|
GOD’S CALL
In a world
where gospel values are not upheld we are called once
again to learn the Gospel at the feet of the Master and
then “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News.”
(Mk. 16, 15) Heeding to the call of Jesus Christ Salesians
try to inculcate gospel values among the youth in the Don
Bosco way.
We are called to
return to the young. “Evangelization of the young through
a loving presence and suitable challenging projects
demands that, with courage and deep faith, we give fresh
impetus to our Youth Ministry” (AGC 394, p. 24). This call
is to each one personally, to the community and to the
province.
God is calling each
one of us to be a living Don Bosco among the young, living
the spirituality of the Good Shepherd by being present
among the young whom we are called to evangelize with
challenging projects and with greater participation.
The projects among
the young in fulfilment of the command of Christ to his
disciples to proclaim the Good News will mean for us:
-
First
evangelisation by bringing the Good News to the people,
especially the young, who have not received it or not
understood it really or not been really affected by it
and creating neighbourhood (human) communities.
-
Catechesis or education to the faith of those who have
received the Good News already and creating faith
communities, that share the gospel values and style of
living (like the early Christian communities / Valdocco
Oratory).
-
Integration of
Justice, Peace and Developmental concerns into our faith
education and work of evangelization.
-
Bringing Gospel
values through our life and mission in a spirit of
dialogue with the people of other religions, sharing and
discovering common elements.
SITUATION
POSITIVE ELEMENTS
1.
In India the vast majority of the population is
non-Christian and there is urgent need to bring the Gospel
to those who have not known Jesus Christ.
2.
There is an attitude of openness to the message of
Jesus Christ.
3.
There is comparable religious freedom in the
country, especially in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
4.
Confreres involved in direct evangelization are
dedicated and make significant contribution to the growth
of our mission work. We get encouraging results in our
mission areas.
5.
Salesians in the province are involved in the
mission of evangelizing in an integrated manner. There is
flexibility in our works to reach out to the poor.
6.
Salesians and lay collaborators are engaged in the
promotion of justice, peace and development. There is
growing appreciation in the province for the prophetic
role played by some Salesians to make the message of
peace, love and harmony known through the works for the
poor and the marginalized adversely affected by
globalisation.
7.
The presence of many children on the street, and
working children is a matter of concern. There is a great
sensitivity towards children on the street and working
children manifested in our many Don Bosco Nava Jeeevan
centres and presences.
8.
We are appreciated for our Salesian enterprises.
Our approach without any discrimination is noticed.
9.
The Salesian community is involved in the spiritual
welfare of the students by giving importance for value
education and spiritual animation.
10.
Faith formation is given importance in our
educational apostolate. Our boarding schools, in a
particular way, contribute to the faith formation of our
people through the gradual deepening of faith in the
children.
NEGATIVE ELEMENTS
1.
We do not relate our understanding of the Bible to
the realities of the poor. At times there is indifference,
lack of clarity and lack of interest in evangelization.
Though we have statement that we are a missionary province
and we have set evangelization as one of our primary
goals, still we are not making sufficient effort to
address this priority of the province.
2.
Our approach to the youth is not sufficiently
inculturated or incarnational. We have not really made a
breakthrough in inserting ourselves into the lives of the
young. There is growing hostility towards our way of
evangelisation due to cultural nationalism and
fundamentalism.
3.
There is lack of steady progress in mission work in
some of the parishes. There is no credible witness to the
non-Catholics.
4.
There is no adequate orientation towards the
mission in formation. Even practical trainees in our
mission centres miss the mission exposure. The formees do
not get inspiration from their formation guides. Sometimes
we even lack fluency in the local language. Many lack
confidence to proclaim the Word
5.
There is a conspicuous lack of trained personnel
for catechesis.
6.
We do not manifest sufficiently an emotional
attachment to Christ. Our attachment to Christ or
detachment from materialistic realities is not evident.
7.
We are not emotionally involved in the day-to-day
struggles of the poor. A whole hearted endorsement of
justice and peace approach to human development is
lacking.
8.
Because of the impact of globalization and market
economy, the media and information technology, and other
overwhelming influences with their inherent materialistic
values, our standards are often set by these influences in
the society, rather than our bringing the Gospel to them.
9.
Unconscious prejudices based on one’s ethnocentric
attitude or other subtle elements in our life and our
approach to mission, result in counter witness.
10.
Being institutionalized, rather than people or
mission oriented (Christ oriented), pastoral
responsibilities give way to administrative roles. We fear
structural change and are reluctant to take decisions to
support and accompany personnel involved in evangelization
or work for the poor.
COURSES OF
ACTION
COURSE OF ACTION (1)
To initiate a process
of search as communities, with the elements of
observation, reflection and action, so that the meaning of
‘focus on youth’ is defined for our context.
Steps to be taken
a. Personal Level
1.
By being present and following up the youngsters
more closely.
2.
Lead an exemplary life, and by our actions show to
the young that we are men of conviction and they can trust
us.
3.
Get to know the boys entrusted to our care more
deeply, personally and lovingly.
4.
By being friendly the young should realize that we
Salesians are for them and they should experience our
love.
b. Community Level
1.
Community awareness and choice to return to the
young in a whole hearted and significant way.
2.
Let the young feel free to come in at any time;
open the doors wide to the young.
3.
There should always be a confrere or a Salesian
collaborator to receive the young who come to us.
Mentalities to be
changed
a. Personal Level
1.
We are Salesians first; portfolios or roles are
only for our effective functioning.
2.
Youth ministry is not for self-glorification but
for the welfare of the young.
3.
Rather than blame the young people, we need to
change our biased or pejorative attitudes towards them,
acknowledge our limitations in dealing with them and renew
our efforts towards deepening our commitment and skills.
4.
We need to recognize and consciously avoid
attitudes of superiority or of privileging people on the
basis of caste or any other factor.
5.
We need to look at our work with the young from a
developmental perspective and being able to deal
confidently with them at their current level of growth:
pre-adolescent, adolescent or young adult.
b. Provincial Level
1.
Having a positive outlook towards the young people
entrusted to our care.
2.
We need to avoid attitudes or styles of domination
or of dependency so that no one feels suppressed or
excluded.
3.
The provincial community needs to wake up to the
fact that all Salesians are primarily evangelizers of
youth and to accept this as an urgent challenge.
Structures to be
changed
a. Community and
Provincial Levels
1.
Each community should be a welcoming community for
the youth who need us.
2.
The infrastructures at our disposal are to be made
available and utilized suitably.
3.
Flexibility in time table to accommodate the
requirements of the youth and needy.
4.
Initiate one youth animation centre in each region
with all four dimensions.
COURSE OF ACTION (2)
To realize our goal
of making our province ‘missionary’, make every community
a truly ‘proclaiming community’ and every parish / mission
the ideal setting to realize our motto “Da Mihi Animas
cetera Tolle” by taking steps to translate our lives and
activities into genuine witness (life), active
proclamation (evangelisation), and education to faith
(catechesis).
Steps to be taken
a. Personal level
1.
Each confrere to be a missionary: by his life of
witness as well as by participating in the missionary
thrust of the church and the congregation.
2.
Each one to work some time in a mission centre.
3.
Confreres to be motivated, prepared, and qualified
for work as missionaries.
b. Community Level
1.
To encourage family apostolate and promote family
catechism.
2.
Primacy for God and a life of spirituality in all
our communities and centers.
3.
Strengthen the faith among the youth and people
around us through regular Catechesis and to build up faith
communities.
4.
Communities to be mission oriented.
5.
Integral balance between work and prayer.
6.
To share the experience of prayer in the community
and with the young people.
c. Provincial Level
1.
To open more Mission centres.
2.
To give more orientation towards missionary life in
formation and animation.
3.
To give first priority for evangelization.
4.
To qualify personnel for evangelization.
5.
To promote a youth movement for evangelization
Mentalities to be
changed
1.
To avoid work-a-holism and promote integral
spirituality.
2.
To promote the attitude of God-consciousness –
living in the presence of God.
3.
To promote human and Gospel values without any fear
or reservation.
4.
To promote greater relationships and collaboration
among ourselves, confreres and others who share the faith
in Jesus.
5.
To promote ecclesial feeling, attitude of openness
to evangelization in confreres.
What are the
structures to be changed?
1.
Both times for prayer and the style of prayer to
have a significant place in the life of the community, and
not just be for filling up the gaps in the time table.
2.
The God News is to be preached to the poor. Hence
we work for the poorest.
3.
To set up a catechetical animation and training
centre for the province.
4.
To reorganise the SYM to include a wing with
primary focus on evangelization.
5.
To start a pilot project with focus on the
evangelization of youth.
COURSE
OF ACTION (3)
Every community to
reflect together and take initiatives to make its
educational apostolate a context for Evangelization.
What are the steps to
be taken?
1.
To realize the goal of GC 23: To evangelize is to
educate, to educate is to evangelize.
2.
To evolve ways to realize the evangelizing
potential of the Preventive System
What are the
mentalities to be changed?
1.
True education is not merely schooling, rather a
complete formation to life that will give primary place to
the formation of the spirit (Religion along with reason
and loving kindness).
2.
Gospel values being prominently practiced in our
education institutions.
What are the
structures to be changed?
1.
We need to have a prayer hall in all our schools,
so as to cultivate a sense of prayer among the students.
2.
To have a centre of Educational sciences to
promote pedagogical studies and deepen the Preventive
System praxis in our settings as well as among others.
|
My sole intention is
to extend to ALL of you my hearty congratulations and
sincere thanks for making the Chapter a success. Indeed
your active collaboration made my work easy and
facilitated the discussions and procedures during the
Chapter sessions here in the Provincial house.