GUIDELINE 1: RETURN TO DON BOSCO.
Let each Salesian:
Re-awaken in his heart a renewed interest in a deeper, more systematic knowledge of Don Bosco through a serious and persevering study of Salesian history, spirituality, pedagogy and pastoral ministry, and of the Preventive System to put it into action.
Read meditate frequently on the Constitutions – ‘Don Bosco’s will and testament’ [C. 196 ]
Renew his personal devotion to Don Bosco in order to share his passion for God and for the young.
GUIDELINE 2: RETURN TO THE YOUNG.
Let each Salesian:
Learn to encounter God through the young to whom he is sent.
Find the time to be present with the young as a friend, educator and witness to God, whatever his role in the community may be.
When age, health or other reasons prevent a physical presence among the young, cooperate in the mission to them, through prayer, by showing interest, by offering up his own life.
GUIDELINE 3: CHARISMATIC IDENTITY AND APOSTOLIC PASSION.
Let each Salesian:
Ask God each for the grace of unity between contemplation and apostolic activity and commit himself to realizing it, thus avoiding the risk of fragmented and superficial activity.
Take personal responsibility for his own spiritual and pastoral formation in order to mature authentically in his vocation.
Renew of strengthen the practice of being accompanied by a spiritual director, looking at Don Bosco’s experience.
Be ready to share his own faith journey, richness of Salesian spirituality and apostolic activity with his confreres, with lay people who share responsibility with us, with the members of the Salesian Family and with the young.
GUIDELINE 4: AN EVANGELIZED AND EVANGELIZING COMMUNITY.
Let each Salesian:
Make a personal plan of life which offers the necessary time for individual and community prayer, give attention to meditation on God’s Word, make good use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and give pride of place to the daily Eucharist.
GUIDELINE 5: CENTRALITY OF THE PROPOSAL OF JESUS CHRIST.
Let each Salesian:
Apply himself to a systematic and spiritual study of the Word of God in order to assimilate it and make Jesus the inspiration, criterion and purpose of every educative and pastoral activity.
Give witness to his own faith, saying what effect the meeting with Christ has had in his life.
See to his own updating in areas of study which permit a critical interpretation of our times and an effective way of proposing the faith
GUIDELINE 6: EVANGELISATION AND EDUCATION.
Let each Salesian:
Appreciate that a direct and warm relationship with each young person is a privileged form of witness and proclamation.
GUIDELINE 7: EVANGELISATION IN VARIOUS CONTEXTS.
Let each Salesian:
Learn the languages of the people with whom he works with a view to guaranteeing a truly inculturated evangelization.
GUIDELINE 8: OUR WITNESS AS THE FIRST VOCATIONAL INVITATION.
Let each Salesian:
Keep alive an awareness of the gift of his own vocation, assuming an attitude of thanksgiving to God.
Be committed to a witnessing to a joyful life and sharing the story of his own vocation when opportunity presents itself.
Strengthen fidelity to his vocation by constant recourse to spiritual guidance; let him also, in difficult moments, value the help that can be given by human sciences.
Pray daily for vocations.
Transform the patience demanded by discomfort and suffering at the time of old age or illness, into a trusting offering of himself on behalf of vocations.
GUIDELINE 9: APOSTOLIC VOCATIONS.
Let each Salesian:
Be convinced that each young person has a God-given mission, and accompany him or her in discovering it.
GUIDELINE 10: ACCOMPANIMENT OF CANDIDATES TO THE SALESIAN CONGREGATION.
Let each Salesian:
Learn to recognize the signs of a vocation that young people manifest and have at heart inviting them to Salesian consecrated life.
Be available for spiritual accompaniment and see to his preparation for the task.
GUIDELINE 11: THE TWO FORMS OF THE SALESIAN CONSECRATED VOCATION.
Let each Salesian:
Value and foster the uniqueness of the Salesian consecrated vocation in its complementary forms.
GUIDELINE 12: PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY WITNESS.
Let each Salesian:
Dedicate his whole life to God and the young with inner detachment, recalling what Don Bosco once said: “ we need to have poverty in our hearts to practise it.”
Express his poverty through tireless self-sacrificing work, fleeing laziness or frenetic activity, also by giving a hand in work and service around the house.
Take care of his health and in agreement with the community plan appropriate periods of rest.
Live the temperance that Don Bosco wanted of us through a simple lifestyle with regard to food, clothing, journeys, furniture, use of work materials, media and time, maturely accepting any discomfort when something useful or necessary is lacking.
Rediscover the requirements of dependency on the superior and the community and the sharing of goods as required by the Constitutions [C. 75-76] and give an account of what he receives and whatever comes to him from any source.
