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Ongoing Formation Mar09

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Ongoing Formation Mar09

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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