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RB /INH /CIR 51 /2014
July 2014
Dear Confreres,
Greetings of peace and joy from Don Bosco Provincial House, Hyderabad! As we are preparing ourselves for the Bi-centenary of Don Bosco I will be presenting in the Circular, the animation material presented to the GC 27. It is continued from the last circular. Kindly read it in the community and make use of it.
Don Bosco’s Spiritual Testament: Work and Temperance (Continuation)
The first purpose of the Congregation
In his first circular Letter to Salesians (9 June 1867, Pentecost Sunday), Don Bosco felt the need to clarify what the “general purpose of our Society” was. It is an important document that is well worth taking the time to read:
“The first object of our Society is the Sanctification of its Members. Therefore each one on entering will strip himself of every other thought, every other concern. Whoever enters to enjoy a tranquil life, have his comfort, pursue studies, be freed from his parents' commands or be exempt from obedience to some superior, would have a twisted purpose and this would no longer be that Sequere me of the Saviour, as he would be following his own temporal interests and not that of the good of souls.
“The apostles were praised by the Saviour and were promised an eternal kingdom not because they abandoned the world, but because on abandoning it they showed themselves ready to follow him along the way of tribulation, as in fact happened, consuming their life with fatigue, penance and suffering, and eventually suffering martyrdom for the faith.
“Nor is it a good purpose for one who enters or remains in the Society to believe that he is necessary for it. Let each one have this firmly etched on his mind and in his heart: beginning from the general superior down to the least of the members: no one is necessary in the Society. God alone is its head, its absolutely necessary master. Therefore its members must turn to their head, their true master, the one who will reward them: to God. Let each one enrol in the Society out of love for him; out of love for his work, obey, abandon whatever he possesses in the world in order to be able to say to the Saviour whom we have chosen as a model: ecce nos reliquimus [omnia] et secuti sumus te, quid ergo dabis nobis? …(Lord we have left everything…)
“Whoever seeks an easy and comfortable life does not enter our Society for a good purpose. Our basis is the words of the Saviour who says: whoever wants to be my disciple, let him sell what he owns in the world, give it to the poor and follow me. But where do we go, where do we follow him, if he did not even have a place to lay his head? ‘Whoever wishes to be my disciple, says the Lord, follows me in prayer, penance and especially by denying himself, accepting the cross of daily tribulations and following me’: Abneget semetipsum, tollat crucem suam quotidie, et sequatur me [Lk 9:23]. But follow him for how long? Until death and if necessary, even death on a cross.
“That is what someone does in our Society who wears himself out in sacred ministry, teaching or other priestly activity, until death, even a violent one in prison, in exile, by the sword, water, fire; until the point where having suffered or died with Jesus Christ on earth he can rejoice with him in Heaven ….
“Once a member has entered with these good dispositions he must show that he is without pretence and accept with pleasure any task that might be entrusted to him. Teaching, study, work, preaching, confession, inside the Church or outside…. the humblest tasks have to be taken up happily and willingly because God does not look at the task but at the intention of the one doing it. So all duties are equally noble because equally worthy of merit in God's eyes”.
This insistence of Don Bosco's on holiness as the “first object of our Society” is significant: holiness understood as total giving of oneself to God out of faith and love, following (sequela) Christ until death; sequela is a word which express availability for whatever service is requested of us in the Congregation (“any task that may be entrusted to him”)… working tirelessly for the mission, with prompt and joyful obedience in observance of the Rule.
In his farewell letter, Don Bosco recommended to his Salesians: “Instead of weeping, make firm and efficacious resolutions to remain staunch in your vocation until death. Watch so that neither the love of the world, nor the affection of ones parents, nor the desire of a more agreeable life induce you to make the great mistake of profaning the sacred vows, and so transgress the religious profession by which you are consecrated to the Lord. Let none of us take back that which we have given to God”
“And then, my dear sons and daughters – he wrote on 6th January 1884, in a letter to both the Salesians and the Salesian Sisters – do we wish to go to Heaven in a carriage? We became religious not to enjoy ourselves but to suffer and to earn merit for the next life. We consecrated ourselves to God not to command but to obey; not to attach ourselves to creatures but to practise charity towards our neighbour, moved solely by the love of God; not to live a comfortable life but to be poor with Jesus Christ, to suffer with Jesus Christ on earth, to be made worthy of his glory in Heaven.
“Courage then, dear and beloved sons; we have put our hand to the plough – be firm; let no one of you turn back to admire the false and treacherous world. Let us go on. It will cost us fatigue, hunger, suffering, thirst and perhaps even death. We shall always answer: "If the greatness of the reward delights us, the fatigue we must bear to merit it should not dishearten us”.
Work and temperance will see the Salesian Congregation flourish
In 1876, at the conclusion of the Retreat at Lanzo Torinese, Don Bosco did not give the usual sermon with “reminders”. He preferred to recount a long and adventurous dream. He wanted certain virtues to be well stamped on his sons' minds, virtues he considered essential: humility, obedience, patience, hope … And also a view of the future “triumph” and of the development of the Congregation across the world. He told them he had been invited to climb a huge rock at the centre of a field that seemed limitless: “People of every colour, dress, and nation were gathered there. I saw so many people that I did not know if the world could have that many …. What stood out was that everywhere I saw Salesians leading groups of boys and girls and with them a huge crowd of people”.
The person who was acting as his guide told him: “Look, Don Bosco; for now you will not understand everything I say, but pay attention: everything you have seen is all the harvest prepared for the Salesians. See how huge this harvest is! This huge field you find yourself in is the field in which the Salesians must work. The Salesians you see are the workers in the Lord's vineyard. …. But do you know the conditions for what you see happening? I will tell you: look, you need to print the Rule and on the first page, in large letters, remember, print the words that will be your coat of arms, your rallying cry, your badge. Note well: Work and temperance will see the Salesian Congregation flourish. You will explain these words; repeat them, insist on them. You will have a handbook printed that explains them and makes it well understood that work and temperance are the legacy you leave the Congregation and at the same time will also be its glory. … Are you convinced? Have you understood it well? This is the legacy you will leave them; and say clearly that while your sons follow this, they will have followers from the south, north, east and west”.
At that stage a number of vehicles appeared which were to take the Salesians to Turin after the Retreat. They were strange vehicles, Don Bosco tells us: “had no support of any kind and I was afraid they would fall off, so I didn't want to let them leave. Ma quel tale mi disse: But the person said to me: “Go, go: they don't need support, they just need to carry out these words: Sobrii estote et vigilate. Whoever carries out these two things will not fall, even though there is no support and the carriage is running fast”.
The dream then continues with some further details and Don Bosco ends his account saying: “I have told you this dream now, before you leave, convinced that in all truth it would be a worthy conclusion to the Retreat if we would decide to keep to our motto: Work and temperance; if we all do our best to avoid the four large nails that destroy Congregations: the vice of greed; seeking an easy life; complaining and idleness, to which we should add that each one must be open, frank and confiding in his superiors. This way we will do good for our souls and at the same time can also save those entrusted to our care by Divine Providence.
And then he concludes but points to one crucial factor: “If we wanted to give a special reminder that can serve throughout this year, it would be this: seek every way of preserving the queen of virtues, the virtue that safeguards all others; and if we have it, it will never be alone, in fact it will be accompanied by all the others; if we lose it, the others will either not be there at all or will soon be lost. Love this virtue, love it a lot and remember that to keep it you must work and pray: Non eicitur nisi in ieiunio et oratione [Mt 17, 20]. Yes, prayer and mortification”.
Blessed Maria Romero Meneses (Salesian Sister): (7 July)
Maria Romero Meneses was born on 13th January 1902 in the city of Granada in a well-to-do family. She entered the FMA school in1914 and professed as a religious in 1923. She had a great love for the poor and the abandoned and dedicated her life in the service of the poor and the needy and those sick and ailing. She was a great musician and painter and used these talents in the service of the young.
She founded the “Little Mission” in the year 1939. The purpose of the mission was to help the poor and preach about Jesus. She emptied herself of all selfish motives and filled herself with God. She had great devotion to Our Lady, “I know the Madonna is guiding me and I follow her with closed eyes, without the least fear or preoccupation”. She reminded herself continually, like Don Bosco of the divine dimension of her work and cultivated union with God. She was indeed a contemplative in action.
Feast of St. Anne and Joaquim
On 26th July, we celebrate the feast of St. Anne and Joaquim. They were the grandparents of Jesus Christ. They were an exemplary couple. Theirs was the best family next only to their daughter’s, which comprised of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Anne and Joaquim spent most of their time in prayer. Let us pray that these simple, pious, God-fearing, patient, kind-hearted and peaceful couple help us to be models in our Community life and to be rooted in prayer.
Salesian Renewal Course
The SPCSA, held on May 27 – 29 at the Retreat, Yercaud made following deliberation regarding the Salesian Renewal Course at Bangalore. The Salesian Renewal Course will be continued as one of the annual programme of DBRC. It was decided that the confreres who are approaching or those in the twenty-fifth year of their religious life will be sent as participants of this course from all the provinces of the region. The Provincials are exhorted, to indicate the name of the participants in their province directory.
Deliberations of the Salesian Province of Hyyderabad in the light of the recommendations of the General Chapter 27
2014-2015 – Year of Listening and responding to: Word of God, Confreres and Young People:
(a) Mystics in the Spirit:
1. In view of personal conversion, we need to be faithful to personal prayer and the sacrament of reconciliation.
2. To have Lection Divina and community spiritual sharing every Thursday.
3. To read and reflect on the Salesian Constitutions every Tuesday.
4. To prepare a personal plan of life and review it personally every month during the monthly recollection and share it with the Provincial during the retreat or visitation.
5. Ordinarily for those in initial formation (including those in practical training and college studies), as per the Constitutions, the Rector is the Spiritual Director. All the confreres are encouraged to have a Spiritual Director. Provincial will take special care of those in quinquennium as regards the process of their spiritual direction.
6. To be faithful to the daily celebration of Eucharist. To have the community celebration of the Eucharist with all the members of the community once a week.
7. As an expression to the primacy of God and praying for vocational fidelity in the Province we will be faithful to weekly adoration (Friday or Sunday).
(b) Prophets of Fraternity:
1. To have the day of the community once a month and create a culture of sharing.
2. To have House Council (once a month) and House Assembly (once in three months) regularly.
3. To be regular in all the community moments (prayer, meals, recreation, meetings, etc.)
4. To help confreres through fraternal correction rather than encouraging a culture of gossiping in the province.
5. To take care of the staff and their families through spiritual animation and by paying just and living wages.
6. To restructure our communities in order to strengthen the community life and relevance of our mission.
7. Formation to be context sensitive and youth oriented.
(c) Servants of the Young:
1. Greater attention to the Salesian presence among the young. Salesian assistance to be done by the whole community and not by the assistant alone.
2. Career guidance to be given importance in the Province with a rural thrust (addressing rural unemployment). We need to revive the working of DISHA and explore the possibility of starting a centre in Vijayawada.
3. We need to re-focus on our apostolate which is primarily for the young.
4. Development Office to focus more on the self-sustainability of the Salesian Communities.
5. As Salesians we consciously avoid authoritarian attitudes in our service for the young and cultivate the habit of qualitative listening.
6. At the beginning of each scholastic year (June) have a training programme for all the staff of our institutions in preventive system and the educative system of Don Bosco.
7. Family ministry to be given importance with a view to help families in creating loving, free and educative environment for the young. Family ministry with an emphasis on gender sensitivity and empowerment of women.
8. Sensitising communities and the young to cultivate respect for creation and educating them to ecological responsibility through concrete activities which safeguard the environment and sustainable development.
Reminders to the Rectors/In-charges
I would like to remind all the Rectors/In-charges to send me a copy of Community Plan (community project of life), Community Calendar of Events, Community Calendar of Confreres, and Qualification of Confreres that you are supposed to send to the Provincial by July 20, 2014. The formats were distributed to you during the meeting of the Rectors in June 2014.
Provincial Commissions:
I thank all who have extended their services in the past as members of various provincial commissions. I would like to thank all those who continue to be members of the commissions and the new members for accepting to fulfill the role of animation in the province. I appreciate their generosity and wish them all the best. Find enclosed list of the members of the various Commissions for the year 2014- 2015.
House Councils
Article 180 of our General Regulations says, “The local council will meet as often as the council itself determines, but at least once a month.” House council is an important forum for fostering mutual understanding and collaboration, they are necessary for planning and for evaluating our activities. Hence I request all the Rectors, in consultation with the other confreres to plan the agenda for every house council meeting and conduct them every month.
Death anniversary of Br Gabriel Fernandez
On July 22, we commemorate the death anniversary of Br Gabriel Fernandez. Kindly do remember him in your prayers and may his intercession in heaven help us grow qualitatively and quantitatively in our Salesian vocation.
Installation of the Rector
On June 22nd, I installed the New Rector Fr. Thathireddy Michael in Guntupalli. The community prepared well for the installation. I once again congratulate the New Rector and wish him a fruitful animation in the community.
Ordination of Dn. Barigala Arockia Nathan
Dn. Barigala Arockia Nathan was ordained on 28th June 2014, by Most. Rev. Mariano Crociata, Bishop of Latina at St. Mark cathedral Latina. May the Lord shower his graces on him as he starts his New Ministry in the service of the Lord. I congratulate him and wish him a fruitful ministry in the Province of Centrale Italy (ICC).
Diaconate Ordinations
Cl. Dasari Nireekshana Raju, was ordained a Deacon on July 1, 2014 at Sacred Heart Theological College, Shillong, by Most Rev. Dominic Jala sdb. Kindly do keep him in your prayers.
Hearty Welcome
After their studies in Italy Fr. Thumma Vijay Prathap and Fr. Gangarapu Anil will be back in the Province. In the name of the Province, I welcome them whole-heartedly into our midst and wish them a fruitful Ministry in the Province.
Fr. Cheruvathur James is returning to the Province from Hungary in the last week of July. A hearty welcome to him to the Province.
Marian Month
On July 16th, we commenced the Marian Month with the commemoration of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. During this month we specially remember and venerate our Blessed Mother in view of the great feast of the Assumption. As we are in the year dedicated to the young, it is an excellent occasion for us to inculcate in the young a tender and filial devotion to our Blessed Mother. Don Bosco attributed all his success to the maternal intervention of Mary who was his guide, teacher and mistress. We affirm the presence of Mother Mary at the beginning of our society (Const. Art. 1). In the same way She is still with us today in the province and with each one of us. May our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary inspire each one of us to grow in faith and journey with the young for the salvation of souls!
Yours Affectionately in Don Bosco,
Fr Raminedi Balaraju sdb
Provincial
