austraLasia #1954
An honourable - and an honoured - guest
HONG KONG: 7th October 2007 -- After a two-week meeting for new bishops in Rome, Bishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, auxiliary bishop of Melbourne, passed through Hong Kong and stayed in the Salesian House of Studies in the first week of October before returning to Melbourne. He visited some of the Salesian communities in the province.
During the stay, Fr Lanfranco Fedrigotti, Rector of the Salesian House of Studies, invited the bishop to preach the monthly recollection for the post-novitiate and Braga House (community for the elderly). Bishop Tim reminded the Salesians that their identity was founded on who they are rather than what they can do.
He cited a word of advice from Don Bosco in the Letter from Rome: the young should not only be loved, but they should also know they are loved. This advice expressed the heart of the Salesian charism and spirituality. The bishop emphasised this, saying that Don Bosco was not merely expressing himself psychologically here; a Gospel was hidden inside.
In fact, Don Bosco was inspired by Jesus' example. From the encounters of Jesus with Zaccheus, the woman who committed adultery, and Peter after his betrayal of Jesus, we can see that Jesus knew exactly the need of these desperate people, and offered them love in the way they could understand. Don Bosco did similarly, and that is the challenge for Salesians today: do we know the needs of the young and offer them what they actually need? This can also apply to community life if we are able to listen to the hearts of our brothers.
Bishop Tim finally encouraged the assembly to get in touch with the heart of Jesus. "The Salesian spirit finds its model and source in the very heart of Christ, apostle of the Father" (C. 11).
The post-novices treasured the time spent with the fatherly bishop. Before he left Salesian House of Studies, bishop Tim expressed his gratitude to the community for allowing him to experience a welcoming community. This was memorable for him because he would move to the bishop's residence as soon as he returned to his diocese and would begin living alone after thirty years of community life! "Truly, for Salesians, wherever we go, we feel at home once we are in a Salesian community".
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
An honourable - and an honoured - guest
HONG KONG: 7th October 2007 -- After a two-week meeting for new bishops in Rome, Bishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, auxiliary bishop of Melbourne, passed through Hong Kong and stayed in the Salesian House of Studies in the first week of October before returning to Melbourne. He visited some of the Salesian communities in the province.
During the stay, Fr Lanfranco Fedrigotti, Rector of the Salesian House of Studies, invited the bishop to preach the monthly recollection for the post-novitiate and Braga House (community for the elderly). Bishop Tim reminded the Salesians that their identity was founded on who they are rather than what they can do.
He cited a word of advice from Don Bosco in the Letter from Rome: the young should not only be loved, but they should also know they are loved. This advice expressed the heart of the Salesian charism and spirituality. The bishop emphasised this, saying that Don Bosco was not merely expressing himself psychologically here; a Gospel was hidden inside.
In fact, Don Bosco was inspired by Jesus' example. From the encounters of Jesus with Zaccheus, the woman who committed adultery, and Peter after his betrayal of Jesus, we can see that Jesus knew exactly the need of these desperate people, and offered them love in the way they could understand. Don Bosco did similarly, and that is the challenge for Salesians today: do we know the needs of the young and offer them what they actually need? This can also apply to community life if we are able to listen to the hearts of our brothers.
Bishop Tim finally encouraged the assembly to get in touch with the heart of Jesus. "The Salesian spirit finds its model and source in the very heart of Christ, apostle of the Father" (C. 11).
The post-novices treasured the time spent with the fatherly bishop. Before he left Salesian House of Studies, bishop Tim expressed his gratitude to the community for allowing him to experience a welcoming community. This was memorable for him because he would move to the bishop's residence as soon as he returned to his diocese and would begin living alone after thirty years of community life! "Truly, for Salesians, wherever we go, we feel at home once we are in a Salesian community".
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
