| RMG – Salesian Family Days: bringing the Gospel to others nowadays |
| RMG –Salesian Family Days: authentic disciples and zealous apostles |
Don Bosco the educator and the evangeliser had been the icon which those attending the Spirituality Days of the Salesian Family had been contemplating on this third day As their guide was the picture by Koeder, chosen by the Rector Major as a metaphor for the 2010 Strenna.
Fr Chávez, opening his talk reminded people what it was that made the Salesian Family go to young: “It is not a particular interest in pedagogy, or a special concern for the young. No, we have been sent to them!”
Recalling the talks of the previous days and continuing on from them hr briefly outlined the circumstances of young people in the continents he has often visited. The wide-spread de-sacralisation that marks out Europe is likewise happening in the Americas requires evangelisers and educators to open up new ways to inwardness.
Quoting some biblical models of evangelisation he spent some time wit two of these: Abraham, the prototype of the believer, and Mary who knew how to accept God’s will and make it her own.
“This is my dream; to see young people encounter Christ and find the meaning and joy of life in him, an answer to their expectations and ideals, their role in the Church and in the world,” the IX successor of Don Bosco said concluding his address. “My dream is to see young people as a resource for the present, to whom must be offered every opportunity to develop their talents and their energies for good, so that they can renew society and the Church.” Firmly he declared: “We will never renew the Church unless we fill it with young people!”
Fr Chávez’s talk, available in the section on the sdb.org site, was followed by series of questions and requests for explanations before there was a number of testimonies. The first of these was given by Andrea Baldini, the European coordinator of the Salesian Youth Movement who spoke about the experiences of evangelisation in the organisation even though it is not officially listed among the Salesian Family.
Fr Joao Carlos, a Salesian from Brazil, spoke about his experience as a composer and performer who through music has been able to be an evangeliser of the people and of youth. “Music opens the doors of the heart to the message of the Gospel. I write and publish songs with messages and in sing shows in the presence of a lot of people.”
There is a particularly interesting experience with the Salesians in the Province of Pila, in Poland, who for a number of years have been offering young people pilgrimages and evangelising meetings in the streets and squares. The idea began in 1991 at Jasna Gora, when John Paul II gave the young people a specific mandate “go out and preach,” and involves thousands of people and youngsters in a very serious faith journey.
At the end of the afternoon work groups where they had the chance to share and understand the topics better, Mass in honour of Blessed Michael Rua was celebrated.
In the evening Fr Pier Luigi Cameroni, the World Assistant of the Association of Mary Help of Christians gave the Good Night and announced that there was to be an International Assembly organised by ADMA at Czestochowa in August 2011.
This was followed by a short concert by Fr Joao Carlos, with some songs and dances presented by the CGS Life from Catania.
The talks, photographs and short video news items are available on the special section of the sdb.org site.
Published 24/01/2010
