Fr Václav Klement, SDB
EAO Regional Councilor
Indeed it’s another consistent initiative along Pope Francis' deepest conviction: at the very heart of the Gospel is life in community and commitment for others. Without loving concretely the poor, we can’t be true disciples of Jesus.
During the past four years, our Rector Major repeated with a tireless zeal: the poor young people are saving the Salesians! Indeed, our Salesian vocation, lived in different ways to include SDB, FMA, Salesian Cooperators, VDB, CDB, ADMA, Caritas Sisters of Jesus, SAL, SIHM, DQM – SQM religious, Past Pupils of Don Bosco & Mary Help of Christians or Michaelites, all experience the same reality: wherever we are committed with, and for, poor people or youth in need and/or at risk, in these places we see our vocation flourish!
As per the specific wish of Pope Francis, let’s make the week of November 12-19 a special time of a personal encounter with the poor (youth) and of action for them: let us love, not with words, but with deeds! Without poor youth, we can’t properly meet Jesus as Salesians of Don Bosco – as in our special works: Tuloy sa Don Bosco (FIN), Los Palos (ITM), Kodaira - Tokyo (GIA), Myitkyina (MYM), Liloan – Cebu (FIS), Dae Rim Dong - Seoul (KOR), Boys Town - Taiwan (CIN), Engadine - Sydney (AUL), Can Gio (VIE), Chiang Mai (THA) or Tetere in Solomon Islands (PGS).
Also, each member of the Salesian Family is called this November to personally meet Jesus with the poor, in the poor, face-to-face, not just on Facebook. As poor young people have a special place in the Heart of God, if we like to remain his true children, we are called to live with the same heartbeat! Let the role models of Fr Gaetano Nicosia, or Br Elmer Rodriguez, and many other Salesians committed to the poor, keep us walking out of our comfort zone towards the encounter with Jesus that is present in the poor young people around us!
Source: AustraLasia
