TRIDUUM TO THE FEAST OF DON BOSCO - DAY 1

DON BOSCO - A SALESIAN EDUCATOR

The Three Pillars - his educative proposal

Was Don Bosco a Salesian? A curious question indeed! Though Don Bosco was a diocesan priest, when he founded the Congregation and to his great joy and satisfaction when on May 14, 1862, the first group of 22 Salesians made their first triennial vows to the Lord, as religious members of the newly founded Society of St. Francis de Sales, Don Bosco himself says, he too made his profession to the Lord, committing himself in perpetuity to the Religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. This we see in the seventh volume of his Biographical Memoirs. However, our point here is not so much about that, as it is about the 'Salesian' that Don Bosco was at heart - that is, a person who followed the life, example and spirituality of St. Francis de Sales, the saintly wise pastor. 

One of the great inspirations that Don Bosco received from Francis de Sales, and passed on to us his sons and daughters is the style of the accompanying persons in their growth. That was the fount from where Don Bosco drew the principles of his own educative proposal - the three pillars: Reason, Religion and Loving Kindness. He writes in his famous account of the Preventive System: "this system totally rests on reason, religion and loving kindness." We see the gentleness, the kindness, the tenderness of Francis de Sales and at the same time him firmness in guiding persons to sanctity. 

Religion would be the total surrender in faith to the Lord who has granted us the great gift of life and all the opportunities to grow to the full. That would be the sense of vocation with which we live, and invite the young with us to live with. That is the conviction that no one here on earth, finds oneself here by chance. There is a purpose to life and that purpose has to be discovered on a daily basis.

Reason would be the trust and and hope we have in the inherent goodness of the other, a goodness that reflects the image and likeness of the Divine that is placed within us. It is appealing to that goodness that one can challenge oneself or challenge anyone to values of great honour and dignity. We do not need any external reason to be good, we have an integral reason to be good and holy, because are we have it deep-seated in the core of our being. 

Loving Kindness is the intense experience of God's love and sharing the same with the others to whom we are sent. It is being signs and bearers of God's love to the young! It is the source from where one could derive for oneself or for those in need, all the necessary strength to face every kind of situation in life - good or bad, joyous or sad, challenging or discouraging - for we have a God who accompanies us with love, an unconditional unlimited love.

The call today for us on the first day of the triduum to the feast of Don Bosco is to make this educative proposal our own, in every way. Let us surrender ourselves in faith to the Lord and invite the young under our care to do hold on to God; let us hope in the goodness of every person around us and counter the culture of negativity that threatens the world today; let us abide in the love of God and share the same with every one whom we encounter that God's love can continue to live amidst us every day and every moment!