VII. IN DIALOGUE WITH THE LORD
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Col 3,16-17)
85. The community expresses in a visible manner the mystery of the Church, which is not born of any human will but is the fruit of the Lord's death and resurrection. In the same way God brings our community together and keeps it united by his call, his Word, his love.
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In praying, the Salesian community responds to this call; it deepens its awareness of its intimate and living relationship with God, and of its saving mission, making its own Don Bosco's prayer: "Da mihi animas, cetera tolle".
86. Docile to the Holy Spirit, Don Bosco lived an experience of humble, trusting and apostolic prayer in which praying and living were spontaneously united.
We learn from him to recognize the action of grace in the lives of the young; we pray for them so that the design of the Father may be fulfilled in each of them, and we pray with them that we may witness to our own faith and share the same hope of salvation.
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Salesian prayer is joyful and creative, simple and profound. It lends itself to community participation, is drawn from life experience and flows back into it.
The community attentive to the Word
87. The people of God are gathered before all else by the Word of the living God.1
For us the Word, listened to with faith, is a source of spiritual life, food for prayer, light to see God's will in the events of life, and strength to live out our vocation faithfully.
With the Sacred Scriptures daily in hand,2 we welcome the Word as Mary did and ponder it in our heart,3 so that it will bear fruit and we may proclaim it with zeal.
The community made one by the Eucharist
88.
The hearing of the Word finds its privileged place in the celebration of the Eucharist. This is the central act of every Salesian community: It is a daily festive celebration in a living liturgy.There the community celebrates the paschal mystery and unites itself to the immolated body of Christ, which it receives so as to build itself in him into a fraternal communion and renew its apostolic commitment.
Concelebration stresses the richness of this mystery: it expresses the triple unity of sacrifice, priesthood and community, a community whose members are all at the service of the same mission.
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For us sons of Don Bosco the Eucharistic presence in our houses is a reason for frequent encounters with Christ. From him we draw energy and endurance in our work for the young.
89. The Liturgy of the Hours extends the grace of the Eucharistic mystery throughout the day.1
The community, united to Christ and to the Church, praises and makes supplication to the Father, nourishes its union with him2 and maintains an attentive attitude to the divine will. Without prejudice to the obligations assumed by clerics at their ordination,3 the community celebrates Lauds as morning prayer and Vespers as evening prayer with the dignity and fervor that Don Bosco recommended.
Sunday is the day of Easter joy. Lived in apostolic activity, piety and cheerfulness, it reinvigorates the Salesian’s confidence and optimism.
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The commemoration of the mysteries of the Lord, as they occur in the liturgical year, makes of our life a time of salvation in hope.4
The community in continual conversion
90.
The Word of God calls us to continual conversion.Aware of our weakness, we respond by vigilance and sincere repentance, brotherly correction, mutual forgiveness and the calm acceptance of our daily cross.
This commitment to conversion on the part of each member and of the whole community is brought to its fulfilment by the sacrament of Reconciliation.
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Prepared by the daily examination of conscience and received frequently according to the Church's directives, this sacrament gives us the joy of the Father's pardon, rebuilds brotherly communion, and purifies our apostolic intentions.
91. Our will for conversion is strengthened in the monthly recollection and in the annual retreat. These are occasions of spiritual renewal which Don Bosco considered the fundamental part and the synthesis of all the practices of piety.1
For the community and for every Salesian these are privileged moments for listening to the Word of God, discerning his will and purifying our hearts.
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These times of grace restore to our spirit a deep unity in the Lord Jesus and keep alive in us the expectation of his return.
Mary in the life and prayer of the Salesian
92.
Mary, Mother of God, holds a unique place in the history of salvation.She is a model of prayer and pastoral love, the teacher of wisdom and guide of our Family.
We contemplate and imitate her faith, her concern for the needy, her fidelity at the hour of the cross, and her joy at the wonders wrought by the Father.
Mary Immaculate, Help of Christians, leads us to the fullness of our offering to the Lord and gives us courage for the service of our brethren.
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We develop a strong filial devotion to her. We recite the rosary each day and celebrate her feasts to encourage a more convinced and personal imitation.
93. We can form praying communities only if individually we become men of prayer.
Each one needs to express his own personal and heartfelt way of being a son of God, expressing his gratitude, telling him about his yearnings and his concerns in the apostolate.
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For us mental prayer is essential. It strengthens our intimate union with God, saves us from routine, keeps our heart free and fosters our dedication to others. For Don Bosco it is a guarantee of joyous perseverance in our vocation.
The memory of our dead confreres
94. Faith in the risen Christ sustains our hope and keeps alive our communion with our brothers who rest in Christ's peace. They have spent their lives in the Congregation, and not a few have suffered even to the point of martyrdom for love of the Lord.
United with them in an exchange of spiritual benefits, we gratefully offer for them the prescribed suffrages.
Their remembrance is an incentive to continue faithfully in our mission.
95. Immersed in the world and in the cares of the pastoral life, the Salesian learns to meet God through those to whom he is sent.
Discovering the fruits of the Spirit1 in the lives of men, especially the young, he gives thanks for everything;2 as he shares their problems and sufferings, he invokes upon them the light and strength of God's presence.
He draws on the love of the Good Shepherd, whose witness he wants to be, and shares in the spiritual riches offered him by the community.
His need of God, keenly felt in his apostolic commitment, leads him to celebrate the liturgy of life, attaining that "tireless industry made holy by prayer and union with God"3 that should be the characteristic of the sons of St John Bosco.