A challenging spirituality

   I believe that Salesian spirituality primarily caters to the heart of a person and while the heart is taken care of, the whole person automatically forms part of it. Though, it seems to be the most appealing way of life, concomitantly it is also a challenging one when it comes to practicing it. One needs to experience it, in order to give others a similar experience. 

    Right from his Childhood, Don Bosco developed a way of life through which he could communicate to the heart of a person, which later came to known as the Salesian Spirituality.  Many people helped him directly and indirectly to develop this spirituality. Mamma Margaret is considered to be the prominent one among them. She was his first catechism teacher who sowed the seeds of intimacy with the Father within Johnny Bosco. And she imprinted within him the idea of a provident father, whose love is unconditional and immeasurable. She made him aware of the abundant graces that God bestowed on them everyday. The guidance received from his mom, empowered Johnny Bosco to experience God as a loving and provident Father. These experiences formed him as a loving person and brought him more close and intimate to God. His relationship with God was mirrored in his relationship with his neighbor. Don Bosco believed that he had a part to play in God’s plan which was translated into his unconditional commitment to work for the salvation of souls. Don Ceria affirms that it is from his unceasing union with God that Don Bosco derived, first of all his great faith, and his yes to the will of God. This gave rise to an unshakeable trust and a firm conviction of God’s fatherliness and omnipotence.

    Salesian Spirituality dictates a life of integrity which can be lived with an even-tempered mind and heart. Don Bosco gave his all for the fruition of God’s work. At times when he was faced with difficulty, he was calm and continued giving his best efforts believing that God will always provide for his works to flourish. No difficulty or distress could destroy his peace of mind, and he explained why: “In all these works I am only the humble instrument, but to the Master, to provide the means necessary to bring them to a good end. He will do so as he thinks best. It is up to me only to be docile and pliable in his hands.” Nevertheless, “he also believed that Providence wants to be helped by our efforts. At the commencement of every work, he tried to secure whatever was necessary. We should not remain idle as we wait for the help of Divine Providence, he used to say. The Lord comes to our help when he sees the generous efforts we make for love of him.” Therefore work and temperance has an important place in our Salesian Spirituality and it needs to be practiced whole heartedly because it is clearly mentioned in our Constitutions of it significance, in article 18 (“Work and temperance will make the Congregation flourish”, whereas the seeking of an easy and comfortable life will instead bring about its death.)

    In order to mature fully in Salesian Spirituality we also need to give recourse to the starting point of Don Bosco’s Spirituality i.e. his untiring spirit of prayer. Don Ceria outlines the truth of this and its centrality. To prove the truth of it, he describes the attitude of the saint, always absorbed in God, the “ease with which he spoke about God with real feeling,” his exceptional strength in facing up to the difficulties of life, the solid spirit of piety of his followers, the constant aim in his educative work to promote the spiritual life. Thus Don Bosco knew that only through the power of prayer could he execute his daily tasks. His spirit of prayer was seen in his total commitment and dedication in his field of labour which was designed by God. That is why the Salesians are called to be ‘Contemplatives in Action’ in the imitation of Don Bosco’s Spirituality.

    The three pillars of the preventive system (Reason, Religion and loving Kindness) are foundational to the Salesian Spirituality. In the words of Don Bosco, the Preventive System is a spontaneous expression of love inspired by the love of God- who provides in advance for all his creatures, who is ever present at their side and who freely gives his life to save them.

v  Reason- In all that we do we use reason and appeal to the reasons of the mind. We motivate rather than impose.

v  Religion- All that we do is pervaded by a sense of God, so that the youngsters encounter God in the youth work we do. It means helping the youngster to come to grips of the religious dimension of his life.

v  Loving Kindness- All that we do is inspired by the love of God, for whose sake we love the young. This is Pastoral Love (The heart of a Good Shepherd).

Speaking of Don Bosco’s three principles for the education of the young, Don Ceria comments: “It is easy to enunciate principles like these, easier still to admire them, but to put them into practice costs constant sacrifice.” Salesian Spirituality cannot be explained without a strong element of asceticism, of sacrifice, detachment, selflessness and patience. This is very clear because Don Bosco had to undergo physical and moral sufferings, disappointments and adversities in the course of living his spirituality.

    The following reflection is an extract from my Constitution notes of my Novitiate days.

The Article 15 of our Constitutions speaks of the Salesian Loving Kindness being central to our Spirituality. It gives us an experience of our Spiritual Fatherhood, which means-

1. Being the first to love (God our father, loves us first)
2. To Love each one personally (God our father, loves us all personally)
3. Making oneself loved (God our father, expects our love and trust in return; the sheep listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and follows him)
4. Making them free (God our father respects our freedom)
5. Bringing them to love God (Don Bosco had only one objective- to lead everyone to love God and live as his sons: “generating children for God.”)

This Article and its reflection have always spoken to me strongly as to how Salesian Spirituality can be put into practice. As a result, I always pursued Don Bosco as one who first approached the young, loved them personally, and made himself loved, left them free and finally brought them to experience the love of God. 

    Further Don Bosco was able to give others an experience of God because he himself had a similar experience in his life. Those who lived with him are a witness to his loving spirituality. Don Cafasso, his spiritual director had this to say about him, “I see him as simple and extraordinary, humble and great, poor and yet undertaking huge projects that seem impossible.” Further he iterates that Don Bosco is a mystery! And he is certain that he is working for the glory of God and that God alone is the motive for all his actions. The more we live his spirituality, more it will be revealed to as a challenging and loving experience of God.

    This spirituality of Don Bosco which is handed down to us, Salesians, is the lived experience of Don Bosco. He also assures that as long as our congregation keeps the right spirit, it will go on with full success.

    

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