Thu, 09 September 2010

Making Sense of Earthquakes, Seaquakes and Tsunamis

Fr. Tom

Robert Wright provides a sweeping narrative that takes us from the Stone Age to the Information Age, a span of about 7,000 years in his book ‘The Evolution of God ’(Little, Brown and Company, June 2009). His thesis is simply stated upfront: While the gods arose as illusions, “the story of this evolution itself points to the existence of something you can meaningfully call divinity.” Religion has “matured” so that it is now closer to modern ideas of tolerance and scientific truth. In Wright’s words, “the illusion has gotten less and less illusory.” Robert Wright belongs to the group of ‘believers in the usefulness of the idea of God’ not to the group of believers in the existence of God. READ ON>>

THE MARCH OF THE LAITY

A VAST MOVEMENT FOR THE YOUNG

Solidarity is shown through… the civil, social and missionary volunteer movement… It constitutes for the individual a possible significant vocation of commitment. Understood as willingness to devote time to the advancement of promotional, educative and pastoral initiatives, it leads persons to the sharing of responsibility. (CMS 20) Speaking about the “Salesian Family” today is to describe a certain “sense of citizenship.” The expression is not found in Don Bosco’s “terminology,” but it is present in his heart and in the spirit of everything he did. There can be no doubt that for our Father the centre and purpose of his whole life was the mission received from God which he saw taking shape more and more clearly following his dream at nine years of age, without that dispensing him from the obligation, which at times was difficult and painful, of discerning the path it was to take and discovering the means to put it into practice READ ON>>

HOLINESS IN SALESIAN FAMILY - OUR SAINTS

When Don Bosco spoke to his boys about “Bread, work and heaven” inviting them to join the group of religious he had “invented” to be of service to youth not only in Turin but in the whole world, and when to his confreres he spoke about the “Salesian Paradise” as the place to rest and enjoy the fruits of holiness he certainly thought about a place that was as crowded and as cheerful as an oratory.

God has shown great love towards the Salesian Family of Don Bosco enriching it with holiness. Priests, lay people, consecrated religious, young people and adults in the Family, members dedicated to education and evangelisation, building God’s Kingdom in daily life and apostles called to the heroism of martyrdom, all find a richness of inspiration among our Saints. It is marvellous what the grace of the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of those who accept him and make themselves available to him! As it spreads, his love urges all those, who accept his gift, to perfect charity and an even deeper union. The communion which we intend to achieve as a Family has in a holiness, sought after with constancy, the richest aspect of our fellowship. READ ON>>

FRUITS OF THE PREVENTIVE SYSTEM

Blessed Laura Vicuña (1891-1904) Born in Chile, a pupil of the FMA in Junín de los Andes, Argentina. She died offering her life for her mother’s conversion. 3 September 1988 on the “Hill of the Beatitudes for Youth” (Colle Don Bosco), in the presence of thousands of young people who were taking part in “Confronto ‘88”, Pope John Paul II beatified her, and presented her as a model of Gospel authenticity.  

 

Paola Adamo (1963-1978) A girl from the Salesian parish of St John Bosco in Taranto. The church was built by her parents who were architects. She died of viral hepatitis. One of the nicest phrases from her secret diary shows her as a model for so many of today’s preadolescents: “If you believe in God you have the world in your hand”. READ ON>>