(ANS – Rome) – Yesterday, 20 January, the programme for the Spirituality Days of the Salesian Family fully swung into action. During the morning those taking part were introduced into a more intimate knowledge of the historical Don Bosco, and helped to discover how relevant his message is. In the afternoon there was pilgrimage to some of the places in Rome associated with Don Bosco.

In the Great Hall of the Salesian the 380 or so members of the Salesian Family present for these Days, after a short video-information presentation of  Thursday’s events immediately began the second day with Raffaele Nicastro, General Coordinator of the Groups Testimoni del Risorto – 2000, in the chair.

Fr Aldo Giraudo, lecturer in Spiritual Theology at the Salesian Pontifical University (UPS) and  member of the Salesian Historical Institute, gave a critical interpretation of the “Memoirs of the Oratory of the Saint Francis of Sales” in which he invited his audience to appreciate in a more practical way what is one of the more personal and lively writings of Don Bosco: “What are the Memoirs of the Oratory? They are not just a collection of historical memories and details. Don Bosco, by telling the story of the beginning and development of his oratory vocation, has in mind presenting the meaning of a comprehensive experience, formulating an "action plan" and highlighting God's purposes.”

Fr Giraudo then analysed the value of the work as autobiography, the way it is put together,  ways of reading it and various levels of interpretation, its spiritual dynamics and the model of the educator and pastor which emerges from the text, pointing out that at its heart is always the man Don Bosco.

After short time for comment in the Hall Fr Bruno Ferrero gave his talk on the relevance of  Don Bosco’s way of seeing things. Fr Ferrero indicated 7 guiding principles in the life and activity of  the Founder and proposed them as something that was valid in the life of every member of the Salesian Family: “Make your dream come true; Love life and follow your heart; Heaven if not far off; Look beyond the horizon; Be strong, firm and trustworthy; Reconcile yourself with knowing that you will die; Life is like a game of joining up the dots, but the conclusion is a surprise from the other world.”
 
On ANSChannel it is possible to see a video-summary in Italian of yesterday, in which are presented the morning’s activities and the pilgrimage to the Sacred Hearty in the afternoon.

Published 21/01/2012