Personal Greeting to the EAO Salesian Cooperators

By Mrs. Noemi Bertola, ASC
World Coordinator of ASC

8 December 2016 -- First of all I would like to give thanks to God for these very enriching encounters in Vietnam and in Cebu, Philippines. I was able to get know more closely the wonderful stories of commitment, fidelity to the youth and great spirit of service. We have started our works with the Creed of the Salesian Family. Well, I would like to highlight three points of this Creed, that according me may become the Road Map for the Salesian Cooperators and in general for the Lay people of our Salesian Family.

I BELIEVE IN THE FAMILY

Family is a cradle of love. My own experience as wife, mother and grandmother for past 43 years was shared with many of you. So many Salesian Cooperators are living their daily vocation as married couple, as parents with their joys, difficulties, moments of grace, of tiredness or suffering that are part of our life.

I think, that in this historical moment, when the family is under siege from so many parts, we need to be more convinced about our vocation to reflect the Love of God – Trinity, since we promised in front of God to love each other, to respect each other and the support each other for the whole of our life.

To embrace with so much love our children is naturally human, but then is necessary to help them grow not only in knowledge, science and health, but also help them to grow in grace, as the Gospel describes the growth of Jesus within the Holy Family in Nazareth.

Look, the icon if the Holy Family should be for us always the loftiest model and point of reference in our daily prayers, offered together as parents and children. In this way we can walk day by day towards this model.

But we need also to go out of our sweet home. We need to go out towards meeting other families: those who are living moments of crisis – material or spiritual. It’s a task of each Christian believer to help other sisters and brothers. Each Christian family should be open to other families and give own concrete contribution to those living some dramatic moments of their life. A support offered with delicate sharing, fraternal accompaniment – like Mary who rushed to help her cousin Elisabeth, with simplicity and effective aid.

I BELIEVE IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH

We have received great heritage from Don Bosco – a special predilection for the young, to look for their salvation, giving our lives to the salvation of the young people.

Today, as in the times of Don Bosco, there are so many obstacles to the healthy and harmonious growth of so many boys and girls who are living hardships, situation of material and spiritual poverty, being exploited or affected by wars and violence. So we have a fundamental commitment. We can’t look the other way when these poverties challenges us every day.

In this, with great joy and gratitude, I can see that the Salesian Cooperators are heavily committed with their action as lay faithful and credible witnesses and care continuously all around the world. So, go on with courage, inspired by the Spirit and certain with a powerful aid of our Heavenly Mother.

I BELIEVE IN THE SALESIAN FAMILY

I these days we have live a very fraternal and harmonious family spirit. It should help us to reflect how much important is to pray, plan, work together as consecrated and lay people, men and women united around a common mission as Christians and as the sons and daughters of one same Founder, Father and Teacher of us all.

I repeat these three moments to share: PRAY - PLAN – WORK TOGETHER!

Too often, our daily difficulties pushes us to work according the immediate urgent needs with any planning and especially without share moment of prayer, adoration and invoking the Holy Spirit.

Only then we can cope with more strength and conviction the great challenges we are coping with. Personally I believe that the future of our Association is linked together to the other members of the Salesian Family. We need to feel united by the same spirit and by the same mission, by same passion for the young and for the salvation of souls.

Our differences and specific points of each group are an added value that we bring to the Salesian Family.

It’s a journey that often presents the objective difficulty, but if we are convinced that they belong to a wider and rich reality of our family, we can move on! To be one family was not discovered today! Don Bosco dreamt of us together, strong in living together. If we don’t’ live according this dream of our Father we risk to fail an important aspect of our Charism.

I am sure that our experience of Salesian Family delegate meetings in these days is a good chance for greater mutual understanding and substantial harmonious and meaningful growth of our Family in the Church.

Let’s repeat with our whole heart:

We believe in the Salesian Family!

A brief note: The Salesian Family delegate meeting were organized very well. Congratulations! For the future, we need to foster more those moments of reflection in small groups, since those are the most fruitful moments. Thank you very much!

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