Spirit of prayer

It is significant that the first theme Father Albera addressed in order to stimulate the confreres to appropriate the “spirit of our venerable Founder and Father Don Bosco” was the spirit of piety, which he considered a fundamental connotative element of the Salesian identity. His circular

9 ASC B0330109, Per le memorie di D. Paolo Albera [1923], ms G. Barberis.

10 Louis Cartier in L’Adoption, 20 (1921) n. 214.

letter of 15 May 1911¹¹ affirmed that the universal esteem that the Salesians enjoyed for their resourcefulness and activity in the education was because of the abundant fruits that resulted from the tireless productivity of Don Bosco, Father Rua, and many other confreres, and the “rapid spread of Salesian works in Europe and America.” Undoubtedly, so much ardour and so much work were a reason for honour, apparent proofs of the vitality of the Salesian Society and of the special protection of the Help of Christians.

Nevertheless, he felt obliged to remind the confreres “that this over-hyped activity of the Salesians, this zeal,” “this warm enthusiasm” could one day fail if “they had not been fertilised, purified, and sanctified by a true and solid piety.”¹²

Starting from this concern, he discoursed on the practical necessity of the “spirit of piety,” placing it in a solid doctrinal framework inspired by the teachings of Saint Francis de Sales: “It is piety that wisely regulates our relations with God, that sanctifies our relations with our neighbour.

Truly pious souls have wings to lift them up to God in prayer, and have feet to walk among human beings by a loving and holy life.” This metaphor used by the Salesians’ patron saint helps them to distinguish daily religious practices from “the spirit of piety, which must accompany us at every moment, whose purpose is to sanctify our every thought, word, and action, although it is not a direct part of the worship that we give to God.” The acquisition of this spirit preserves the fervour of the Salesians’ work from sterile superficiality, dispersion, and fragmentation.

The exercises of piety are an indispensable means for achieving the primary goal, which is the spirit of prayer. It is in them that “that intimate relationship, that ineffable kinship that Jesus Christ wants to establish between himself and souls through the sacrament of Baptism” is nourished.

Without the spirit of prayer “that spirit of faith would also weaken, by which we are so convinced of the truths of our holy religion that we always preserve its lively memory, so as to feel its salutary influence in every circumstance of life.” Without it, we would no longer pay attention to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, to his consolations and his gifts.

“If it is well cultivated, on the contrary, this spirit ensures that our union with God is never interrupted. It communicates an intimately religious character to every activity, even a profane one, and it raises every activity to supernatural merit” and transforms it into worship pleasing to God.

11 LC 24-40.

Only in this way is it possible to transform work into prayer. This is a law of the spiritual life valid for every Christian, but above all, for those who by professing vows have given themselves without reserve to Jesus Christ, who have consecrated their faculties, their senses, and their entire lives to him. The religious should possess the spirit of piety to such a degree “as to communicate it to those around him.”¹³

“By the grace of God,” notes Father Albera, “we can count many confreres – priests, clerics, and coadjutors – who in terms of the spirit of piety are true models and arouse the admiration of all.”

Unfortunately, this is not the case with every Salesian. There are some who consider the practices of piety a burden and try in every way to exempt themselves from them. Thus they gradually become relaxed and cold, and

“unfortunately vegetate in a most deplorable mediocrity and will never bear fruit.”

It is a contradiction: they are consecrated; they live and work in a religious community, but without an interior spirit, making no progress in perfection, exposed to a thousand temptations and in constant danger of “succumbing to the seductions of creatures and the assaults of our passions.” The only defence, the essential strength of religious, is true piety, which helps to “restore our spirit, correspond to God’s grace, and reach the level of perfection that God expects of us.”¹⁴

Father Albera is pragmatic. Since the Salesians “are entrusted with the choicest portion of the flock of Jesus Christ,” the young, and their educa-tional commitment bears good fruit, enemies will assail them: “We have to be ready for the fight. … Let us be persuaded that only from the spirit of piety will we be able to draw strength and comfort.” We also know that

“the whole system of education taught by Don Bosco is based on piety”;

therefore, if we were not “abundantly provided” with this spirit, we would offer our students an incomplete education. “If a Salesian is not firmly devout, he will never be fit for the role of educator,” as Don Bosco showed, an excellent model of piety and an incomparable Christian educator.

A characteristic note of his whole life and the secret of his educational efficacy was “a fervent piety” combined with a sincere Marian devotion:

“One would have said that the life of the Servant of God was a continuous prayer, an uninterrupted union with God. … Whenever we resorted to him for advice, he seemed to interrupt his conversation with God to listen to us,

13 LC 29-30.

14 LC 30-31.

and it seemed that God inspired the thoughts and encouragement he gave us. How edifying for us to hear him recite the Our Father or the Angelus!”¹⁵

From these spiritual premises, Father Albera draws three working suggestions:

1. “Let us make a resolution to be faithful and exact in our practices of piety.” Since those that the Rule requires of us are few and easy, “all the more reason to carry them out with greater diligence.”

2. “Let us promise to sanctify our daily actions” with frequent “acts of love, praise, and thanksgiving,” with purity of intention, with “a holy obedience to all that God, through our superiors, orders us,” with the generous acceptance of the sufferings of life. This is the active piety suggested by Saint Francis de Sales, which allows us to implement “the precept of continuous prayer” and helps us to avoid “the great illness of many employed in God’s service, which is agitation and the excessive ardour with which they deal with external things.” Therefore: “May the Salesians continue to give the example of a spirit of initiative and great activity, but may this always and in everything be the expansion of a true, prudent, constant zeal and firm piety.”

3. “Let us do our utmost to make our piety fervent,” characterised by

“an ardent desire and a generous will to please God in everything. … We are vigilant because we are not victims of that spiritual laziness which is horrified by anything that requires sacrifice.” At the school of Saint Francis de Sales, “let us try to season our work with an elevation of the mind to God, with outbursts of affection, so as not to be discouraged.”¹⁶