(ANS – Rome) – This year the approaching feast of Don Bosco is marked by the invitation of the Rector Major to come to know his life-story, “ a knowledge leading to love him, imitate him, and invoke him” (Strenna 2012). During the Mass tomorrow 31 January at Valdocco at which Fr Chávez will preside he will present his message to the young people of the Salesian Youth. It can be seen live by satellite and on streaming.

In recent days all the Salesian houses around the world have begun programmes to prepare for the Feast tomorrow and to celebrate the saint of youth. At the heart of many of them is a knowledge of his life-story  the first step towards the Jubilee of the bicentenary of his birth (1815-2015).

The life-story of Don Bosco, as the Rector Major points out ought to be known and looked at from two points of view: the human and the divine. “An approach to Don Bosco, using the methods proper to historical research, leads us to understand and appreciate better his greatness as a human being and as a Christian,  his practical talents, his skills as an educator, his spirituality, his work, fully understood only if deeply rooted in the history of the society in which he lived.” –Fr Chávez writes in his commentary on the Strenna for 2012 – “At the same time even with a fuller knowledge of his life story, we are always aware of God's providential intervention in his life.”

On the sdb.org site there are number of resourses for this purpose. Among these is the e-pub version – which can be used in a variety of electronic means – of the “Memoirs of the Oratory of Saint Francis of Sales” which Don Bosco wrote at the request of Pius IX. The text, available in various  languages, has been offered by the Rector Major to the Salesian Family so that they may be familiar with the spiritual and pastoral journey of Don Bosco, “…in the course of this year, let us commit ourselves to getting to know this text, communicating its contents, disseminating it, and especially putting it into the hands of young people: it will become an inspirational book as they make their vocational decisions.”

Tomorrow afternoon the Rector Major will preside in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians at Mass which will be broadcast live by satellite on Telepace and in streaming on www.missionidonbosco.tv e www.sdb.org (18.20 GMT+1). On this occasion Fr Chávez will give his traditional message to the young.

Published 30/01/2012