Don Bosco - a gift from God for the young people
EAO, 31 January 2020 -- On 31 January, after a nine day (Novena) preparation in most of our Salesian Family works, communities, groups - we pray, we celebrate the Eucharist, we play, we share a good time as Don Bosco's Family, we invite special guests, we give thanks with our youth for the gift of their father, teacher and friend.
Who is Don Bosco for you?
We kiss his relics, we watch his movie, we organize a quiz on Don Bosco, we invite all local groups of the Salesian family, we post his pictures on our Facebook pages, we pray to him personally or together... But who is Don Bosco for you really?
Who is Don Bosco for you?
Is he a Saint, he is an attractive disciple of Jesus, an excellent and effective educator able also to bring the young closer to Jesus, a very passionate communicator, a Founder of a large spiritual and apostolic family without borders or a priest with a strong missionary spirit? Or maybe Don Bosco is one who lived all these?
Who is Don Bosco for you?
There are more than 1,200,000 young people in touch daily with Don Bosco's way of education in a variety of Don Bosco's Salesian educational works. For many young people Don Bosco is a model, an image, but also one who is alive through the loving attention of their teacher or educator. There are more than 200,000 educators, staff, social workers, catechists or volunteers who are trying to live his preventive way of education. Maybe not all of them know deeply the heart of Don Bosco expressed on our Salesian Cross with the Good Shepherd and 'Strive to be loved'... but all of them are invited to know, love, imitate Don Bosco.
Today we may simply contemplate the 1861 photo of Don Bosco surrounded by his boys, when he listens to the confession of small Paul Albera, who later became his second successor as Rector Major, 1910-1921. This inspiring photo is among the best 'commentaries' on today's Gospel story (Matthew 18:1,6-10) with Jesus' gesture to place a child in their midst as their model.
Who is Don Bosco for you today?
We humbly recognise with Don Bosco that without the young people we can't go to heaven.
We simply give thanks for Don Bosco's way of meeting Jesus through the young wherever they are.
Today we give thanks for one great gift of God to all youth around the world - for Don Bosco!
