VII. IN DIALOGUE WITH THE LORD
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69. At the beginning of the year every community should draw up the programme for its life of prayer, bearing in mind its apostolic commitments and the demands of fraternal life.
70. The members will celebrate Lauds as morning prayer and Vespers as evening prayer in common if possible. Other vocal prayers may be substituted, according to circumstances. All the members will be faithful to the daily celebration of the Eucharist.
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71. Every day the members will spend in common at least half an hour for meditation and some time in spiritual reading. It is for the local community to devise different ways in which this can be done and encourage the confreres in the fulfilment of this duty.
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72. The community will devote at least three hours to the monthly recollection, and every three months a whole day will be given over to a suitably prepared retreat. Every year the members will make a retreat of six days in the manner laid down by the provincial chapter, which they will conclude with the renewal of the commitments assumed at religious profession.
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73. In harmony with Salesian tradition and the teaching of the Church, Friday is to be for the members a day of community penance. In Lent the community should establish some common practice of mortification, which helps the members to prepare for Easter and opens them to a greater sharing with the poor.
74. As well as the Rosary, by means of which Mary teaches her children how to unite themselves with the mysteries of Christ, the monthly commemoration, the daily prayer after meditation and the frequent use of the Blessing of Mary Help of Christians are other signs of unity in our Marian devotion. The details will be laid down in the provincial directory.
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The members, both individually and as a community, should feel the obligation of zealously spreading devotion to Mary Help of Christians and of fostering, wherever possible, the Association of the Clients of Mary Help of Christians.
75. On the last day of each month our father Don Bosco will be commemorated. The feasts of our saints and beatified members should be celebrated as family events, and devotion to our servants of God should be fostered.
76. Salesians will express love and gratitude to confreres, relatives and benefactors who have been called by the Father to eternal life, by praying for the repose of their souls both privately and as a community.
In particular:
[1] on the death of a confrere or novice the community to which he belonged will have thirty Masses said, and one Mass will be said in every house of the province;
[2] on the death of the Rector Major or a Rector Major emeritus, in addition to the thirty Masses one Mass will be said in every house of the Congregation;
[3] on the death of parents of confreres, the house to which the confrere belongs will have ten Masses said;
[4] each year:
- for the deceased confreres every priest will say Mass on the day following the liturgical solemnity of Don Bosco; in addition the provincial will have one Mass said during every retreat;
- for the deceased parents of the confreres one Mass will be celebrated in every house on November 25, anniversary of the death of Mamma Margaret;
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- for deceased benefactors and members of the Salesian Family, a Mass will be celebrated in each community on November 13.
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77. Our community life of prayer will have a practical guide in the form of a manual to be prepared by the provinces, provincial conferences or regions, which will contain a common nucleus of prayers as indicated by the Rector Major with his council.