Reflecting
of our Salesian Spirituality, I have tried to highlight here some of the
characteristics which I feel are essential. I have grouped them into the three
themes we have been reflecting: Mystics of the Spirit, Prophets of Fraternity
and Servants of the Young.
Introduction
When
we begin to think of the Salesian Spirituality left us by Don Bosco, we must
look at the two people who were crucial in the creation of this beautiful
spirituality. They are St. Francis de Sales, the saint of gentleness whom Don
Bosco took as a model and Mamma Margaret who instilled in the young Johnny
Bosco much of his understanding of God, his style of prayer and most
importantly the love of God and nieghbour.
Mystics
of the Spirit
At
the core of the Salesian Spirituality is Union with God. The Salesian sees life as prayer. There is no dichotomy
between life and prayer. Every decision is keyed on the question ‘What would
Jesus do.’ There is always an invocation, a word of thanksgiving, a silent
petition on the lips of the Salesian. This overflows into a deep Trust in Divine Providence. This is
something that was a part and parcel of Don Bosco’s life. He began building
basilicas while he was still in debt. The Salesian too relies on the Lord to
provide for his work. ‘Everything is the
work of the Madonna.’ Don Bosco was known to say. The Salesian also looks at
Our Blessed Mother as mother, teacher and guide. Life and prayer are characterized
by a Filial devotion to MHOC. ‘Da
mihi animas caetera tolle’ this was Don Bosco’s motto. The Zeal for Souls is at the root of the untiring work of the Salesian
for the youth at risk. Don Bosco held up The
Sacraments as the means to salvation and a sure path to obtain the grace to
overcome sin. The Short Visits to the
Blessed Sacrament is another practice of piety which Don Bosco offered his
Salesians and young as a means to obtain many graces. For his Salesians, Don
Bosco stressed a Devotion to the Church
and the Vicar of Christ.
Prophets
of Fraternity
The
Salesians of Don Bosco live out this Spirituality in a community and in the
context of a larger community – the Salesian Family. Living together they
follow the rule or the Constitutions of the Society of St. Francis de Sales.
One of the important tenets of this community life is Family Spirit, where each individual is accepted and loved as a
member of a family. It is this that makes each one welcoming, open,
understanding and loving towards the other. Another characteristic is Optimism and Joy. This means that no
matter what the difficulties and hardships faced with, the Salesian learns to
look at the positive side of life and keep going this stems from a trust in the
Lord and that he will see to the fulfillment of his works. It was said of Don
Bosco that the more burdens and tensions he had the more cheerful and smiling
he would appear. He also stressed on the fact that sanctity is about being
cheerful. This characteristic of joy is the most appealing in the Salesian
Spirituality. This is augmented by a spirit of Flexibility and Creativity in all our works. Flexibility is
essential for the smooth functioning of the mission as well as of community. It
is in our flexibility that we are able to understand the other and make love
the other. The Salesian ministry oozes creativity. If not for this creativity,
the young would not be so enraptured by the Salesian Spirit.
Servants
As
Christ called all to a servant leadership, the Salesian too is at the service
of the young to whom he is sent. He follows Christ by forming in himself the Heart of the Good Shepherd. This fills
him with the zeal to reach out to the lost, the last and the least. Each young
person is unique and worth every effort we can make to reach out and enhance
their life. This is expressed in the practical aspect of Salesian Presence. This refers to a presence that is animating and
encouraging. The Salesian is always with the young as a friend and father,
guide and teacher. A unique legacy that Don Bosco left us is the Salesian Preventive System. This
comprises three crucial parts: Reason,
Religion and Loving Kindness. Reason is the first pillar of the Preventive
system. It implies that the Salesian should not be one who just makes rules but
who explains to the young the why behind every rule. Being reasonable means
being able to understand the young in their own situation. Religion is the
second pillar which implies that the Salesian who is centered on Christ is able
to give the young such an experience of his love. The Salesian must also strive
to help the young understand God’s will for their life. The third pillar is
Loving Kindness. The Salesian infused with the love of God reflects this love
to the young. Don Bosco said, “That you are young is enough for me to love
you.” Our mission is centered on the young and we are called to love them as
they are and to challenge them to be the best they can be. Another wonderful
tool that Don Bosco employed with his young was the Word in the ear. It is a method of correction that is personal and
very effective. The young person knows that you want the best for them. They
may not like to be corrected publicly so this means of correction is very
effective.
Conclusion
One
can never say it all but I hope I have done justice to the main concepts of the
Salesian Spirituality. In conclusion I need to mention that for the Salesian,
Spirituality is about life lived as a Contemplative in action. It is an Experience of Christ that forms in us
the zeal to live life always in awareness of the Lord’s will for us.
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