Below is the full message from the World Coordinator.
Dear Salesian Cooperators,
On this 31st of January, the day on which the entire Salesian Family joyfully celebrates our beloved father and founder, St John Bosco, my heart is filled with gratitude and hope as I think of each one of you, scattered across every corner of the world.
The feast of Don Bosco is always a special occasion to return to the roots of our charism, to rediscover the freshness of that call that fascinated us and continues to guide our steps. And this year, Providence offers us a special light to illuminate our path: the Rector Major’s Strenna, ‘DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU – Believers, free to serve’.
These words, spoken by Mary at Cana, resonate with extraordinary force in the life of Don Bosco. He, who made his life a continuous and generous ‘yes’ to God’s will, teaches us what it means to be believers, free to serve. His unshakeable faith, born of a profound encounter with the Lord, made him a tireless servant of young people, a creative and daring apostle.
This invitation to ‘do whatever he tells you’ propels us directly towards the great event that awaits us: our 6th World Congress. It is no coincidence that the theme chosen is ‘Be yeast to be fruitful’. How can we be yeast that ferments the dough of the world if not by starting from docile listening and free and generous service, just as the Strenna indicates? The two themes illuminate each other: we are called to be fruitful, to generate life and hope, and we can only do so if, like the servants at Cana, we listen to the Word and act with confidence.
It is with immense joy that I see the generous response of so many of you who have already registered for the Congress. Your participation is a wonderful sign, a testimony that the desire to be ‘yeast’ is alive and strong in our Association. You are proof that the Spirit continues to blow and make us fruitful.
On this feast day, let us ask Don Bosco to intercede for us, that we may become ever more men and women of faith, free to serve, capable of transforming the water of our daily labours into the good wine of a love that gives itself.
I wish you a peaceful and joyful feast of Don Bosco and I await you with great affection in Rome, to experience together an unforgettable Salesian Pentecost.
With fraternal affection,
Antonio Boccia,
World Coordinator
