n. 3 2012 24th March 2012 Monthly Message Mary invites us to have the experience of blazing hearts The way of Lent and the way to Easter are a deep experience that is a gift of grace to renew our hearts that are guided by Mary Help of Christians. Mary has a loving heart and continues to show us God s presence and his endless love; for it is only in Him that we find peace and joy in life. We are tired and deceived like the disciples of Emmaus, foolish and overdued of hearts, our eyes are closed and it becomes difficult for us to recognize the love of God, we are also deaf to his call. We come to renew our baptismal promises on Easter eve, but there are so many people, even some christians, who, at the same time, renounce Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, we experience the kind of fruits they reap in the humankind that walks in life without God, they prefer to reach cracked tanks rather than to reach to the sources of grace. But nonetheless the Risen Christ is our companion on our way, he listens to our deceptions, he shares our bitterness and he blames our incredulity. In the power of the Holy SpiritHHoly Spirit we can live the e- xperience of a warm and burning heart through listening, reading, meditating and practicing the Word of God. We could also exclaim, like the disciples of Emmaus, the evening of the Easter Day: "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"(lk. 24,32-34). When the Word of God is listened and lived it brings a complete change of mentality (conversion). It instils inside the hearts of all the feelings of Christ in front of the circumstances, the personal and social responsibilities. But how can the Gospel work the miracle of deep conversion, of a new and shining faith? The secret lies in the mystery that the words of God contain. These words are not mere exhortations, suggestions, indications, directives, orders or commandments. In the word of Jesus, it is Jesus Himself who speaks to us. His words are like himself, they are Himself. In that way, in His Word, we encounter Him. In welcoming the Word in our hearts, as he wants it to be listened to (that means by being ready to practice it in our live), we are one with Him and He springs up and grows in us. Only in that way our hearts shine with beauty and purity since they have known the love of God and God is present in them. As Association of Mary Help of Christians and under her guidance, we want to renew our groups, our families and the ADMA youth considering the words of the Gospel, not too high and difficult, too distant from the common way of living and thinking, but in making an effort to live, day by day, only one word of the Gospel, to find in it a good help, a unique force, a light on our path, believing in that word, being in God s presence, makes us free, purifies, converts, brings comfort and joy, gives wisdom. And if we share that experience we ll see the christian community bloom or flourish all around us. For when the Word of God is lived and communicated a miracle is worked: it generates a visible community, that becomes yeast and salt for the society, witnessing to Christ in every corner of the earth. May the Risen One live in us and among us. Happy Easter and Happy Resurrection! Sig. Lucca Tullio, President Don Pierluigi Cameroni SDB, Spiritual Animator
Training Path 2011-2012 7. Don Bosco, apostle and popular theologian of the Help of Chirstians (don Pierluigi Cameroni) As we all know, the years 1862-68 were crucial for the marian religiosity of don Bosco. Inspite of the foundation of the Company of the Immaculate among his youth in 1855; inspite of the publication made in 1858 Il mese di maggio consacrato a Maria SS. Immacolata (the month of May consacrated to our Lady Most Holy Immaculate) his preferences after 1862 concentrated dominantly and definately on the marian title Auxilium Christianorum. The building of a church dedicated to Mary Help of Christians started in 1865, and the sacred building was completed and solemnly consacrated on 9 th June 1868. In preparation to that event, don Bosco published a booklet of the month of May, the Letture cattoliche (Catholic readings): Maraviglie della Madre di Dio invocata sotto il titolo di Maria Ausiliatrice (The marvels of the Mother of God invoked under the title Mary Help of Christians). The booklet was the exposé of the theological reasons, scriptural, historical and contingents that motivated the choice of such a title. A compendium of the arguments was made in the introductory pages. Reaching to the french apologist Auguste Nicolas and expessly quoting the authority of Mons. Parisis, archbishop of Paris, don Bosco asserted that it was the Church itself that, casually, wanted «these last days to give the title Auxilium Christianorum»; in fact, it was at that time an era of an «extraordinary crisis»: «The need universally felt today to invoke Mary is not particular, but general; there are no more tepids to arouse enthusiasm, sinners to convert, innocents to conserve [...]. But it is the same Catholic Church that is assailed. It is assailed in her functions, in her sacred institutions, in her head, in her doctrine, in her discipline; it is assailed as catholic church, as center of truth, as mistress of her faithful». Obviously because of that status, don Bosco added, «to merit a special protection from Heaven [...] recur to Mary, as our common mother, as special help for kings and for the people, as catholics of all the world». In those years, don Bosco multiplicated booklets of the Letture cattoliche (Catholic readings) which informed about the extraordinary graces received through the invocation of Mary Help of Christians; he had introduced in his schools and in his oratories the new effigy and the new cult; he has founded in 1869 the Association of the devotees of Mary Help of Christians; he had induced people to name the pious practice of the month of May as month of Mary Help of Christians. At Mornese, in the diocese of Acqui, Maria Domenica Mazzarello and other youngsters, who were already associated with the Union of Mary Immaculate, adhered to don Bosco and gave its origin to the feminine Congregation of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. The invocation and the cult of the Help of Christians became distinctives of don Bosco and his presences which already were spreading away from Italy, in Europe and in America. The fact that the Help of Christians, according to the common sense of the people, was seen as La Madonna di don Bosco (Our Lady of Don Bosco) is due to the miraculous activities of the saint, to the foundation of his presence and to his literary production, specifically marian. In fact, as soon as don Bosco realized 2
that the devotion and the title of the Help of Christians was largely broadcasted, he wanted to accompany such a success by offering the theological and historical contributions. Convinced and sure of the principle: illuminate the minds to make the heart and to render popular as much as possible the science, conceived and brought to its end, in ten years time, the publication of six writtings: Maraviglie della Madre di Dio invocata sotto il titolo di Maria Ausiliatrice (1868) (Marvels of the Mother of God invoked under the title Mary Help of Christians). Rimembranza di una solennità in onore di Maria Ausiliatrice (1868) (Rememberance of a solemnity in honor to Mary Help of Christians). Associazione de divoti di Maria Ausiliatrice canonicamente eretta nella chiesa a lei dedicata in Torino con ragguaglio storico su questo titolo (1869) (Association of the devotees of Mary Help of Christians, canonically erected in the church dedicated to Her in Turin, with a historical look on the title). Nove giorni consacrati all Augusta Madre del Salvatore sotto il titolo di Maria Ausiliatrice (1870) (Nine days consacrated to the majestic Mother of the Redeemer under the title Mary Help of Christians. Maria Ausiliatrice col racconto di alcune grazie ottenute nel primo settennio dalla Consacrazione della Chiesa a Lei dedicata in Torino (1870) (Mary Help of Christians with the story of some graces received on the first seven days of the consacration of the Chruch dedicated to her in Turin). La Nuvoletta del Carmelo ossia la Devozione a Maria Ausiliatrice premiata di nuove grazie (1877) (The small cloud of the Carmel or rather, Mary Help of Christians, given new graces). They are not scientific works, neither properly for theological disclosure, but how to emerge from the titles of a theology and of a popular story of the title Auxilium Christianorum. These humble booklets, whose e- xpression in a more mature manner is the Marvels of the Mother of God, represent the first tentative of reflection and justification of the doctrine that concerns Mary Help of Christians. Through the spreading of such a title, emerges from one hand, the ecclesial mediation of Mary, typical italian catholic conscience of that era, to the other hand, the popular dimension of the salesian charism is imposed, by the means of the devotion to the Help of Christians a way for education of the faith of the people is marked, valuing the contents of the popular religiosity and orienting them towards the wisdom of the Gospel. As it was previously said, the small booklet The Marvels of the Mother of God, particularly indicates the historical and theological basis of his convictions and the mission of don Bosco. At the first level, there are proofs and theological argumentations based on biblical and patristical sources. What strikes is that don Bosco s endeavour guides us nicely to the development of the fundamental statements he wants to communicate: at the centre there is the conviction that the most splendid proof of Mary being the Help of Christians is found on the Calvary... So, Mary becoming our mother on the mount Calvary, not only that she had the title of help of christians, but she acquired the office, the magisterium, the duty. We have therefore a sacred right to recur to the help of Mary. That right is consacrated by the word of Jesus and guaranteed by the motherly tenderness of Mary. But the fact that Mary interpreted the intention of Jesus Christ on the cross, in that line and that He was making Her Mother and Help of all the christians is proved by the conduct she had later on. From that, flows this: in order that the glory of Mary might extend to all generations and that she might be called blessed, there was a need of some extraordinary and perennial benefit from Mary to all those generations; so that the motive of their gratitude being everlasting in them, became reasonable to have for her a perpetual praise. We know that that continuous and wonderful praise is due only to the help given by Mary to the people. That help had to embrace all times, extend to all places, to every kind of person. The theological argumentation is integrated to the historical one: The experience of eighteen centuries shows, clearly, that Mary has continued from heaven her mission of mother of the Chruch and of Help of 3
Christians that she had started on earth, and with a lot of success. So don Bosco with his distinct historical sensibility, tells a good number of series of interventions of Mary in favor of the Church, in particular her manifestations in defence of the Church and to the papacy, both form external attacks and internal ones with the tears provoked by heresies and schisms that corrupt the faith and attack the communion. Trully, Mary is Magnum in Ecclesia praesidium: Great commander in the Church. From such stories emerge a great vision of the history that exalts, in the light of faith, the motherly mediation of the Help of Christians intimately associated to the work of redemption and to the salvific mission of the Church. With the theological and historical proofs don Bosco points out the argumentations of a liturgical nature, expressions linked to the popular piety, miraculous facts and in particular, paintings present in the Valdocco basilica, willed and inspired by him, it is a plastic expression of his convictions. The first is the great cloth of Lorenzone known to all. We have already commented on it. The second one, less known, is a fresco of Rollini suggested by don Bosco for the front of the San Francesco di Sales chapel. Under the world map on which a monstrance is put with the Blessed Sacrament representing the Archangel Michael who dispels and scatters the error and heresies: The Reformation with a woman s face, when it sees the revering angels, who adore the Holy One, escapes, frightened, carrying on a hand, the adulterated bible and abandoning from the o- ther hand, these broken arms, the mask of hypocrisy and the coins for corruption, with which it tends to carry war to the Most Blessed Sacrament; 2 Materialism with a man s face with athletic forms, he holds a lightened torch to set fire and destruction where ever Reformation goes, then it is kicked by the angel, rolling from the top seems to break off once for all and falls heavily headfirst on the floor. Conclusion Don Bosco doesn t write with the pen of a theologian, but he does it through a heart full of fervor of a saint and a founder. He writes out of the experience he has of Mary and out of his personal love for Her. Intimately, he is aware that Our Lady has been present and decisive as Mother and Teacher all along the itinerary of his vocation and mission, he is moved by a profound amazement in experimenting how much powerful and efficient is her intervention as Mother, Help of Christians The intention of Don Bosco is to accredit the true marian title of Help of Christians and recommend it to the veneration of the people of God, attesting her prodigious efficiency in the life of the Church and in his charismatical experience. Under the theological profile, the theme is that of Mary as Mediator of grace, but the specifications linked to the title Help of Christians are not irrelevant. It would not be difficult to show how the devotion to the Help of Christians is not simply linked to the historical circumstances in which Don Bosco lived, but it extends to every epoch, particularly ours, profoundly signed with the divorce between faith and culture, an epoch in which humanity seems to not have anymore antennas for God and it seems that He has no more weight in the life of the people. This is how Pope Benedict XVI expresses that idea: «The real problem in today s history is that God disappears form human s horizons and with the black out of God s light, humanity is caught with the lack of orientations and its damaging effects are more and more seen».. Prayer O Mary, O Powerful Virgin, Thou the great commander of the Church; Thou the marvelous help of Christians; Thou the terribile as an army lined up for the battle; Thou alone has defeated every heresis in the whole world; Thou in the sorrows, in the fights, in the straitened circumstances defend us from the enemy and in the hour of our death receive our soul in Paradise! Amen (San Giovanni Bosco) 4
Family Chronicle TORINO ENCOUNTER OF THE COUNCIL OF THE SALESIAN FAMILY - On 4 th February, 2012 at Valdocco, in the presence of the Provincial don Stefano Martoglio, the meeting of various groups of the Piemonte s Salesian Family and of Valle d'aosta was held. It was a propicious occasion to deepen the mutual relations and to grow in communion. The groups have shared on the guidelines and the program of activities with a particular reference to the initiatives connected to the growth of the way of preparation to 2015 and connected to the strenna 2012 of the Rector Major "Let us make the young our life s mission by coming to know and imitate Don Bosco". In his intervention, the provincial underlined this: what has to distinguish us is the amazement in contemplating the greatness and the beauty of the Salesian Family, a richness for the Church and in the Church, we have never seen it before, precious and growing; no single group of the Salesian Family has the pretention to run down the charism of St John Bosco: to work and think together is required; the 2015 s events are important because their preparation is becoming a golden occasion to work concretly together. Therefore, from next month of April, for the first time, the Regional Commission 2015 will be installed. All the groups of the Salesian Family will be part of that commission. The President Lucca Tullio, the Councelor Marchisio Rosanna and Chiosso Giuseppina took part. MADRID (SPAGNA) NATIO- NAL COMMISSION ADMA. On 4 th February, 2012, took place the meeting of the National Commission of ADMA of Spain at the provincial house of the SDB of Madrid, coordinated by don Eleuterio Lobato, National Delegate. In such a coordination TORINO HANDING BACK OF THE SALESIAN FAMILY SPIRITUALITY DAYS. On 4th February, 2012 at Torino Valdocco, the second edition of the handing back of the Salesian Family Spirituality Days was held. This encounter was organised by the Provincial Meeting and the presence of various groups of the Salesian Family present in the territory, was significant. After the prayer of introduction, a video version of the strenna was shown to the participants who, later on, were invited to reflect on the figure of Don Bosco by Don Bruno Ferrero, Director of the Bollettino Salesiano. He accompanied them towards a more vital knowledge of the Saint when he gave them the report on the topic "think the Don Bosco way", underlining the examplary features of the personality and his spirituality. Some testimonies came up too, from those present at the Spiritual Days in Rome. They all have given the specific features of that experience, underlining the beauty, the live participation and further, the full meaning of the personal way. The ADMA was represented by a good number of members, with various families and an important group of young people. group, were obviously represented the 6 SDB provinces and the 4 FMA provinces of the country. The agenda was: after the International Congress of Czestochowa, with the presentation, in the provinces, of what was done to report the contents and the spirit that characterized that particular event. A lot of e- xperiences were presented, in particular, the passionate testimony and enthusiasm of those who participated in the Congress. Besides, the presentation of the Congress through an accurately prepared powerpoint, to the provincials and to the Assembly of the groups of the Salesian Family; the diffusion of the documents; the publication of experiences, testimonies and contents in the monthly leaflets and various bulettins. Programming the summer school for the ADMA Animators of Spain in the month of July, in collaboration with the Delegates of the Salesian Cooperators and of the Past Pupils. The Charter of identity of the Salesian Family was then presented, approved few times back, by the Rector Major. Some themes destined to be offered at school were then presented, for instance, the role of the ADMA Animator, the presentation of the Rule, the itineraries of formation, which kind of formation to promote the other point in the agenda was the planning of the VIII th National Congress of Mary Help of Christians in 2013 to be held in Saragozza and to be coordinated by the FMA. Finally, some indications were given about the valuing of the themes of formation suggested through the ADMAonline, the reception of the strenna of the Rector Major, the participation in the Salesian Family Spirituality Days and the visit of the casket of Don Bosco. 5
TORONTO (CANADA) - Our Toronto group of the Mary Help of Christians Association has had another blessed and fruitful year as we continue our journey striving to live each day through Him, with Him, and in Him. We continue to meet each month and have two retreats a year to renew and fill our spirits. Our meetings still consist of the recitation of the rosary, a period of spiritual formation and a scripture and faith-sharing period. Fr. Joseph Occhio, SDB continues to be our spiritual director and we are grateful that God has blessed us so generously. His wisdom and spiritual insight are a guiding force in our faith formation. We pray that our Blessed Mother grace him with the strength to continue his work. This year, much of our spiritual material was directed at leading us on a journey inward. We covered topics such as the Second Conversion or Transformation of the Soul: Entrance into the Illuminative Way, the Third Conversion or Transformation of the Soul: Entrance into the Unitive Way, Spiritual Boxes and Cogitatio Sancta. These topics were meant to illuminate spiritual weaknesses in our hearts and in our lives so that we may open ourselves more fully to Jesus and, ultimately, through God s grace and love, bring us to a deeper conversion. Thank you Blessed Mother for being our guiding force and helping us take another step towards Jesus. On January 24, 2012 our newest member, Cecilia Nunez, took her solemn promise during the celebration of mass in honor of St. Francis de Sales. Immediately after Cecilia completed her promise, the rest of our members renewed their life-time commitment and solemn promise to our Blessed Mother. It was a beautiful moment filled with love and devotion for our Blessed Mother and Jesus. Afterwards we celebrated with a short reception and time of fellowship. I have included some pictures of our celebration for you to enjoy. I pray that Our Blessed Mother continue to protect us and guide us. May we continue to grow in strength and numbers spreading true devotion to Mary Help of Christians. (Margaret Pupulin Coordinator) 6
RESISTENCIA, CHACO (ARGENTINA) Our aim is to make known the ADMA group of young people, which started around the don Bosco school, thanks to the commitment of the Principal of the first level, Mss Yolanda Larrea. The group is composed of nearly forty youths from the school as well as young people from elsewhere, invited by their friends to share the proposal of the ADMA. That is why it is right to make evident and to thank them for the work done, the patience and the perseverance of all those who have suggested such an initiative, in particular, the lady responsible, Yoli, professor Nélida, Mabel and the mammas Laura, Patricia, Antonia and Betina who, every Friday afternoon, offer their collaboration. Our words of thanks go also to the parents who allow the participation of their children in that experience. 7
The paper can be read at the following site: www.admadonbosco.org/index.php?lang=en and here: www.donbosco-torino.it/ For every comunication you can contact the following email adress: pcameroni@sdb.org 8