Dear Confrerers - Video message of the Rector Major, September 2015

ANS-Cari Confratelli RM-ENG 2015 September.docx  (ENG)

ANS CHANNEL: https://www.youtube com/user/ANSchannel/videos 

Twelve EAO language versions of this RM's message -(cf. attachment) 

1. Cari Confratelli_004_Settembre 2015_Information.docx

CHINESE - KOREAN - JAPANESE - BURMESE - THAI - VIETNAMESE 

- KHMER - INDONESIAN - TETUM - TOK PISIN - SAMOAN - MONGOLIAN.

My dear Confreres! 

I greet each one of you all around the world and all our  brothers and sisters in the  Salesian Family. This message is intended as a video-letter. 

I am very happy to have this opportunity at the end of the Bicentenary. We have recently completed the year that we started on 16 August 2014. We concluded it with very beautiful meetings, which indeed they really were. The Congress of Mary Help of Christians, a meeting during the Congress with the Past Pupils, another with the Salesian Sisters and Salesian Cooperators, and the beautiful gathering, full of life and full of hope, of all the young people who represented our Salesian world. How could we fail to thank the Lord for so intense a year! 

Right now I really want to tell you that the objective we had for this Bicentenary, I think has in large part been achieved; there is one aspect, the external, celebratory part of which we have spoken which undoubtedly went very well, with many events. At the same time the other challenge remains,  the inner challenge of a deep personal life, and this, obviously, each one of us must evaluate. I have no doubt, and I have great hope, that this was a very special year in our journey of Salesian life. I am convinced that the fruits  of the Bicentenary are not over, but are beginning right now for each of us in our lives. 

I want to refer, finally, to the message which Pope Francis left us  on two very strong, very important, very special occasions. One was the meeting at Valdocco with the whole Salesian Family; I can tell you  that it was a meeting of truth, of the father who loves his sons and daughters, and above all he wanted to encourage us, urging us to be really educators in the faith; to educate as we have learned from Don Bosco, with affection, reaching the heart, and proposing some lofty goals; and as well as this exciting challenge he said to us: "In difficult times, in times of emergency and crisis, you are able to respond to emergencies and crises". That challenge is so fascinating and at the same time, so important! 

Finally, he gave us a letter of great value. Its title is the same as the motto of this year: "LIKE DON BOSCO, WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, FOR YOUNG PEOPLE" inviting the whole Salesian Family to give the answers that Don Bosco would give today; some responses that give priority to accompanying each young person  in the journey of faith, helping them to grow and to discover their life plan.  He also invited us to live in harmony and to educate the young In the use of the means of social communications  and also invite them to be generous in Christian Social Voluntary Service.  

My dear Salesian confreres, I embrace each one of you,  I want to reach this personal encounter that we will have in these years;  Meanwhile, I invite you to ensure that this year of the Bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco which has ended,   will continue to give fruits of life to each of us

 
Let me remind you of one point among the many I have made:  I have expressed a very great desire that I have for each of us,  that each of us in our Salesian Family, may be "an Expert in Humanity".  God grant that this wish may become a reality and I would venture to launch this invitation:  "Let us  become experts in humanity through a deep experience of our vocation, by giving everything for the young, always for the young ".  May you be very happy! Happy Bicentenary! See you soon!

VIDEO-CLIP version 

My dear Confreres!

I greet each one of you all around the world

and all our  brothers and sisters in the  Salesian Family.

This message is intended as a video-letter.

I am very happy to have this opportunity at the end of the Bicentenary.

We have recently completed the year that we started on 16 August 2014.

We concluded it with very beautiful meetings, which indeed they really were.

The Congress of Mary Help of Christians, a meeting during the Congress with the Past Pupils,

another with the Salesian Sisters and Salesian Cooperators,

and the beautiful gathering, full of life and full of hope,

of all the young people who represented our Salesian world.

How could we fail to thank the Lord for so intense a year!

Right now I really want to tell you

that the objective we had for this Bicentenary, I think has in large part been achieved;

there is one aspect, the external, celebratory part of which we have spoken

which undoubtedly went very well, with many events.

At the same time the other challenge remains,  the inner challenge of a deep personal life,

and this, obviously, each one of us must evaluate.

I have no doubt, and I have great hope, that this was a very special year in our journey of Salesian life.

I am convinced that the fruits  of the Bicentenary are not over,

but are beginning right now for each of us in our lives.

I want to refer, finally, to the message which Pope Francis left us

on two very strong, very important, very special occasions.

One was the meeting at Valdocco with the whole Salesian Family;

I can tell you  that it was a meeting of truth, of the father who loves his sons and daughters,

and above all he wanted to encourage us, urging us to be really educators in the faith;

to educate as we have learned from Don Bosco, with affection, reaching the heart, and proposing some lofty goals;

and as well as this exciting challenge he said to us:

"In difficult times, in times of emergency and crisis, you are able to respond to emergencies and crises".

That challenge is so fascinating and at the same time, so important!

Finally, he gave us a letter of great value. Its title is the same as the motto of this year:

"LIKE DON BOSCO, WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, FOR YOUNG PEOPLE"

inviting the whole Salesian Family to give the answers that Don Bosco would give today;

some responses that give priority to accompanying each young person  in the journey of faith,

helping them to grow and to discover their life plan.

He also invited us to live in harmony and to educate the young

In the use of the means of social communications

and also invite them to be generous in Christian Social Voluntary Service.

My dear Salesian confreres, I embrace each one of you,

I want to reach this personal encounter that we will have in these years;

Meanwhile, I invite you to ensure that this year of the Bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco which has ended,

will continue to give fruits of life to each of us

Let me remind you of one point among the many I have made:

I have expressed a very great desire that I have for each of us,

that each of us in our Salesian Family, may be "an Expert in Humanity".

God grant that this wish may become a reality and I would venture to launch this invitation:

"Let us  become experts in humanity through a deep experience of our vocation,

by giving everything for the young, always for the young ".

May you be very happy! Happy Bicentenary! See you soon!