austraLasia 1383
Producing a 'fair copy' into the future
BANGLAORE: 8th January 2006 -- Understandably, much of the material that came out of the recent National Research Seminar to mark the Salesian centenary in India, was for Salesian India and has only passing interest for the rest of us. But not all of it. Amongst the papers presented was one by Father Thomas Panakezham (Panakelram if you try to pronounce it). He is a former Regional Councillor for that area. Fr Thomas gave a paper on the image of the Salesian in South Asia in the next century of presence. Mutatis mutandis, it has something to say to the rest of us.
Fidelity to our Founder: our pioneers....copied Don Bosco... Fidelity means to know and love him, I would say almost passionately because he was one of the most complete men history has ever known. We are still only discovering the genius of Don Bosco. .. His love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, Mary our Mother and help and our devotion to the Pope. The expression of these loves will vary but these three loves must never diminish.
The poor will always be there: Our mission sets the whole tenor of our lives (C.32). We could be distracted by non-essentail elements. The option for the marginalised is not something for some of our works, but something for our mission wherever we are....the streets of Turin must become the lanes, narrow streets and boulevards of our various metropolises. These are uncharted ways and unpublished pages which the enterprising Salesian has to discover.
The work of a group: We will have to work with the diverse groups of the Salesian Family to animate the young....it will not be a monopoly by one group. It may be that our numbers dwindle from what we are today...It is here that the Salesian of the future will have to be more convinced of the role of the laity of both genders and learn humbly but courageously to work with others especially with committed lay faithful. Women will play a greater role in society and the Salesians, in a mature way, must understand their mentality and their indispensable role.
Work with the local Church: The local church will have to play a prominent role in evangelisation. Probably the local church will not be understood as local with boundary limits but where people are, and for the Salesians, where the young are to be found. It will not be a community that knows-all but a community that searches to find out what the Lord wants.
Dialogue with all: Well aware that the Holy Spirit is not the monopoly of a particular religious group, the Salesian will clasp hands with every religious denomination that has something to do with the betterment of the young.
Communion before affiliation: Baptism of desire will precede that of water! If the first Christian communities were witnesses to those who were around them and these latter were able to say: ' see how they love one another', it can be said this will happen also to the Salesian community which in an inscrutable way will invite others.
Our role in education: Fr Thomas quotes Ghandi's seven social sins, drawing the conclusion that the Salesians too, have to work against the 'baneful influences that plague our society' through an integral education.
Relevance of the Preventive System: A question - after a century of our presence in India, have we any boy of outstanding holiness?
A dream-vision: the Salesian 'vast movement of persons' started with a dream-vision. The Salesian of the future must be fired with it.
Daring: the future will depend on those who follow Don Bosco's daring to rediscover the very basis of our charism. Perhaps we need upstarts of another kind to tackle the almost unforeseeable throng of the young tomorrow.
Family atmosphere: one of the complaints of youngsters today and of the past pupils is that the Salesians have no time to spend with them. Unless one breaks the shell that encrusts the Salesians he will not be continuing the work of Don Bosco. Family spirit must never give up on the Oratory model which was a 'home that welcomed'.
_______________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
Producing a 'fair copy' into the future
BANGLAORE: 8th January 2006 -- Understandably, much of the material that came out of the recent National Research Seminar to mark the Salesian centenary in India, was for Salesian India and has only passing interest for the rest of us. But not all of it. Amongst the papers presented was one by Father Thomas Panakezham (Panakelram if you try to pronounce it). He is a former Regional Councillor for that area. Fr Thomas gave a paper on the image of the Salesian in South Asia in the next century of presence. Mutatis mutandis, it has something to say to the rest of us.
Fidelity to our Founder: our pioneers....copied Don Bosco... Fidelity means to know and love him, I would say almost passionately because he was one of the most complete men history has ever known. We are still only discovering the genius of Don Bosco. .. His love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, Mary our Mother and help and our devotion to the Pope. The expression of these loves will vary but these three loves must never diminish.
The poor will always be there: Our mission sets the whole tenor of our lives (C.32). We could be distracted by non-essentail elements. The option for the marginalised is not something for some of our works, but something for our mission wherever we are....the streets of Turin must become the lanes, narrow streets and boulevards of our various metropolises. These are uncharted ways and unpublished pages which the enterprising Salesian has to discover.
The work of a group: We will have to work with the diverse groups of the Salesian Family to animate the young....it will not be a monopoly by one group. It may be that our numbers dwindle from what we are today...It is here that the Salesian of the future will have to be more convinced of the role of the laity of both genders and learn humbly but courageously to work with others especially with committed lay faithful. Women will play a greater role in society and the Salesians, in a mature way, must understand their mentality and their indispensable role.
Work with the local Church: The local church will have to play a prominent role in evangelisation. Probably the local church will not be understood as local with boundary limits but where people are, and for the Salesians, where the young are to be found. It will not be a community that knows-all but a community that searches to find out what the Lord wants.
Dialogue with all: Well aware that the Holy Spirit is not the monopoly of a particular religious group, the Salesian will clasp hands with every religious denomination that has something to do with the betterment of the young.
Communion before affiliation: Baptism of desire will precede that of water! If the first Christian communities were witnesses to those who were around them and these latter were able to say: ' see how they love one another', it can be said this will happen also to the Salesian community which in an inscrutable way will invite others.
Our role in education: Fr Thomas quotes Ghandi's seven social sins, drawing the conclusion that the Salesians too, have to work against the 'baneful influences that plague our society' through an integral education.
Relevance of the Preventive System: A question - after a century of our presence in India, have we any boy of outstanding holiness?
A dream-vision: the Salesian 'vast movement of persons' started with a dream-vision. The Salesian of the future must be fired with it.
Daring: the future will depend on those who follow Don Bosco's daring to rediscover the very basis of our charism. Perhaps we need upstarts of another kind to tackle the almost unforeseeable throng of the young tomorrow.
Family atmosphere: one of the complaints of youngsters today and of the past pupils is that the Salesians have no time to spend with them. Unless one breaks the shell that encrusts the Salesians he will not be continuing the work of Don Bosco. Family spirit must never give up on the Oratory model which was a 'home that welcomed'.
_______________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml
