As the various work groups composed of lay people and  consecrated members of the Salesian Family were formed and began to meet yesterday afternoon 21 January those taking part, staring from the talks and the  personal testimonies heard the previous morning,  reflected on their own personal vocation experiences and then assisted at a Mass at which Fr Chávez presided.

In the evening the young people of the “CGS Life” group of Biancavilla, gave a moving performance of a musical inspired by the life of the Don Bosco Volunteer (CDB) Nino Baglieri, and succeeded in  transmitting through words, sings and dance  his profound spirituality matured in suffering

“Touched by the Spirit of God, this man, Nino, and many of us can be witnesses to life and can do what might appear impossible,” observed Sr Maria Luisa Miranda, Councillor for the Salesian Family of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in the Good Night she gave. – “This morning we have heard so often: ‘I didn’t think that…’ and yet when Jesus touches us there begins that ‘Come and see.’”

Today, Saturday 22 January, the  programme began with the showing of a video-summary of the previous day. Then after a moment of community prayer led by the FMA and SDB Novices, Fr Chávez gave his address, which was also broadcast live on the www.missionidonbosco.tv site.

The Rector Major spoke openly about the resistance which the attempt to build a culture which is really vocational meets, but at the same time he offered various courses of action and necessary guidelines to bring it about. “The first key element of a vocational culture is to help the young to understand that it is not enough to have a profession. In order to live it is important to have a vocation which give meaning to one’s life; in a cultural setting in which some essential values are taken into account: those of relationships, in contrast to individualism and selfishness, that of solidarity – for which one thinks of the needs of others – and which helps me not to run <way from the great questions about human life. Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I headed? What is the path to follow so that as a human being my life is not wasted?”

After a short break work continued with the personal testimonies, focused on this occasion on the work of accompaniment carried out in various parts of the Salesian world. Guido Pedroni, the one in charge of the Community of the Mission of Don Bosco (CMDB), spoke about their experience in Italy, Burundi and Madagascar. Fr Erino Leoni, a Salesian from the  Lombardy-Emilian Province described the more successful accomplishments in the field of vocation ministry in his Province. Then a person describing what was happening in  Slovakia was followed by an account of the way in which the Salesian Women’s Association in Ecuador approached and supported potential vocations.

In the afternoon at some stage there will be the presentation of Consultative Committee of the Salesian Family to be followed by Mass celebrated by Fr Maria Arokiam Kanaga, Salesian  Councillor for South Asia. Tomorrow morning Sunday 23 January, Fr Chávez will preside at the closing Mass for the Days of Spirituality of the Salesian Family which will also be broadcast on live streaming on www.missionidonbosco.tv  and by Telepace.

On the site of the Salesian Congregation, in the appropriate section the texts of the talks together with photos and the video summary of the Days are available.

Published 22/01/2011