By 41st Salesian Family Spirituality Days Team
EAO Region - Salesian Family Team, 7 November 2022 -- Joint preparation for the traditional EAO regional level of the annual Salesian Family Spirituality Days (SFSD), held next January 2023 online, has just begun. As you would already know, the Rector Major's Strenna for 2023 invites us to live 'As the Yeast in Today's Human Family' (The lay dimension in the Don Bosco's family). The Scripture inspiration is from Luke 13:20-21: 'To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened'.
The 41st edition of the 'Salesian Family Spirituality Days' will once more be held in Valdocco, Turin, Don Bosco's Motherhouse next 12-15 January (Thursday - Sunday). Besides this in-person event most of the 'world level' program will be available online in digital space (ANS Facebook and EAO YouTube channels in 7 languages) during these 4 days and after the SFSD event.
How can we prepare for this annual appointment of the 32-group Salesian Family? Probably the first 'smart step' that can help us to prepare, participate and benefit from this event is our personal or community reading of the 2023 Strenna outline:
* The Rector Major is calling in the Strenna 2023 outline for two different target groups: besides all groups of the SF, especially 'Salesian Youth' - children, youth, young adults - members of the SYM (Salesian Youth Movement) and beyond. It is a good opportunity to invite our youth to this event.
* The second strong call is for all of us to discover the 'lay dimension' of each Salesian Family group, not just the 'lay groups' like Past Pupils, Salesian Cooperators, VDB, CDB, ADMA, Damas Salesianas, th DQM secular institute. It is a good chance to deep our secular sensitivity.
* The third strong invitation is to recognize 'so much good in our world', in this Kingdom under construction. It is an invitation to open our eyes and hearts to God's way of acting, how God is establishing his Kingdom, amidst very ordinary realities.
* The fourth call is to discover the meaning of our own existence, to live a healthy and fraternal lifestyle within the large human family (Fratelli Tutti!). This leads us to reflect and act on our common responsibility (together as a Salesian Family) on building the human family.
* The fifth is to 'rediscover' the main 'lay vocation' of Christians who sanctify the world from within. Probably all religious members in the SF can learn a lot from the lay groups, especially from the secular institutes and committed laity. What does 'living for God' in the world mean?
* The sixth invitation is to accompany 'our' young people as yeast in today's world (social and political involvement) as Pope Francis so often requests us to do. The Rector Major connects this to the roots of 'Salesian Youth Spirituality' DNA in the Dominic Savio episode on 23rd June 1855.
At the province, delegation or country level we could consider the following preparatory action:
* Invite some young adults within the reach of the Salesian Family (SYM members, GEX - Young past pupils, potential young Salesian Cooperators, animators) for the January event where they could meet and share links to the EAO social media (YouTube-Facebook-WhatsApp)
* Spread the word about the rich charismatic resources of this annual event (EAO-Salesian Family YouTube channel in 8 languages; EAO Salesian Family. This year there is no need for a 'centralized registration', but each province is called to see to its own SF members
* January 13 and January 14 (two hours each day) the EAO SF spirituality days is online with the respective EAO language translation.
* The world level program this year is quite late for EAO members; most would watch the respective YouTube channel only the following day (e.g. starting 22:30 Manila time) or any time later on.
EAO Salesian Family YouTube channels EAO-SF Japan, Indonesia, Korea, Mongolia, Thai, Timor, Vietnam
