The “Feast of the province “in the past chiefly focused on the exemplary
life of the patron saint (of Mumbai), St. Francis Xavier ,seen as a missionary
model for imitation .Traditionally ,it was also a day of Gratitude and
appreciation of the person and performance of the provincial superior and
therefore a celebration centered around an individual ,hence ,Provincial Day or
at the Local level ,Rectors day .Now that this official annual celebration has
been termed “province community day “ is there any shift of emphasis or
significant t change in the understanding of this particular festivity in our
present Salesian context? I should think so.
I believe the provincial community day more often, a
provincial community evening is not a mere social ritual celebration restricted
to a devout Eucharistic liturgy and a sumptuous dinner fellowship, in the
provincial house or any one community of the province .Rather, in post Vatican
terms, it is the theological understanding and experiencing the Call to be and
live in community which is rooted in the divine Community of God ,the Holy
Trinity . It is in fact first and foremost, a spiritual fellowship.
The Provincial Community day may be a considered an annual
“community building exercise “fostering a genuine oneness of heart and mind
among the confreres of the province .May I observe that the “Province “is not
only a legal term to demarcate territorial boundaries .To be a member of the
Salesian congregation , we enter through the canonical doors of a province. Our
belonging is always registered through the process of selection, admission and
profession in a province .In the congregation we all are members of a
provincial community.
It is important to know that we “belong” to any local
community of formation or where we exercise our assigned ministry .Our loyalty
to the congregation is expressed through our deep sense of belonging to the
province .In fact; a confrere needs official permission and motivating reasons
to shift from one province to another. This principle is vital to the healthy life
of the provincial community and must be clearly explains to novices and young
Salesians .Recalling this principle by jour senior Salesian is perhaps even
more important .Polarization and disintegration of the provincial community
takes place when confreres develops a greater belonging to local community that
belongs to the province.
Most important
requirement is our initial formation particularly, is to learn to live a happy
and committed Religious Salesian life as a good community person. What does
that mean: It means:
ü T o have a strong sense of belonging
to the province
ü Not as guest , a stranger , a boarder
worst still as a prisoner
ü But as one called by God to belong to
a religious family /community
To belong means to feel
at home:
ü In a communion with God as mystics of the spirit
ü In a community with leaders who are
servants of the young
ü In a community of Prophets of
fraternity , I bonded in mission
ü In a vowed commitment to obedience
poverty and chastity for the sake of the Salesian Mission
To be a community in
Mission consecrated to God by the evangelical Counsels means to live:
ü A life of Obedience , not servile but
enriched with dialogue and willing cooperation
ü A life of poverty not sunk in penury
but lived with joy of sharing our whole life ;
ü A life of chastity not closed in on itself,
but steeped in a selfless and unconditional love.
To be a community of
the beatitudes means to be:
ü Acceptable and accepted by others
ü Forgiving and patient with each other
ü Mutually supportive and trustfully
loyal to each other in the community
Celebrating our province day honouring our patron should also
make us attentive to the missionary stirrings in our Salesian vocation. Rather
than extol the missionary zeal of St.Francis Xavier and describe his
evangelical shift from, an eminent professor of philosophy at the Sorbonne
University to a wandering proclaimer with unquenchable zeal for the Kingdom, I
choose instead to briefly reflect on the criteria for discernment of a Salesian
missionary Vocation .
Criteria for
discernment of Salesian missionary vocation Ad Gentes, Ad Exteros, Ad Vitam
I.
Persons
involved in the discernment process at (4 )various levels
1.
The
Candidate: evaluation ,accompaniment by a spiritual guide ,of the confessor
2.
The
community where the confreres lives : Rector ,formators
3.
The
provincial and his council
4.
The
general Councilor for the missions
II.
General
criteria vocational discernment
Three essential aspects :(1)Right intention (2)Free decision
(3)necessary qualities according to Vatican ii(Ad Gentes 25)the suitability of
the necessary virtues if the missionary ,other than the specific lay ,
religious or priestly vocation, are the following :
1. A certain moral strength to overcome
difficulties of the mission ;
2. Patience ,understanding, humility
,charity in order to discover authentic values in other religions :L
3. Supernatural spirit to make mission
more than something merely philanthropic and social ;
4. A clear witness and a sign of witness
to all non –believers ;
5. Communion and obedience in the common
apostolate, under the guidance of the local bishop.
In our Salesian
experience in general, we distinguish four fundamental qualities on order to
start a serious discernment of Salesian missionary vocation:
1. Spirit of faith and rootedness in
Christ , because the missionary must proclaim Christ ;
2. Capacity for community life , because
normally on e will be a part of an intercultural community;
3. Capacity for self-emptying
(kenosis)and sacrifice , because his is a ;life of gratuitous service ;
4. Robust personality, good health, with
the capacity to learn languages.
III.
Counter
indications of the missionary vocation ad Gentes
A. The search for adventure and simple
desire to change the pace where one works;
B. Urged on by third person; parents,
confreres, friends…
C. Escape from one’s own relational,
personal and vocational problems…
D. It is to be absolutely avoided
sending a confrere missionary who has problems fitting into the ordinary
community life in his province of origin. Once sent to another culture, he will
normally find more demanding environment, which would not be helpful in solving
his problems.
IV.
Insufficient
elements
1)
It
is not enough to be a good confrere and a good Salesian; the missionary
vocation is a new call not common to every Salesian in the congregation.
2)
It
is not enough to have some vague wish to work for the poor youngsters in the
poor setting ….
3)
It
is not enough just to be enthusiastic about the missions, since this may not
last long if this does not mature by developing concrete attitudes
V.
Specific
criteria for discernment ( for the candidate , rector and th council )
ü
Good
health , human maturity , and psychological balance
ü
Relational
capacity , sense of responsibility in th mission , community , community –oriented
person
ü
Capacity
to adapt to adapt to the local and the Salesian culture ,to the culture
different from one’s own
ü
Personal
prayer life a life centered on the Eucharist
ü
Respect
for others(lay mission partners ,the young ),for the different cultures ,religions
ü
Commitment
to the new country and culture and culture ad vitam ,leaving everything for the
kingdom.
May Jesus Christ missionary of the Father
at this Eucharist, through his body and blood nourish our Salesian vocation
transforming is into genuine community minded and zealous missionaries and may
Mary foster in us a deep sense of belonging to God and the congregation for the
greater glory of God and the salvation of youth ,especially the poor
