austraLasia #3038
HK and Macau educational leaders attend spiritual 'boot camp'
HONG KONG: 21 March 2012 -- After attending two
days in a spiritual workout from 16-17 March, Salesian school principals
and supervisors from Hong Kong and Macau expressed gratitude for the
kind concern of the Salesian Society in organizing such a retreat
time for them, with enriching content and a chance to rest.
Daily work takes its toll at times, dulling the soul and muddling
educational goals. For the first-comers at this retreat, there
was an initial degree of anxiety but they soon found they could mix
with others very soon because they
found the willingness to share experiences frankly. Moreover, they
could
feel the cohesion of the team. In this one day camp, they experienced
the support and power of the community and sharing the same mission. At
the end, all participants felt that this kind of retreat should
continue to be organised in
future.
This year’s theme was “Salesian Mission and Spirituality”. The various
sessions helped bring out the essential qualities of educational
leaders. "Principals and supervisors should become the source of
blessing for others, letting those who come into contact with them also
feel blessed". The task then, for the educational leader, is
knowing how to bring blessings to others.
Both the Provincial, Fr Simon Lam, and the Vice provincial, Fr Andrew
Fung, addressed this and other spiritual questions, citing Don Bosco
liberally, but also stressing the fact that not only Christians are
qualified to lead others to God. Non-Christian educators who possess a
merciful heart and who practise Jesus' spirit to save souls, also
fulfil the mission of education and evangelisation. The Provincial
expressed gratitude for the fact that this spirit was evident in the
principals and supervisors. The
influence of leaders’ words and actions is profound. Fr Lam reminded
them “and when you save others, you yourselves are also
being saved".
Fr. Lam went on to offer four directions for acquiring holiness.
Holiness is doing ordinary things with extraordinary motivation. The
first thing is to do everything joyfully. The joy comes from the fact
that God is supporting us. "God chooses us to be school principals, so
he will also accomplish his plan through us". The second thing is the
two pillars of the Salesian Society – the Eucharist and Mary. Thirdly,
pray frequently with brief invocations to relate everything to God. The
last thing is the sense of mission. "Try our best to save one at a time
in order to respond gratefully to the great love of Jesus for us".