Good Evening!
Pagkatapos nating pakinggan kay Br. Paul kung naging kaano-ano
natin si Don Bosco, narinig din natin kay Br. Jarmy ang kabuluhan ng ating mga
pangalan. Ngaung gabi pag-usapan naman natin kung paano tayo nagiging si Don
Bosco sa mga kabataan.
One Sunday afternoon while assisting in the youth center,
one question struck me and so I started to go around and asked the young
people. The question is: “Of all the places that you can be right now (Sunday)
why CHOOSE the youth center? You can go to malls and hangout with friends in
another place. There were the usual answers like some didn’t have the money; SM
is too far from here, and so on. I was struck, however, with one answer: “Whenever
I am here, I feel I am important because the Brothers are here with us, to play
with us and to keep us company”.
It made me realize that the indelible mark that the young people
had with us is the “Salesian Presence”. The young people can see whether we are
authentic or inauthentic in our dealings with them. When they are made to feel
that they are important and so be able to win their hearts. Then it is very
easy for us to correct them. Here in the Postnovitiate, we learn the “art of
assisting” during our lunch assistance and with the help of Fr. Dixie, we are
able to evaluate and see the areas that need to be improved so that in the
future when we are already in the field of work (practical training) we will be
equipped. In our study of the preventive system with Fr. Bobby, we already encountered
this topic of assistance. It is from the latin word “ad-sistere” – to stand by:
this means more that a mere passive “looking on” at what goes on with the young
persons. It includes “BEING THERE” with other persons in an attitude of
sympathy and person-to-person relationship. Assistance is not a “police-like”
activity, suspiciously searching for offenders but rather it draws out
preventively all that is good in the youth. Don Bosco’s method of winning the
hearts of the young people through constant assistance is not a secret to us.
In one point in my life it became the fire that burnt my Salesian Vocation and
I likewise would also believe that it became yours.
I remember when I was still in the Aspirantate (what they
call the high school seminary), I really admired my superiors who would go out
of their way and be with us. I especially see this during recreation, meals, games
and free time. In short, almost all of the activities. They can opt to stay in their
rooms and do what they want. Instead they join us in all our activities, even
during work. Just imagine (since I know that you know him very well) I still remember
what happened to me one afternoon—Fr. Nioret bringing the “walis tingting” and telling
me (with his usual witty behavior) “ARO!!!! Tarunga nang imong panilhig, hapit
na mag time” and he started helping me clean the place until the work was done.
I was cleaning the basketball court that time. At first I was embarrassed with
what happened then later did I realize that he wanted me to learn things in the
right way. It made me more all the more appreciate his presence.
God’s presence is the holiest presence. We are the walking tabernacles,
signs and Ibearers of God’s love. Education is modeling. We as Salesians should
model HOLINESS and not just mere teaching them the doctrine. It is showing
them. We aim to be holy because we also want the young people to be holy. In the
first circular letter of Fr. Chavez, he mentioned that we can never separate
our identity as religious from that of educators, nor our religious
consecration from the apostolic mission. Anything we say about our
sanctification necessarily implies a plan of holiness for our young people. For
us too “the pastoral path is that of holiness”.
Fr. Chavez continues: “It is precisely at their age that
they begin to feel the fascination of demanding and challenging values even
though subsequently, and especially in today’s circumstances, they discover
their own frailty. It is up to us, to be educators and evangelizers of the
young. Who else can we follow/imitate? No other than Don Bosco himself who
believe and is convince that young people can be holy.”
It is said that Dominic Savio’s serious striving for holiness
began when he heard Don Bosco explain in a sermon that holiness is for
EVERYONE. It reveals to us the educative genius of Don Bosco in suggesting lofty
ideals even to boys.
“One
Sunday Don Bosco spoke about becoming a saint, stressing three points which
made a deep impression on Savio’s receptive soul: it is God’s will that we
become saints; it is quite easy to do so; there is a great reward in heaven for
one who becomes a saint. Dominic later
told Don Bosco: “I feel a deep yearning, an earnest need, to become a saint. I never knew it could be so easy, but now I
see that one can be happy and holy too, I definitely want to become a saint”.
Don Bosco praised his resolve and showed him that the
first thing God wanted of him was a constant moderate cheerfulness. He advised him to carry out his scholastic
and religious duties diligently and always to join in the games of his
companions at recreation. At the
same time he forbade austere penances or long prayers as unsuitable to a boy of
his age.
Savio obeyed, but one day Don Bosco saw him very
dejected. “I really do not know what to
do!” the boy complained. “The Lord says
that unless I do penance I cannot get to heaven, and you won’t let me do
any. What are my chances for heaven?”
“The penance Our Lord asks of you is obedience”, Don
Bosco replied. “Just obey, and you will
be doing enough”.[1]
As we continue to prepare
ourselves for the next stage of formation, let us not forget that we are signs
and bearers of God’s love for the young people. Our “being there” doesn’t
demand a lot from us but the simplest thing we can do. It is through this
action that we can be closer to them. In Don Bosco’s letter from Rome he wrote and
I quote: “and so by neglecting the lesser part, they waste the greater meaning
of all the work they put in.” One formator once said: “Our presence is the most
precious gift we can give to the young. And I believe that it should be.
