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 These are uncharted ways and unpublished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'.
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