of Bishops held at Aparecida; in the case of the
circumstances and the involvement of families.
Africa and Madagascar Region, follow the guidelines of
2. Starting from the “Mission Statement of the
the next Synod of Bishops.
Salesian Family,” identify in the local and Provincial
Consultative groups the best ways to plan and organise
Fr Pascual Chávez Villanueva
Rector Major
together experiences of the evangelization of the young.
Rome, 2 June 2009
3. In particular, foster collaboration among the
Salesian Family at Province and local level, so as to
[1] BENEDICT XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis, n. 84.
[2] BENEDICT XVI, Deus caritas est, n. 18.
[3] GC26 SDB, n. 24.
carry out the mission to youth, as an updated for of
[4] BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Fr Pascual Chávez Villanueva, Rector Major of the Sale-
proclamation and catechesis, involving the young people
themselves as evangelizers of their peers.
sians, on the occasion of the XXVI General Chapter, 1 March 2008, n. 4.
[5] Cr. BENEDICT XVI, Deus caritas est, n. 18.
[6] GC XXII FMA, The greatest of these is love, n. 33.
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