The effectiveness o f the Preventive System is based on the ability o f the educator to pian, put into practice, and assess w hat he actually does; in o th er w ords: to know exactly w hat he w ants, w hat to do, w hat to look out for.
In a certain sense one could say that the Preventive System is the educator.
T hat m ight sound an exaggeration w ere it not that in Don B o sc o ’s thinking the educator has the w hole system in his ow n hands.
The first task o f the educator therefore is to be there and not to be off the field o f play. If it is true that in the one being educated there are all the necessary d ispositions for living a full life, it is equally true that left to him self he could run the risk o f not fully realising or im plem enting com pletely his potential for developm ent.
Aware o f his ow n role and responsibility, the educator who is sound and reassuring, authoritative but not authoritarian seeks to establish a genuine dialogue and a constructive debate w ith a young person. Vitally involved in the educational relationship, his personality, his ow n history, his own fears, a n x ie tie s , h a v e th e ir im p a c t on th e fo rm a tio n o f th e p u p il. It is th e person(ality) that educates.
Today, as has ju s t been said, relationships betw een adults and young people have been profoundly changed com pared w ith D on B o sco ’s day, w hich also m eans in this perspective a radically new way o f interpreting and experiencing the idea and thè role o f the educator him self as “father” ,
“b rother” , “frien d ” . A bove all it is necessary that, no longer considering h im self the only operator and interpreter o f the system , and therefore im- posing or proposing certain preco n ceiv ed ideas, he b ecom es capable o f recognising those needs o f young people that they them selves find it diffi
cult to articulate, o f accom panying them in the not easy search for answ ers to the fundam ental challenges in life, o f respecting their right to be and to feel them selves to be in charge o f their ow n destiny, o f lim iting his own predom inant contribution to leam him self w hile he is educating others ei- th er in the straig h tfo rw ard art o f d iscussion o r in the m ore d ifficult but equally useful one o f dealing w ith inevitable disagreem ents.
In the educator the young person is no longer looking so m uch for a fa
ther w ho does his thinking for him , a friend w ho organises his free tim e for him , a brother w ho is interested in his developm ent, an adult w ho gives the orders or the supervisor w ho threatens punishm ent, but a m an capable o f
standing beside him , m ore concerned about him as a person than about his overall educational needs, available to make a positive contribution to the developm ent o f his undiscovered talents, rather than being concerned sole- ly to neutralise any negative or counter-productive elem ents.
Conclusion
It only rem ains to be said in conclusion that today it appears necessary not so m uch to recali and further analyse the basic concept o f the P reven
tive System , as rather to recali and further analyse the idea o f prevention as a process timely, considered and broad-based, w hich provides a series o f initiatives aim ed at guiding young people at various stages o f developm ent by m eans o f attractive and useful projects giving them the opportunity to grow not only in their know ledge o f the w orld around them - internet can do this and better - but above all in their understanding o f life, a taste for w hat is good and w orthw hile.
Educating in this sort o f context, providing helpful and enjoyable expe- riences; helping y oungsters in th eir developm ent, using th eir ow n inner strengths and freedom to w ithstand unhelpful external pressures; “w inning ov er the h eart” , o f the young people to lead them gently tow ards good habits, correcting their bad ones; preparing them for their future com bining theoretical and practical skills; entering into their hearts to help them de- velop their personalities so that they can confidently m ake decisions and ch o ic e s; e n a b lin g them to b eco m e a c tiv e ly in v o lv e d in the life o f the church and o f society: this is the difficult task o f the educator who w ants to be guided and inspired by Don B osco’s Preventive System .
T h e fo u n d a tio n s are so und, the so u rces are c le a r and fro m them it should be possible to give life and a m ost prom ising future to that updated
“N ew Preventive S ystem ” already hopefully anticipated by the R ector M a
jo r F r Egidio V iganò, but not yet fully operational. It m ay com e to fruition thanks to the com bined efforts o f SDBs, FM A s, C ooperators, Past Pupils, generai groups o f the family, w ith the assistance o f historians, theologians, m oralists, pedagogists, educators and pastoral w orkers. All together.
THE SIXTH DAY: ACCOMPANIED BY THE MOTHER
O ne cannot preach the annual retreat w ithout saying som ething about one o f the m ost fundam ental them es o f our spirituality: the presence o f our B lessed L ady in our life. T he ren e w ed C o n stitu tio n s d eeply reflect the M arian com ponent o f our charism , by including a M arian article in the first and m ost im portant chapter o f the text. All the R ector M ajors have m ade it an object o f m editation.
We have w itnessed three M arian phases over the last 50 years: 1. the exuberance o f devotion w ith Pius X II and the dogm a o f the A ssum ption; 2.
T hen cam e the crisis o f the ‘60s, and even the Vatican C ouncil - despite everything - did not give m uch im petus to M arian devotion, though Paul VI did give it a push; 3. The third phase w as in the m id-80s w hich saw a deep and w idespread upsw ing w ith biblical persp ectiv es, historical and salvific aspects, ecum enical and herm eneutical elem ents, pastoral and m is
sionary applications, and developm ents in the fields o f pneum atology and anthropology. A nd this process continued only a year ago w ith an intem a- tional congress organized by the FM A w ith the title: “I w ill give you a M istress” . C ourage to educate at the school o f Mary.
Like all C hristians, religious look to M ary w ith the eyes o f children on their M other, and m any religious in fact bear her nam e either individually or collectively. But for us Salesians the figure o f M ary is not ju s t a fact of protection, one object o f devotion am ong others, but a foundational fact of Don B o sc o ’s charism . We recognize M ary ’s presence in the life o f Don B osco and that o f the C ongregation, in our m ethod o f education and its o b jectives. We have only to think o f the “dream at the age o f nine” , o f the en- counter w ith B artholom ew G arelli on the feast o f the Im m aculate C oncep- tion, o f the foundation o f the S alesians on 26 January 1854: “O ur Lady w ants us to form a society, We shall cali ourselves Salesians”, o f the im portance o f the feast o f O ur Lady Im m aculate at Valdocco and the Sodality o f the Im m aculate C onception. It was our Lady, in collaboration w ith Don B osco’s long pilgrim ages and letter-w riting activity, w ho built the Basilica;
and D on B osco went on to strengthen M arian devotion w ith various w rit
ings and w ith the foundation of the FM A and o f the A ssociation o f C lients o f O ur Lady, all o f w hich spread w ith great rapidity. In all this Don Bosco revealed an intuition and d ev o tio n al trait w hich show ed him to be L a
priest w ith an outstanding “M arian spirituality”, 2. an educator o f young people and a founder and m aker o f religious, to w hom he passed on M arian devotion as one o f the greatest goods after devotion to the B lessed Sacra- m ent, and 3. a fervent m em ber o f the Church and devoted to the Pope, in aw areness o f the irreplaceable role o f M ary Help o f C hristians in disastrous periods for the Church.
From the very beginning devotion to our L ady w as constantly lived, proposed and spread by Don B osco as a guarantee o f salvation for souls and a sure protective pow er for the universal C hurch. W ith the E ucharist it is one o f the fam ous tw o colum ns o f the dream , to w hich the ship o f the C hurch, w ith the Pope at its head, was safely anchored.
We read in the well know n letter o f 1884: “I put a final question to my friend: H ave you anything else to teli me? Preach to everyone, young and old alike, th at they m ust rem em b er they are c h ild ren o f M ary H elp o f C hristians. Teli them she has gathered them here to take them aw ay from the dangers o f the world so that they may love one another as brothers and give glory to G od and to her by their good behaviour. Teli them that it is our Lady w ho provides them w ith bread and the m eans to study by endless graces and w o n d ers... I declare before God that it is enough for a young person to enter a Salesian house for the B lessed Virgin to take him under her special protection” .
From the foundational fact, therefore, stem s the “m other and child” re- lationship, w ith children who acknow ledge her as m other, children w ho are at hom e w ith her, and w ho know for certain that M ary has given them life and is alw ays at their side.
To be h er children m eans to have w ithin ourselves the certainty that every day she generates us anew. A nd not only us here, but all Salesians scattered al over the w orld and so, as article 92 o f the C onstitutions says, we entrust ourselves to her, we contem plate and im itate her, we are nour- ished by her, etc.
R ather than list o f M arian practices and devotions, it is m ore im portant to understand the sense o f M arian devotion in our spirituality: contem pla- tion o f her faith, her solicitude for those in need, her fidelity in the hour of the crucifixion, jo y in her w onders, security in her presence; c f D on Bosco to the F M A s at N izza M onferrato: “No, no, O ur L ady is truly here and w alking am ong you” .
W hen we entrust ourselves, therefore, or are entrusted to her, som ething
dynam ic is taking place; it is not that we are taking refuge in her through fear. It is an entrustm ent for the service o f the gospel, for pastoral charity, for a com m itm ent to the needy. E ntrustm ent im plies som ething deep dow n, reaching the point w here one can say: “I am yours, I love you, I am your son, you are m y m other” .
As for the future, let us recali w hat D on B osco said in his spiritual tes
tam ent: “The B lessed V irgin w ill certainly continue to protect our C ongre
gation and our Salesian w orks if we m aintain our trust in her and prom ote devotion to her, celebrating h er feasts and solem nities, novenas and tridu- um s, and the m onth consecrated to her. L et all these practices be encour- aged in public and in private by m eans o f leaflets, books, m edals and stat
ues, and the publication or sim ple recounting o f the graces and blessings obtained at every m om ent for suffering hum anity by our heavenly bene- factress” .
We m ust not on any account lose or dim inish our M arian devotion; to do so w ould be a calam itous loss, a reai betrayal o f Don B o sco ’s charism . O ne convert, L ortizing by nam e, used to say: “The devii is a very good chess-player; once he has captured your Q ueen he has won the gam e” .
F IN A L H O M IL Y
In the apostolic exhortation Vita Consecrata we read (n. 109): “The w orld and the C hurch are seeking authentic w itnesses to C hrist. To bear w itness to C hrist by o n e ’s life, works and w ords is the particular m ission o f consecrated life in the C hurch and in the world.
You know the one in w hom you have put your trust (cf 2 Tim 1:12):
give him everything! O ur contem poraries w ant to see in consecrated p er
sone the jo y w hich com es from being w ith the Lord. [...] Do not forget that you, in a very special way, can and m ust say that you not only belong to C hrist but that «you have becom e C hrist!»” .
W hat w ould D on B osco say to us today? We shall offer fo u r different responses.
a. Don Bosco w ould say to you: becom e and rem ain a Salesian, so that like me you can provide a service for the young, for an apostolic m ission;
jo in this specialized body for a particular m ission: you will be the fifth col- um n o f a pow erful arm y called “Salesian" w ithin thè C hurch o f C hrist. You will be esteem ed - and how! B u t... let me teli you that this should not be the d eep est m otive fo r y o u r choice, the u ltim ate fo u n d atio n and raison d ’ètre for your decision to becom e a Salesian. B ecause you could begin to have doubts about your vocation w hen you com e to realise that:
• politicai m ilitancy o f a party or trades union nature, or in various m ove
m ents and ideologies, could be m ore useful at the present day in the h u m an advancem ent o f young people, the developm ent o f the poor, etc.
• ou r great in stitu tio n s w ith the com plex p ro b lem s o f every kin d and degree to w hich they give rise (despite our b est in ten tio n s) are p e r
haps reserved to priv ileg ed people, w hile on the o th er hand schools fo r the w orking classes and elem entary education in generai have in som e countries a g reater effect, as well as being m ore useful and m ore flexible.
• So far the religious institution as such has been a valid m ediation for p o o r and ab an d o n ed y o u n g sters in certain c o u n tries; n o w ad ay s it is
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even better in our eountries for the attainm ent o f ju stice and dedication in the spirit o f w orks o f mercy.
• the further developm ent o f som e under-developed eountries leads to a sprouting o f volunteers (even full-tim e) w ho do w ork that can be m ore satisfying than ours in the short term.
• religious life involves certain conditions, prohibitions and difficulties that m ay not be m et w ith in other situations o f life.
B earing in m ind that the vow s, prayer and com m unity are not to be m e a su re d so lely by the ap o sto lic e ffic ie n c y (th ey re fle c t e ith e r to the C hurch or to the w orld) becom e and rem ain a Salesian nevertheless b e
cause o f the m ission offered to you.
b. Don Bosco w ould say to you: becom e and rem ain a Salesian to try to give greater authenticity to your apostolic com m itm ent, to penetrate the gospel m ore deeply. M y C onstitutions in their renew ed form will provide you w ith a m eans for giving a better quality to your love o f G od and neigh
bour. B u t... let me teli you that this is not to be the deepest reason for your choice, the ultim ate reason and essential raison d ’ètre for your option. B e
cause you m ay begin to doubt about your vocation w hen you discover that:
• the prenovitiate, novitiate, studentate, ongoing form ation and the Sale
sian house itself fall short o f the level you w ere expecting.
• com m unity life seem s unreal and hard to live; som etim es overw helm - ing its m em bers, m aking them less friendly and approachable, because ruled by m echanical tim e-tables.
• the apostolate m ay seem m eaningless to you at times.
• the vow s m ay seem to be lived in a juridical key and not as an expres- sion o f gospel values.
K eeping in m ind that you m ay have to find another key to the discern- m ent o f your vocation, a stili deeper dim ension, becom e and rem ain a S ale
sian nevertheless because o f this high quality o f apostolic charity.
c. Don Bosco w ould say to you: becom e and rem ain a Salesian so as to practise the evangelical counsels. A Salesian religious could in fact be de- fined as one w ho practises the vows “in a Salesian fashion” and lives in a Salesian com m unity. B u t... bear in m ind that this should not be the deepest m otive for your choice, the ultim ate foundation and raison d ’étre for your
decision to becom e a Salesian. B ecause you could begin to have doubts about your vocation when you com e to realise that:
• the distinction between precepts for all and good advice for some is not all that clear from an evangelical standpoint. “If you w ant to be perfect, go and sell what you have and give it to the poor then come and follow me” but the perfection o f charity is for all Christians. The beatitudes are for every- body, Vatican II says so very clearly: “All the faithful are urged and obliged to pursue the sanetity and perfection appropriate to their state in life” .
• all C hristians have a com m on starting point: baptism ; and they have a com m on finishing point too: the perfection o f charity.
• celibacy can be ju st selfishness. Single people are in fashion now adays.
A celibate can be a lifeless lack o f expression o f the riches o f sexuality recently discovered to be a source o f true com m union and Service.
• poverty can be som eth in g m erely exterior, red u ced to n o th in g m ore than asking for perm issions; and m oreover a poverty laden w ith asceti- cal dim ensions and beset by juridical w orries, w ith little concern about the big social problem s.
• obedience can som etim es be a consequence o f tim idity, o f inability to accept o n e’s ow n responsibilities, with an oligarchie structure involving little dialogue and little acceptance of responsibility.
But anyw ay, becom e and rem ain a S alesian and set about fo llo w in g C hrist in a Salesian m anner, keeping in m ind that the eros can be m ade subm issive to the man, that fraternity is a gratuitous love, w ithout bonds o f blood, race, tribe, or nationality; that poverty is an econom y based on need rather than on profit; that effectively it is a contestation o f consum erism and the acceptance o f hard work, even o f a physical kind; and that o b ed i
ence is the daily acceptance o f the struggle against oneself.
d. A nd so Don B osco w ould say to you: becom e and rem ain a Salesian because you believe in God, because you w ant to love him and bear wit- ness to him , because you w ant to becom e holy like me, like Savio, like M azzarello, D on R ua and all the saints o f the Salesian Family.
B ecom e and rem ain a Salesian because from your m ode o f life and ac
tion young people m ay see that you are a m an w ho converses w ith the God w ho is the saviour o f hum anity: a “sign and bearer o f the love o f G od to young people” .
B ecom e and rem ain a Salesian because you w ant to be like me a m onu- m ent, a sacram ent o f the faith, a specialist in things o f God.
B ecom e and rem ain a Salesian because you w ant to be able to put into perspective the m ystery w hich rules and overturns your life, i.e. the m ys
tery that God exists and has spoken to you.
B ecom e and rem ain a Salesian because your encounter with the Lord in faith is so com plete and all-em bracing that you w ant to declare and proclaim
B ecom e and rem ain a Salesian because your encounter with the Lord in faith is so com plete and all-em bracing that you w ant to declare and proclaim