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flash_03_eng_ym_formation_in-for_the_mission

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FLASH

Salesian Youth Ministry Animation

Number 3. February 2023

Pastoral qualification

and accompaniment of

the Salesian in the mission

and for the mission

Fr. Miguel Ángel García Morcuende

Youth Ministry General Councilor

YOUTH MINISTRY SECTOR

Salesiani di don Bosco SEDE CENTRALE SALESIANA

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Pastoral qualification and

accompaniment of the Salesian

in the mission and for the mission

Fr. Miguel Ángel García Morcuende

Youth Ministry General Councilor

1 Vocation and Ministry Shape Us

The task of devoting themselves wholly to

mission is included in the call

[1] Every institute of consecrated life arises

from a charism, which is neither clerical nor

lay, but is a gift of the Holy Spirit which points

out to the Founder a particular aspect of the

mystery of Jesus Christ. This gift is recovered

and realized as a concrete service to the world of

his time. Therefore, the Salesian Congregation

is also the memory and prophecy of the king-

dom of God for the world of young people.

The charism of the founders of religious con-

gregations and the apostolic mentality that

supports their projects are recognized by the

Church as embodiments of the Gospel of Jesus

Christ. They are, we can say, legitimate accen-

tuations of a particular aspect of the Gospel.

“By the action of the Holy Spirit who is at

the origin of every vocation and charism,

consecrated life itself is a mission, as was

the whole of Jesus’ life” (Vita Consecrata 72).

For us, what Vita Consecrata says in gener-

al about consecrated persons is true: “The task

of devoting themselves wholly to mission is

included in their call” (no. 72), just as it is true

that in carrying out the mission we find the

recipients, the motivation and the incentives

to fully experience this love of God.

In the case of Don Bosco, we just need to

open the Constitutions to immediately dis-

cover the Gospel reference: the Society of Saint

Francis de Sales “came into being not as a

merely human venture but by the initiative of

God” (Const. 1) and is called ‘to be a sacrament

of salvation’ for young people: “signs and bear-

ers of the love of God for young people, espe-

cially those who are poorer” (Const. 2).

These words characterize the way of

approaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ: in oth-

er words, we Salesians choose to approach

the Gospel and live it in the way Don Bosco

intended it. Our consecrated life is fulfilled in

an original way in the Salesian charism and,

therefore, formation according to this charism

is not an exercise in romantic archaeology but

an exercise in fidelity and authenticity.

[2] In recent years, the General Chapters

and the Rector Majors have encouraged us to

become aware of our charismatic identity,

deriving from spirituality, inherited, shared

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Fr. Miguel Ángel García Morcuende • Pastoral qualification and accompaniment of the salesian

in the mission and for the mission

and lived as a personal vocation; but they have

also invited us to rediscover each of its dimen-

sions at various levels, according to our spe-

cific apostolic identity: a qualified, and not

“generic” apostolate. As a result, this identity

stands out also from the local Church and from

other religious families that arose and contin-

ue to arise as a direct response to pastoral

urgencies and the needs of society.

Indeed, we continue to carry out our ser-

vice to the Gospel in the universal Church, by

engaging in the Church mission which allows

us to develop the riches of our Salesian voca-

tion. As Salesians, we are part of the structured

ministry of the local Church, but not as a min-

istry that “provides services”, rather as an edu-

cational and evangelizing proposal that takes

into account the apostolic nature we received

from our Founder and which is recognized by

the Church.

2 Some Symptoms

of Pastoral Weakness

[1] We must thank God because in the Salesian

Congregation there are numerous Salesians

who are dedicated to the mission, who live in

simple, prayerful and fraternal communities

that are close to the people. They are men

of God, with a personal familiarity with his

Word, who approach the Lord with a docile

and open heart, so that the Spirit may pen-

etrate deeply into their thoughts and feel-

ings and kindle in them “the mind of Christ”

(1 Cor 2:16).

There are many Salesians who live a spiritu-

ality embodied in the midst of simple people

and young people: brothers who bear witness

to a new Christian humanism based on com-

mitment to people, their human rights and

justice in the various continents, according to

the situation of the Church, its cultures and

the signs of times and places.

[2] Despite this beautiful reality, we must

ask ourselves why we sometimes notice cer-

tain expressions of dissatisfaction in the

Salesian mission, certain signs of pastoral

weakness or a gradual loss of enthusiasm for

Salesian educative-pastoral work itself. This

lack of apostolic identity can expose some con-

freres in our provinces.

Firstly, we sometimes feel the discrepancy

between the current mission and the

educational and pastoral formation

we received

A manifestation of this imbalance is “pas-

toral genericism”, the lack of identity of Sale-

sian apostolic life, the provision of services

without the specific mediation of our charism,

which in the end makes us insignificant. And,

consequently, the risk that individualism, hier-

archical function or exclusively the ordained

ministry of the Salesian will be emphasized,

giving importance only, or mainly, to a strict-

ly sacramental or liturgical ministry.

Surely there must have been initial apostol-

ic motivations which led to the choice of the

Salesian life, strongly focused on service to

young people, but, little by little, they have

diminished and been transformed: the com-

mon denominator of this charismatic weak-

ening is physical and emotional distancing

from the world of youth. Thus, some Salesians

lose enthusiasm and interest in apostolic activ-

ity and fall into dynamics which do not help

in any way to build the EPC or the Salesian

community. They themselves feel that the

mission which the Province has entrusted to

them mortifies their possibilities.

Problems immediately arise, such as the

absence of co-responsibility, the underesti-

mation of the Salesian model, excessive depen-

dence on the diocese, anxiety for one’s image,

prestige or the desire to hold important posi-

tions, etc. Unfortunately, young Salesians who

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FLASH • February 2023 YOUTH MINISTRY SECTOR Salesiani di Don Bosco • Sede Centrale Salesiana

think that, because they are religious, they do

not have the same obligations as school teach-

ers or that they can afford the luxury of not

fulfilling their obligations.

Secondly, we can fall into the erroneous

conception that the mission is only “an

aspect” that is addressed in a given

moment of formation

Therefore, Salesian educative-pastoral action

is considered an external element juxtaposed

to consecration, nothing but its constitutive

element. The approach of the “grace of uni-

ty”, i.e. the harmonious and complete form of

the physiognomy of Salesian spirituality and

life, is placed in a very ambiguous way at the

center of the heart of the religious apostle;

living in union with God and being dynam-

ic in one’s apostolate does not represent a

synthesis that unifies the life of the person,

it is not the source of a particular spirituality.

According to this misleading perspective,

apostolate contributes only indirectly to the

formation of young Salesians, to the extent

that it allows them to gain experience, to put

their strength to the test, to understand peo-

ple’s needs, to find a balance between doing

and being. In other words, the dynamism of

apostolic activity is understood only as “train-

ing” in order to learn functions that are nec-

essary for the future mission, not in view of

the fullness of religious life.

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Fr. Miguel Ángel García Morcuende • Pastoral qualification and accompaniment of the salesian

in the mission and for the mission

Thirdly, we meet young Salesians whose

formation and pastoral practice have

remained limited to the time of their

novitiate and post-novitiate

Without constant support during all stages, a

support that allows a progressive and ongo-

ing integration of our way of being pastors,

the specific mission in the houses is limited

to superficiality, with many personal attach-

ments. The knowledge of Don Bosco and our

history and the deepening of our spirituality

in reference to the Gospel are vital and urgent

in all phases. But it is also urgent to organize

the reflection and transmission of the educa-

tive-pastoral model of our Salesian youth min-

istry. Sometimes there is a lack of a well-de-

fined, viable and pedagogically comprehen-

sive organic itinerary.

From an analysis of the cases of Congrega

tion’s abandonments, it clearly emerges that

the absence of a sense of identity and belong-

ing play a decisive role. Undoubtedly, the series

of elements described above may have to do

in part with the type of formation to and for

the mission we offer.

3 Identity:

Starting from a New Awareness of Mission Today

[1] The identity of an institute or a Congregation

of apostolic life needs constant updating; it

requires an authentic “pastoral conversion”

which is very much related to the paradigm

shift in the way we understand society, cultur-

al dynamics and, in our case, the evangeliza-

tion of the world of young people. All of this

requires a new way of approaching young

people (discernment) in their inner laby-

rinths, in their worries and in their dreams.

Salesian consecrated life was born to

bring the newness of the Spirit and must

be placed where the Spirit leads it, where

it is possible to proclaim and bear witness

to the “good news of God” in educative-pas-

toral action with young people.

The temptation of stagnation, the tenden-

cy to settle down and lose the ability to change,

enthusiasm and creativity can be lurking. This

resistance to change and the difficulty of dia-

logue between faith, culture and life represent

an obstacle to the ability to propose in a pas-

toral way the “novelty” of the Gospel, to

respond with missionary zeal to new needs,

to let ourselves be challenged by the signs of

the times of youth culture and embody today

the restless and ever searching heart that char-

acterized Don Bosco.

As Salesians, we are not limited to respond-

ing to the challenges of the various contexts

in a professional way, offering good educa-

tional services and excellent reception facili-

ties; our proposal takes on a charismatic and

prophetic form, which offers spirituality and

the Gospel to our priority target groups of

today. By vocational choice, we want to be close

to simple people and the poorest, most dis-

advantaged and most forgotten young peo-

ple; those who have no one to immerse them

in the pool when the water is stirred up (cf. Jn

5:1-16).

[2] According to this, a formation to con-

secrated life, with its essential characteristics

(the profession of evangelical counsels, com-

munity life and its particular spirituality), must

reflect on what characteristics the apostolate

should have in this type of religious life: is it

the identity of consecrated life that shapes

the mission? Or is it the mission in the educa-

tive-pastoral sphere of young people that gives

a particular nature to consecrated life? Is mis-

sion simply the moon revolving around the sun,

which is consecrated life?

Apostolic action, and for us specifically

the educational choice, within the plan of

consecrated life, becomes a privileged

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FLASH • February 2023 YOUTH MINISTRY SECTOR Salesiani di Don Bosco • Sede Centrale Salesiana

place of encounter with God and, there-

fore, a path of holiness, to the point that

we can say that the Salesian is called to sanc-

tify himself by educating. It is a question

of making the educational commitment

the spiritual space and the pastoral center

of one’s life, prayer, professionalism and

everyday life.

It is a question of recognizing ourselves as

God’s collaborators, “sent” by him through

those mediations in which we see the expres-

sion of His will, primarily the religious profes-

sion with which we have expressed our inten-

tion to follow His call, remaining united to Him

in His work for the world and for every person.

Our mission, which must be stressed, focus-

es on the youth sector and follows an educa-

tional itinerary. It is among these coordinates

that the charism was manifested and in them

we continue to find the secret of our possible

vitality.

[3] For this reason, Salesian formation must

be ever more sensitive to holistic models. In

order for the young brother in formation to

grow in a balanced and comprehensive way,

in all aspects of his person and of his being

a Salesian, all the dimensions of his forma-

tion (human, spiritual, communitarian, intel-

lectual and pastoral) must be taken care of at

every stage of his formation. Each of these

dimensions flows into the next, unifying and

integrating the whole person.

The objective of Salesian formation consists

in fashioning the “inner attitudes of the Son”

in our young people (cf. Vita Consecrata 66):

being configured to him and associating our-

selves with his dedication towards the most

needy; bearing witness to the practice of mer-

cy, compassion and solidarity towards all, espe-

cially towards the least and excluded young

people; reaching out to simple people and

evangelizing through the world of education;

assuming the specific nature of apostolic

choices together with the laity; cultivating and

raising social and missionary awareness; devel-

oping spiritual fortitude in the face of inevi-

table failures or pastoral conflicts; expressing

the joy of following the Lord and the passion

for the Kingdom; taking care of the adequate

preparation and quality of educational work,

recalling the words of Don Bosco: “For you I

study, for you I work, for you I live, for you I

am ready even to give my life” (Const. 14). This

apostolic guidance must be present and must

be explicitly offered throughout the period

of formation. It must find a place in prayer, in

reflection, in educational experiences and in

the commitments assumed by the formators

and those being formed.

A formation which is mainly structured

around two poles - study and personal devo-

tion - is not healthy. It responds to an idea of

formation as a legal process in which emphasis

is placed on the canonical requirements and the

formal and exterior aspects of the behaviour of

young people in formation. What is needed is

a “de-academization” of the formative pro-

cess (that is, when studies are the only point

of reference for this process and the criteri-

on for discernment from one stage to anoth-

er). If formation as such is concerned with the

process typical of every Christian of assimi-

lating the Gospel and making it come alive in

order to achieve the stature of Christ in the

most possible way, it is necessary to change

perspective.

[4] In conclusion, the perspective that

shapes formation must be the specific mis-

sion of the Salesian: “Our mission sets the

tenor of our whole life” (Const. 3). We are not

trained for a generic consecrated life, but in

view of the mission we have in the Church.

We are an apostolic Congregation. God’s call

has come to us through the experience of

youth mission; for many it was the spark that

lit the fire of discipleship.

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Fr. Miguel Ángel García Morcuende • Pastoral qualification and accompaniment of the salesian

in the mission and for the mission

Our consecration and our community life

must guide us towards our fundamental

mission as Salesians. Hence the importance

of being faithful in setting our lifestyle, our

presence and our apostolic and service

choices according to the guidelines inher-

ited from Don Bosco and our magisterium.

The Congregation must achieve, in its var-

ious parts and persons, the specific nature

which reveals its characteristic face and its

mission of manifesting the image of the

“Good Shepherd” in the world and in the

Church.

As a Congregation we have relevance to the

extent that we place ourselves at the service of

the mission. And this mission belongs to the

entire Church: to evangelize, but with our spe-

cific connotations. To be formed without this

perspective is a handicap that prepares great

failures and painful disappointments.

4 Concrete Steps Needed

for a New Impulse

of Today’s Salesian Mission

The renewed impulse of today’s Salesian mis-

sion requires greater concreteness in forma-

tion. In designing formation programmes,

we sometimes devote great energy to activ-

ities (sporadic and episodic pastoral activities,

apostolic experiences at weekends...), forget-

ting essential mediations such as specific sys-

tematic pastoral formation and an attentive

accompaniment of apostolic experience.

Specific pastoral formation

[1] “Pastoral theology is not just an art. Nor is

it a set of exhortations, experiences and meth-

ods. It is theological in its own right, because it

receives from the faith the principles and cri-

teria for the pastoral action of the Church in

history (…). Among these principles and crite-

ria, one that is especially important is that of

the evangelical discernment of the socio-cul-

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FLASH • February 2023 YOUTH MINISTRY SECTOR Salesiani di Don Bosco • Sede Centrale Salesiana

tural and ecclesial situation in which the par-

ticular pastoral action has to be carried out.”

(Pastores Dabo Vobis 57).

For this reason, the gradual study of the

“Salesian Youth Ministry Frame of Reference”

is fundamental in order to understand and

adhere to the Salesian educative-pastoral

model. And this deepening takes place “in the

mission”. It is basically a question of strength-

ening, in the pastoral dimension of the Sale-

sian, the ‘being’, the ‘knowing’, the ‘knowing

how to do’ and the ‘knowing how to be with’.

This means that we must know, assimilate and

practice the operating mode of Salesian youth

ministry if we want to achieve formative objec-

tives, such as:

–– the maturation of a true Salesian apostol-

ic identity;

–– the global and gradual understanding of

the Salesian educative-pastoral model in

the stages of formation;

–– the acquisition of a planning and opera-

tional mentality;

–– the habit of discernment in pastoral prac-

tice;

–– the ability to communicate and to expe-

rience educative relationships and accom-

paniment.

Therefore, it is a question not only of form-

ing for pastoral or educative activities, but of

always seeking that integration between the

educative and evangelizing competencies men-

tioned above, which makes the life of the Sale-

sian harmonious in every Salesian apostolic

expression.

The mission is not merely the pastoral ser-

vice that we perform. It is a spiritual experi-

ence that must be appropriately defined. The

mission takes place in life even before practi-

cal service.

[2] A second important aspect in this regard

is to seriously ensure that apostolic practic-

es in houses of initial formation are well

looked after and adapted to each stage of

formation. Formation plans cannot separate

the Salesian’s personal formation from apos-

tolic commitments; the formative value of

educative-pastoral work cannot be separated

in the life of the young Salesian.

In this sense, it is necessary to define and

agree on the criteria for choosing apostolic expe-

riences during the initial formation. In prac-

tice, this dimension must result in updating

the model and objectives of Salesian apostol-

ic activities, in fidelity to our educative-pas-

toral proposal, considering the conditions of

the environment in which we operate. One of

these criteria is certainly the choice of places

where young people who are poor or at risk

are found, and the experiences carried out in

an EPC with the accompaniment of the Sale-

sians and lay members of the animation team.

It is important for those in formation to gain

experience in the various sectors of the Sale-

sian mission.

Formative Pastoral Accompaniment

[1] Secondly, we would like to highlight the

importance of accompanying the pastoral

experiences lived in the mission with ade-

quate discernment. It is in openness and per-

sonal exchange that motivations, conflicts,

enthusiasm and disappointments, knowl-

edge and the ability to manage one’s difficul-

ties are gauged. We cannot take for granted

that young confreres will automatically ben-

efit from pastoral activity, learning from their

mistakes during the years of formation. The

apostolate can be the platform that allows us

to notice any immaturity and childishness,

such as feeling like “a saviour”, showing off

to attract attention, living emotional depen-

dency, feeling like the owner of the truth,

begging for applause and recognition, etc.

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Fr. Miguel Ángel García Morcuende • Pastoral qualification and accompaniment of the salesian

in the mission and for the mission

The growth of people depends more on

the capacity for internalization that each one

possesses, rather than on the formative

structures. The behavioural illusion (stim-

ulus-response) expects to reach its forma-

tive objectives automatically by planning

certain apostolate experiences, without

paying due attention to the person being

formed.

Pastoral activity is not sufficient to acquire

an “apostolic identity”; what is important is

the process of accompaniment through which

one learns to remain in the complexity of pres-

ent and future Salesian life. It is an experien-

tial-sapiential dynamic whose basic principle

is that formation takes place only when the

values and contents proposed are experienced

and enjoyed by those being formed. It is about

helping those in formation to “learn by expe-

rience the values of the Salesian vocation” (Const.

98), to “discern the voice of the Spirit, thus acquir-

ing the ability to learn from life’s experiences”

(Const. 119), to make a charismatic reading of

the experience.

[2] In this sense, formation can only take

place in a journey of theological faith. Its

center and fundamental axis will therefore be

the encounter with the person of Jesus Christ,

the configuration to Him, following Him and

commitment to his cause to the point of shar-

ing His paschal destiny in the “Salesian per-

spective”. If we consider that an evangelizing

Church must first of all be an evangelized

Church, we must likewise consider that no one

will be able to carry out a mission if he has not

first had the experience of meeting the Lord.

This includes, therefore, our original way of

approaching the mystery of Christ as Salesians.

First disciples, then apostles..

For this reason, it is necessary to come

into contact with the very notes of pastoral

charity which reveal what is specific and dis-

tinctive of the Salesian charism. Pastoral char-

ity participates in the pastoral charity of

Christ, and this ensures that the love of the

Salesian who gives himself to the commu-

nity entrusted to him is sacramental, that

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FLASH • February 2023 YOUTH MINISTRY SECTOR Salesiani di Don Bosco • Sede Centrale Salesiana

is, an expression of the love of Christ the

Shepherd incarnate, extended, historicized

and actualized. This requires that this love

be primary and principal: primary, because

it is not subordinate to any other love, be

it friendship, sexual, family or social; prin-

cipal, because all other interests and val-

ues are subordinate to it. Pastoral charity

is the fundamental choice of the life of the

Salesian, who knows that he was “touched”

by Jesus and, therefore, for him, follow-

ing Him becomes a conviction and a deci-

sion that transfigures his whole being.

The lack of this distinctive aspect of our

charism in the life of some Salesians is per-

haps largely due to the fact that they have

not cultivated a profound experience of God:

the configuration to the heart of the Good

Shepherd did not take place in them and

they have fallen dangerously into volun-

tarism or pastoral efficiency and activism.

This may have occurred because the apos-

tolic dimension in formation has not been

adequately accompanied and integrated.

[3] This is why, among other things, it is

urgent to make our young Salesians grow

in love for the mission, to accompany them

so that they may grow in apostolic zeal, ready

to let themselves be consumed by the Sale-

sian mission and charismatically well formed

to serve the young better. It is surprising

how apostolic enthusiasm can fade gradu-

ally as one progresses in formation.

Being formed in love for the mission means

being formed in the charism. The charism is

a synthesis of life, between the gift of the

Spirit and the person. By deepening our char-

ismatic identity, we are better equipped to

live out this gift, to share it with the laity, to

give an account of what we are living, to

describe it and to be convinced of its rele-

vance. The mission “shapes”, inspires, ani-

mates and guides the charism; it gives it vis-

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Fr. Miguel Ángel García Morcuende • Pastoral qualification and accompaniment of the salesian

in the mission and for the mission

ibility and adapts it to the changing conditions

of the context and recipients.

Pastoral charity (with the values, attitudes

and criteria typical of the educative-pasto-

ral dimension) determines our way of think-

ing and acting, our way of relating with one

another; it also guarantees processes of

growth and apostolic fidelity which are

appropriate to today’s world.

It is in this perspective that the ecclesial ser-

vice of accompanying young people is better

understood (cf. Christus vivit 244 and 245).

This ministry requires authenticity, goodness,

commitment to the Church and to the world,

the pursuit of holiness, listening, acknowledg-

ing one’s limitations and one’s sins, etc. (cf.

Christus vivit 246).

[4] The young Salesian also needs to encoun-

ter, both in personal prayer and in celebra-

tions, a God who is the source of life and full-

ness for humanity, especially for the poorest

young people. The pastoral sense of the spac-

es for personal prayer helps to make their

moments of solitude filled with the people to

whom the Lord sends us. The concrete ways

are: the cultivation of intercessory prayer,

which is an act of trust in God and an act of

love for our brothers and sisters; the action

of pastoral grace, through which we thank God

for what he does to others and for what he

does through us; reconciliation, which allows

us to ask forgiveness for the inappropriate way

of living the pastoral ministry and to purify

our intentions.

[5] To this end, dialogue with the rector/

formator and spiritual accompaniment are

precious opportunities. It is a space for adapt-

ing the pastoral dimension of the Salesian:

“personal dialogue, a practice of irreplaceable

and commendable effectiveness which should

take place regularly and with a certain frequen-

cy” (Vita Consecrata 66). It is about that “pas-

toral dialogue” which Paul VI speaks of in Evan-

gelii Nuntiandi, to guide those being formed

in the ways of the Gospel, confirm them in

their efforts, raise them up if they have fall-

en, assist them with discernment and avail-

ability (cf. n. 46); “point out those obstacles

which are less obvious”... show “the beauty

of following Christ and the value of the charism

by which this is accomplished” (Vita Consecra-

ta 66). From the very beginning of this jour-

ney, formative mediation must be clear in pre-

senting the objectives of formation itself,

including the apostolic formation, the rules

of the game and its needs, according to the

mentality of the Church and the Congrega-

tion, without hiding the specific duties.

[6] The context in which formation must

take place is the local community. There-

fore, the team of formators will have to guar-

antee a formative project along the various

stages of formation which makes it possible

to become practical, also in the apostolic

dimension of the Salesian vocation. And this

must be done by taking into account individ-

ual uniqueness, linked to culture, as well as

history and the more precise context in which

one lives and works, and with reference to the

actual area of the Congregation in which one

is located.

This formative accompaniment must go

beyond the “external” elements of apos-

tolic initiatives and seek to descend to the

level of convictions, attitudes and motiva-

tions. We need formators who, following

the icon of the Master, walk along the road

to Emmaus, accompanying, listening,

enlightening, discerning, provoking. In this

way, the formator will be able to become

a companion, teacher, father and pastor of

the young people entrusted to him.

There is an essential aspect for the pastoral

qualification and accompaniment of the Sale-

sian in his formative journey: the formation

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FLASH • February 2023 YOUTH MINISTRY SECTOR Salesiani di Don Bosco • Sede Centrale Salesiana

and pastoral experience of the formators. How

important it is, in this sense, to have forma-

tors who adhere to that common pastoral cri-

terion (“to evangelize by educating”) which

characterizes the Salesian apostolate! In its

various experiences and mediations, the Con-

gregation must be able to show its specific

nature, its characteristic face and its mission,

which consists in living Don Bosco’s “Da mihi

animas” in the world and in the Church.

[7] Today, pastoral formation also comes

from the members of the Educative-Pasto-

ral Community in which those being formed

are found. The personal growth of the Sale-

sian is a slow process of personal unification,

which combines not only significant knowl-

edge and skills, but also accompanied con-

crete experiences at the local level.

[8] This model of integral formation must

include, as part of the same project, both the

initiatives of the formators and the proposals

of the provincial delegate for formation and

the delegate for youth ministry. It is the

responsibility of both delegates to put togeth-

er the vocation and the mission in the con-

text of a provincial and local (organic) pasto-

ral care.

As a Father Treats His Children

To conclude, let us examine a passage taken

from the letter of St. Paul: 1 Thess. 2:1-20.

Paul appears here as a pastor who identifies

the pain of a Christian community and wants

to take care of it. The Thessalonian communi-

ty is in a state of anxiety because of the tribu-

lations it is going through. The apostle knows

that this is overcome through gratitude and the

experience of grace. Paul treats them, there-

fore, like a nourishing mother, like a father,

like an orphan himself. He uses analogies that

arouse emotion and gratitude: “We were deter-

mined to share with you not only the gospel

of God, but our very selves as well, so dear-

ly beloved had you become to us! (…) Like a

father treats his children”. Isn’t this also the

face of Salesian consecrated life in its mis-

sion with young people?

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