EAO Good Night Talk (20)
November 1, 2015
‘Good Night’ – Thanks to Mamma Margaret!
Dear friends and confreres!
I’m very happy to share this Good night talk about the Good night talk in the month of Mamma Margaret, our first Salesian Cooperator. During this DB200 Jubilee Year the focus was St John Bosco, but even Pope Francis highlighted his mother Margaret on June 21st during his encounter in Mary Help of Christians Basilica, Valdocco. Among her very important contributions to the Salesian Charism is also the Good Night given to the first boarders in early days of the Oratory.
After visiting already most of the provinces of our Region I’m more aware about the charismatic importance of the ‘Good night talk’ in our daily community or pastoral life. It makes a huge difference – Don Bosco school without a good morning talk or Salesian community without a good night talk. It’s amazing how this short but powerful daily moments do transform life of many youth and members of the Salesian family. What makes the difference?
Don Bosco believes this short daily occasion brings many fruits: helps to wrap up our life every day, builds up the community, trains for the faith reading of our reality. Our Rector Major Fr. Ángel shares every day a ‘Good morning talk’ on his Facebook in English, Italian and Spanish (Angel Fernandez Artime Rector Mayor) with thousands of friends. Each Salesian rector, educator, animator, father and mother in the family does experience personally the attraction and effect of this daily humble 3-5 minutes sharing.
Yes, we need this constantly renewed experience of sharing, storytelling in the life of a community (school, family, religious community, group home or boarding). It’s not the same thing to listen every day to a personal life sharing or not, it’s not the same thing to read with faith our complex world or not. We are convinced that thanks to this invention of Mamma Margaret our life becomes richer and we find its meaning and deeper joy.
When I was asked to give my first good night during a summer camp as Salesian pre-novice to the kids in Czechoslovakia I was trembling. As vice-rector in Gwangju, Korea, I used to think from the morning time: ‘What shall I share after the evening prayers with my community?’ During last 13 years I’m very happy to share almost daily with many youth or confreres good morning or good night talk on my ongoing pilgrimage around the Congregation. And I’m very sad to visit a community that forgot the mother of Don Bosco and her most genial invention. Do you miss a Good morning or Good night talk in your daily life? I wish you a good night! Thank you, Mamma Margaret!
In Don Bosco, Fr. Václav Klement, SDB
Regional Councilor EAO 2014-2020
EAO-GNT-2015 (20) November ENG ++.pdf
