Thursday, September 11, 2014

DB Sermonette - August 2014


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.





[1] MB V, p. 209

Monday, September 8, 2014


Happy Birthday Mama Mary 
September 8

DB Sermonette - October 2013



Good Evening!

A story was once told of a famous musician name Sir Robert Mayer on his 100th birthday. An elderly British socialite Lady Diana Cooper fell into conversation with a friendly woman who seemed to know her well. Lady Diana's failing eyesight prevented her from recognizing her fellow guest, until she peered more closely at the magnificent diamonds and realized she was talking to Queen Elizabeth! Overcome with embarrassment, Lady Diana bowed and stammered, "Ma'am, oh, ma'am, I'm sorry ma'am. I didn't recognize you without your crown!"

"It was so much Sir Robert's evening," the queen replied, "that I decided to leave it behind." What a shocking answer from a Queen. Have you ever had a similar experience like that of the Queen? What do we normally reply when people praise us for all the wonderful things we have done.

In the book of Fr. Adolf Faroni “What many have not” he presented Don Bosco as a humble man. Here are some excerpts from the life of Don Bosco pointing how humble he was. These are not made up stories but real events that happened to Don Bosco himself.

“On one occasion,” Father Dominic Milanesio told us, “Don Bosco pointed out to his altar boy a mistake he had made.

 “The boy, who was very lively and outspoken, rejoined: ‘You made one mistake too!’ and then explained what he meant. Inadvertently – a very rare occurrence for him – Don Bosco had blessed the water at the offertory in a requiem Mass. Amiably, and with great humility, Don Bosco replied: ‘oh, well! I guess we are both in the same boat; we sure can mess things up!’”

When we are faced with a somewhat similar situation, especially here in our community how do we react?

Humility in declining hounours Second Audience with Pope Pius IX

“Holy Father, my knowledge is not vast, but the one thing I love and wish is ‘scire Jesum Christum et hunc crucifixium’ – ‘to know Jesus Christ, and Him crucified’ (1 Cor. 2:2).

The pope remained thoughtful for a while. Then as though wishing to put him to the test, he said that he had been very pleased with the retreat Don Bosco had given to the women prisoners, and that, as a token of his esteem and affection, he had decided to make him a monsignor with the rank of domestic prelate. Don Bosco, who had never been interested in honors, humbly, thanked him, but he declined the offer in his usual witty and friendly manner saying: “Your Holiness, that would never do! My boys would not recognize me any longer and I would lose their trust. If they had to call me ‘monsignor’, they would not dare come near me and pull me this way and that as they do now. Besides, everybody would think that the title had brought me wealth. How could I ever again muster enough courage to be begging for the oratory and other projects? Holy Father. It is far better for me to always remain plain Don Bosco!”

The Pope admired Don Bosco’s charming humility.

The Holy Father’s affection for Don Bosco was truly striking! From then on, Pius IX was always his father and friend. He constantly held him in high regard, looked forward to conversing with him, sought his advice, and repeatedly offered him ecclesiastical honors in an attempt to keep him nearby. But Don Bosco, though always obedient to the Pope’s wishes, did not feel that he could accept these offers. He sought honors for others but accepted none for himself. How about us? How do we respond to similar situations here in our community? I’m not talking about becoming a monsignor… do we just want to be simple DON (name) or do we want to have an honorary title as an ornament to our name?

We can see in the life of Don Bosco that he never did once lift himself up. He remained humble from the day he was born. With the different projects he was able to accomplish, he attributed it to our Lady and would address himself as an instrument for something big to happen. He just wants to be: “SIMPLE DON BOSCO” According to Bishop William Temple: "Humility does not mean thinking less of yourself than of other people, nor does it mean having a low opinion of your own gifts. It means freedom from thinking about yourself one way or the other at all."

As Salesians, how can we imitate our founder whom we wish to follow? How do we live our Salesian Vocation?

St. John Bosco


Pray for us