The next morning, when he told his family about it, his older brother commented: "Perhaps you'll become a robber chief." The grandmother simply said "Pay no attention to dreams." In this dream which we can read in the "Memoirs of the Oratory", he would recognise his vocation. "It seems to me" wrote Fr Pascual Chávez, predecessor of Card. Fernández Artime, "that this autobiographical page offers a simple, but at the same time prophetic explanation of the spirit and mission of Don Bosco. There, the field of action entrusted to him is defined: young people; the objective of his apostolic activity is indicated to him: to make them grow as people through education; the educational method that will be effective is offered: the preventive system; the horizon for his and our work is presented: the wonderful plan of God who loves young people first of all and more than anybody else."
In the strenna for the bicentenary of the dream, Card. Fernández Artime notes that Don Bosco told us in writing "that it is not just ‘a‘ dream, but that we must see it as ‘the’ dream that would mark his whole life - even if then, as a child, he could not imagine this."
The Rector Major of the Salesians highlights some aspects of the dream:
- Young people are the protagonists of the dream. “The whole dream is about them and for them. These boys are in perpetual motion and action: both when they are aggressive (like wolves),... and when, transformed in the way that the Lady of Dream asks of young John, they will become (like lambs) serene, friendly and warm."
- A clear vocational call. In actual circumstances the dream seemed unrealisable; but "it is precisely this difficult situation that makes Don Bosco (young John at the tinme) very human, in need of help, but also strong and enthusiastic. His willpower, character, temperament, fortitude and the determination of his mother, Mamma Margaret, the profound faith of both John and his mother make all this possible."
- Mary in the life and mission of Don Bosco. The main character in the dream entrusts John to Mary. “There is an enormous intentonality2 in this entrustment of John to Mary. In the Salesian charism for poor young people“the dimension of treating them ‘gently’ and the Marian dimension are inseperable.”
This is the tenth of the Rector Major Fr Ángel Fernández Artime’s Strennas, which one of his closest collaborators, Fr Giuseppe Costa, SDB, has collected in a beautiful volume, "Called to Love with Hope", embellished with three introductory contributions (those who want the book can request it from the Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco, via Marsala 42, 00185 Rome.Tel. 06-656121).
In the first contribution, journalist Enzo Romeo recalls what Fernández Artime said about his appointment as cardinal: it “should be considered a gift made by the Pope to all the sons and daughters of Don Bosco and a sign of the great affection that Francis has for the Salesians, whose charism he knows and appreciates.” The second contribution, by theologian Massimo Naro, highlights some theological aspects of the “pastoral letters” of the Rector Major of the Salesians. The third contribution is by Cecilia Costa, from the University of Roma Tre, who discusses the current Rector Major’s rich religious and pedagogical theme of strong Salesian women, from a sociological point of view with.
The last pages of the strenna are the most original. For the Rector Major of the Salesians, the dream at nine years of age is "a dream that makes one dream" and offers a relevant message above all to the members of the Salesian Family: "God does great things with simple tools"; "God has a dream for each of us, for each of our young people"; "Don Bosco has shown us that only authentic relationships transform and save"; "The Salesians (and those inspired by Don Bosco) are indeed the children of a dreamer of the future", but of a future that is built on trust in God and in everyday life, immersing themselves and working in the lives of young people, amid the toils and uncertainties of every day.”
Francesco Mosetto
Source: La Voce e Il tempo
