"This small book uses the word 'Way' in its title. In some respects it resembles the first part of the Rule of Life followed by vowed Salesians. It is not a list of rules but a way of living ..."Not so different in dimensions (though not in thickness) from the Salesian Constitutions and Regulations, in bottle green rather than the burnt sienna, it even mirrors certain aspects of the latter, the emblematic picture of Don Bosco handing over the Constitutions to the 1875 first missionary expedition, and a little appendix with Don Bosco's signature 'borrowed' from the Letter from Rome which includes just a daily prayer, a picture of the Salesian Coat of Arms, and an extract from his circular On Good Books.
In some ways, if you have seen an actual copy of one of Don Bosco's 'Catholic Readings', it is about that size and maybe it has much the same purpose, really, to bolster the faith of ordinary people. Other than Don Bosco, who simply shines through the pages without the need to hammer his name at every turn, we find this work dedicated to Margaret, his mother, and Francis de Sales, along with Jane for that matter - and here, in a simple way, the book will immediately appeal to women too. The similarities with the Salesian Constitutions at a physical level probably stop here but not at the level of 'deep content' inasmuch as the substance of the Rule of Life are translated into the Way of Life. It's all there: presence, moved by an inner spirit, a worldwide network, awakening a family likeness ... a Gospel pathway, Mary ... but you immediately notice how Salesian spirituality has been translated into vibrant, normal English - a rare treat indeed!
Don Bosco UK Publications, 43 pages.
