austraLasia
1427
RM in Chennai:
contemplatives, or burnt out in
action?
CHENNAI: 3rd February 2006 --
As colourful as it all may be, the real purpose behind a visit of a Rector Major
to a Province is to 'confirm the brethren' in their faith, in Don Bosco's
charism, and in their action nurtured by both. India is particularly well
organised in terms of Salesian communications, and within the short space of a
few hours of the Rector Major's arrival the news reports have been streaming
in. In the face of it all austraLasia has made
a strategic choice. We'll keep you up to date with what he is saying,
since in the end, and especially for those reading beyond India, that is what
will be most enduring and most useful.
In Chennai, on
arrival at 9.30 this morning, the message to the 250 gathered confreres was a
now familiar theme: "Renew yourself with passion, passion for God and passion
for humanity". He was saying this in the nation with the second largest
number of Salesians in the world, and in a nation that has taken its place as a
world power. "Love and learn about Don Bosco more and more", he told them, and
put in a plug for the confreres of Italy who came to know and understand and
love Don Bosco and exported this knowledge and love elsewhere in the
world. "Read the Memoirs of the Oratory at least once a year", he said,
"not as a chronicling of the past but a testimony to the future". He also
reminded them they have an historic responsibility - no longer to receive
missionaries but to send them. He quoted the example of a country like
Holland which has almost no vocations these days but Dutch confreres are to be
found working in provinces all over the world.
The most
solemn words were a warning - while complimenting Indian confreres on the work
they had achieved and were achieving, he cautioned them about a clear and
present danger: instead of being contemplatives in action, we get burnt out in
action. That way we lose motivation and become mere social
workers.
Meanwhile Fr Joaquim D'Souza was into a little
action of his own - flagging off 15,000 kids taking part in a mammoth centenary
rally! The public certainly saw a very public message as the rally
participants moved from the Marina to St. Bede's school grounds where the party
would just be beginning....
RESOURCES
For the first time in English - talk
by Fr Aldo Giraudo sdb on keys for interpreting the Memoirs of the
Oratory from the point of view of DB's view of family and its role. Scroll
down to bottom right of Bosconet
homepage. The MO itself is also available for download from
Bosconet.
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