DMA Magazine – BROADEN YOUR VISION (January – February 2015)

DMA 2015 Personal and community journeys this year will be guided by the Chapter event, defined as an experience of the Holy Spirit and ongoing education.

To each FMA community it entrusted concrete choices and action steps for the future. The title of the Chapter Document Broaden the Vision-Missionaries of Hope and Joy with the Young is a call and commitment to bring to reality the lived experience characterized by a strong missionary dynamism. The DMA magazine places itself in this view, and will accompany the FMA, laity, and young people in the process of the assimilation and translation of the vital content that emerged from the recent GC XXIII held in Rome Some aspects of the document will be studied especially in the Dossier entitled Broaden the Vision. This will serve as a leitmotif and will urge us to scrutinize the reality and the world with new eyes. The historic moment in which we are living is also rich in signs and invitations. In particular, the Year of Consecrated Life and the Bicentennial of the birth of Don Bosco are gifts and appeals to render our identity as consecrated persons more luminous in the Church and today’s society.

This year DMA presents new articles that touch topical issues. Peace is the Way to get to know actual situations of conflict through the witness of FMA and laity who are taking concrete steps to

promote a culture of Peace. The page on The Word contributes toward facilitating prayer with the young people and the laity, while the article Charism and Leadership presents the characteristics of a person who fills a dual role as animator and community member, with efficacious leadership with charismatic reference to some FMA models. The themes on Consecrated Life find a place in the articles in Women in the Context with the presentation of the beauty and richness of a femininity which, knowingly accepted, give color and warmth to the joy of one’s identity of consecrated.

In the Communicating section, however, the theme of consecration is compared to today’s society and with the Magisterium of the Church.

Finally, in the Insert of each issue the Millennium Development Goals are presented from the struggle against hunger and poverty to environmental protection, from the promotion of women’s rights to the defeat of infant mortality…challenges that cannot be ignored.

Our magazine wants to broaden our vision, to be a formation tool not only for the FMA, but also for the many laypersons and young people who frequent our houses.

Furthermore, it can also become a help for community animators, and educators who are called to be, with the young, missionaries of hope and joy.

Have a good year, therefore, in company with the DMA magazine!

The Editors

Peace is the Way Peace is Not a Dream Emilia di Massimo, Gabriella Imperatore Peace is the Way Peace is Not a Dream "Stop, please, I beg you with all my heart, stop." This was the heartfelt appeal of Pope Francis in the Sunday Angelus against the wars that are ravaging the Middle East, Iraq and the Ukraine. It is a peace that is missing not only in the territories in the news during recent time, because the places where bloody conflicts exist are scattered around the whole world. There are dramas that are not always told, that draw an impressive geopolitical map because the number of seemingly intractable, lasting conflicts, also due because international diplomacy that is often inconclusive.

The world is at war. Never, since the end of World War II, has it been so true like today.

The world has not known a day in which each country has lived in “peace”, understood not as the absence of war but as an attitude, both in personal and social behavior. Looking for the causes of failure is not simple. Nelson Mandela, the great African leader, defender of human rights and Nobel Peace Prize winner, argued: “Peace is not a dream; it can become a reality, but to keep it you have to be able to dream”. Attention, however, must be paid not only to the great conflicts, those that become a media phenomenon and turn into spectacles, but also to the unknown conflicts,

those in which no one is interested because there are no economic interests, they may arise as a question or an apparently local event, but they always possess international or global aspects. The media revolution has produced a series of social, economic, and political changes, thanks in great part to the advent of digitization of the access to information; it has contributed toward profoundly changing the very concept of communication. The development of interactive means has led to the proliferation and the multiplication of channels for access to information, and these have changed the way in which the act of communication takes place.We are informed every day about Islamic terrorism and 'global warfare', even though the reports may be biased and often exist for mere propaganda purposes.

Yet no one speaks of the dozens of other conflicts that are fought in the poorest peripheries of the global village, where globalized information does not arrive.Then we ask ourselves: "Are we really better informed and freer in our choices?” A map synthesizing the current conflicts could be an evalution that everyone can make personally to answer the question. Presently 62 nations are involved in international or internal war, to which we must add 549 militias, drug cartels, independence groups, separatist groups and anarchist groups involved. Hot spots are: Egypt (popular uprising against the government), Libya (war against Islamic militants), Mali (war against the Tuareg and Islamist militants),

Nigeria (war against Islamic militants), Central African Republic (Civil War), Republic of Congo (war against rebel groups), Somalia (war against Islamic militants), Sudan (war against rebel groups), and South Sudan (civil war). The number of current conflicts is really incredible. Trying to understand a conflict means attending the school of 'faces', to avoid the risk of focusing attention only on the facts, forgetting that the protagonists are people who have feelings, emotions and harbor in their hearts many desires, just like each one of us.

Peace is still the answer Given the failure of many peace initiatives, Deepak Chopra - an Indian doctor - offers an alternative strategy to defeat the culture of war, the same one that Mahatma Gandhi proposed: "There is no way to peace, peace is the wayThe Indian doctor said: “Like any habit, war has dug a furrow in our minds.

We are looking for the war like a cigarette smoker constantly looks for a cigarette while complaining that we must stop. War has become a habit, a vice. To defeat it, one must assume the habit of peace”.

The episodes of war, violence, and terrorism arouse fear and anguish in the soul of our contemporary society. All over the world people yearn to find peace, and be able to give comfort to the suffering and oppressed. However, it would be naïve and superficial to attempt to define these episodes as examples of pure evil and depravity. In reality we are all involved in the violence that takes place in the world.

Everyone is involved in the intricate network of social injustice, economic disparities, ecological disaster, war, and terrorism.

Mahatma Gandhi declared that if we

continued on this path the whole world would go blind Will we ever succeed to look beyond our blindness to create a global community of interconnected humanity? Terrorist attacks, hidden or declared wars, small and great acts of violence that touch every part of the world must bring to birth in us the desire to live for peace above all else. Often acts of violence are rampant because of the lack of education, of harmful nationalism, ignorance, and deep economic disparities between social classes. There are root causes, but there is hope that these causes can be changed, using but peace as a means against war.

Words of Peace

Each of us can help to promote a culture of Peace, multiplying ordinary daily actions:       

being Peace thinking Peace feeling Peace speaking Peace acting in Peace creating Peace sharing Peace

Women in the Context

Women in Joy-filled Lands Palma Lionetti Starting a new column dedicated to women while avoiding repetition and clichĂŠs is no easy undertaking. Using a literary metaphor, there could be a repetition of what happened in the well-known novel by Jules Verne "Journey to the Center of the Earth", in which all of the tools that the protagonists have at the beginning (the barometer, the weapons, the picks ..) are lost during the trip, leaving the person naked before the forces of nature.

Certainly, it is always risky writing about women, but this notwithstanding, it is always "amazing, magnificent, and splendid," as one of the protagonists of the aforementioned novel expressed or noted at the conclusion of every undertaking, because one faces it with the confidence and optimism with which he/she looks at the possibility of penetrating into the mysteries of a different dimension, and in our case, that of femininity The wealth of feminity We will be accompanied on this journey "into the lands of joy", by following a semantic pattern of the points explored in the circular letter entitled "Rejoice�, addressed to consecrated men and women for the year of Consecrated Life. We will explore the richness of the femininity which, when consciously accepted, gives color and warmth to the joy of consecration. The urgencies of the present world ask for the

response of the feminine genius. A certain completeness will come about when women's contribution will be fully recognized alongside male consciousness.

However, to make this journey, which is more an inner pilgrimage as Pope Francis says, we need to take on a state of "listening" before we get into those precious and fruitful lands of the great resource that is femininity.

There is an odyssey, therefore, telling of women far from any presumed heroicity, linked more to ordinary life, the struggle of the condition of women; a more inner journey, in an apparent immobility, yet free from the constriction and imprisonment of her freedom.

Therefore, moving in the lands of a conscious and joyful femininity perhaps means leaving behind common sense, and beginning from the recovery of an authentic sense of self worth. Unfortunately, to our innate sense of "guilt" at times is added the fear of not succeeding, a lack of recognition that makes us timid in going forward, in advancing, in desiring, in willing.

Fear also involves a judgment on personal merit. We women usually feel less capable than men; we fear their judgment, even though often we fear so much more that of other women. Side by side, however, with this “fragility" there are luminous "strengths", like the joy that comes when the

woman feels deeply inhabited by love, the love that makes her s brave, and bold casting aside the feeling of being a victim that contrasts aggression with the practice of a power that generates joy, because she is capable of working as a team, giving responsibility to others without feeling belittled, giving substance to words, those words that know how to create a positive atmosphere.

A trap for us as women Playing the victim, a real trap for us as women, creates in us a very particular sentiment, that of rancor. Interestingly, the etymology of the word in Italian is resentment, from the Latin rancere, (rancid) that refers to spoiled food, having an unpleasant smell, and the sour taste that we all know. We must, then, be careful about what we harbor in our hearts and minds!

Similar sentiments gradually remove the inner energy in gaining for us a different form of leadership, one composed of freedom and lightness, a leadership that is clean, elegant, such as the vaporization of a delicate fragrance in the environment that does not stun, but delights.

Then there will be women who are a treasure for humanity, even though being a woman was not easy...as it was not for Mary of Nazareth, Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, Maria Domenica Mazzarello; as it was not for Indira Gandhi, Marie Curie, Jane Austen, María Zambrano, Simone Weil, Maria Callas, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe. Being a woman is a privilege‌a privilege which, as Irina, a citizen of Europe who immigrated to Italy for a job (that she has since lost) said one enjoys in her own intimacy, in confidence among other women, or in the company of men who are aware, or in great trials. In short, it is one of the most feminine traits that catches all of its luminous power of the encounter of ordinary events and happenings of life and reaches to those that are extraordinary!

Ecological Education Ecology at the Center of the World Scene Julia Arciniegas – Martha SÊïde A look at the latest, best-known international magazines or even a brief search on the Internet helps us to see that the ecological theme occupies a central place in world public opinion. Safeguarding Creation becomes a meeting point among the different religious denominations that converge in demanding urgent and concrete interventions against climate change, and in favor of the various plans for the protection of the environment.

2015 an ecological year The year 2015 will see the unfolding of numerous international events focusing on initiatives aimed at engaging in the promotion of environmentally sustainable and lasting development. The UN has arrived at the point of saying that the Millennium Development Goals have not been achieved because they have not been integrated into the economic, social and environmental sustainable development as much as had been expected. The new post2015 agenda should take into account the results following Rio + 20 toward a "green economy" that is not merely an environmental improvement, but a new paradigm that seeks to alleviate global threats such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, desertification, depletion of natural resources, and at the same time, promote social and economic welfare.

On the margin of some events for 2015

Consistent with the recorded data, the General Assembly of the United Nations has proclaimed 2015 to be the "International Year of Light and Lightbased technologies (IYL 2015)." This is a global initiative that aims to increase knowledge and awareness of each person on the way in which light-based technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to global challenges such as in the fields of energy, education, communications, health and agriculture (cf http://iyl2015.inaf.it/).

France will host the 2015 Paris Conference on Climate Change (COP21). This appointment scheduled for December 2015, will mark a decisive stage in the negotiations of the future international agreement post 2020. The purpose of the Conference will be that all countries commit themselves to a universal agreement on climate constricting (cf http: //www.ambafrance -it.org/La-Franciaospitera-la-COP21).

The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has reached the highest levels in 800,000 years. Global emissions must be reduced from 40 to 70% by 2050.

"We must act now to contribute to economic prosperity, better health, and to make cities more livable," said the secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki -moon (11/02/2014).

The central event of this year will undoubtedly be the "Expo Milano 2015". It will be a Universal Exposition with absolutely unprecedented and innovative characteristics. It will be not only an exhibition, but will also offer a participatory

process that aims to actively involve many participants around a crucial theme: "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life". From May 1 to October 31, 2015, 184 days of the event, more than 130 participating countries and 20 million visitors from around the world will be involved in a discussion on universal themes related to nutrition and sustainable development (http: // www .expo2015.org / en / cos-e).

view of sustainable development, namely the development towards the promotion of the whole person in harmony with creation (cf. Paul VI, Populorum Progressio, 14). It is an invitation to take on the task of education from the ecological perspective in order to form to the love and protection of creation in the commitment to make the planetary citizenship effective.

Reasons for hope

An event to be followed: Don Bosco at Expo Milano 2015

Attention to the integrity of Creation is a sign of the times. It not only responds to emerging problems, but also becomes the possibility of forming alliances between groups, movements, and different religious denominations.

Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople has called for a June 2015 conference in Fanar, Istanbul, on the theme: "Theology, Ecology and Logos, dialogue on the environment, literature and the arts." He spoke with Pope Francis several times on this issue and, in their meeting in the Holy Land, they signed a joint statement in which, at Article 6, they wrote: "We are deeply convinced that the future of the human family depends also on how we will know how to wisely and lovingly safeguard with justice and equity the gift of creation entrusted to us by God� (May 25, 2014). With great hope, therefore, we await the encyclical on ecology, announced repeatedly by the media and now confirmed on several occasions by the Pontiff himself.

Taking a chance on education Today there is the shared idea that solving the ecological problem without a profound cultural change and a rethinking of lifestyles is unthinkable. Therefore, it becomes urgent to educate to a new ecological awareness in

The Salesian presence at Expo 2015 will be an event to be followed. It will have a structure of approximately 350 square meters, on a plot of 747 square meters, for the whole time of 6 months. The pavilion will have the name of "CASA DON BOSCO" and will develop the theme "EDUCATING YOUNG PEOPLE, ENERGY FOR LIFE". By this presence the Salesian Family give commemorate to the Bicentenary of Don Bosco and the Strenna of 2015 and, above all, will draw the world's attention to young people, "the most delicate, most precious part of human society" as Don Bosco said.

It will be a unique opportunity, a providential challenge to interact with almost the entire world (more than 140 participating nations), to offer our cultural and educational contribution inspired by Don Bosco, to make understood and to witness to how important young people are for the life of every social and ecclesial community and for the entire planet (http://www.infoans.org/, 11/07/2014).

Arianna’s Line

Encounters and Clashes Giuseppina Teruggi Life is composed of relationships, this seems to be an obvious statement. Actually, it is a fundamental truth: what would life be, or the world, without someone to talk to, to meet, to understand, or even to argue with?

We can be more or less sociable, sometimes even preferring to be alone, but generally all admit that what matters is the quality of the communication network in which we are immersed at all times. And that quality depends in large part on us.

The process of the relationship Attention to the human dimension of relationships dates back to Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis. He was the one who developed the intuition that two or more persons in a relationship form a different context from two or more persons who are independent or detached.

Consequently, the positive development of the human being is linked to good relationships; pathological behavior depends very much on experiences of difficult or defensive relationships.

Self-awareness, self-esteem, the reason for acting and planning for the future have as their foundation the relationship with parents or parental figures, and with the first educators.

Today there is a consensus in attributing to a good relationship an essential value for the balanced growth of the person, while in the conviction that there are no model solutions for a harmonious formation of personality. In fact, other factors are also

linked to the genetic or inherited makeup of each person. It is inevitable that we influence each other in interpersonal relationships. Even in the mother-child relationship, from the time of gestation. In relationship situations, people modify one another’s inner contents, their reactions and behavior.

Relationships becomes interaction, i.e. relationship between the ways of interacting with another as a person. Especially when you meet them.

I-Thou We owe to Martin Buber the specification of the human as an individual and as a person.

Individuality is expressed in the distinction from other individuals, while personhood is manifested by entering into relationships with other people. It is precisely in relationship that the ego becomes real. The I-Thou relationship is necessarily reciprocal, because the I works on the Thou as the Thou on the I. Each I stands before the Thou as radically another and confirms it as such, in authenticity and reciprocity.

For the Viennese philosopher the fundamental meaning of human existence lies in the principle of dialogue, i.e. the ability to be in relationship with other people, with nature, with spiritual entities, in a I-Thou relationship. The authentic human being is defined as "the person in the I-Thou relationship who becomes aware of self as subjectivity" (Garzanti Encyclopedia of Philosophy).

According to Buber, we are experiencing a deep crisis caused also by the disintegration of the traditional forms of social life: the family, the village, work associations which allowed establishing an authentic personal encounter with others, an almost automatic involvement of others. The current culture is characterized by sociological situations and the new media, which tend to leave the person in a social loneliness, which can be overcome only through interpersonal and community relationships. Only in the encounter with the '' other ', in fact, can the person enter his/her true reality and go beyond loneliness and isolation. It is in an encounter that the individual becomes person Pitfalls in relationships An inadequate way of communicating between people can complicate our lives and ruin our encounters, turning them into clashes. Also because, as with the verbal relationships, what is perceived is not only the message itself, the words we use, the truth of what we say. What strikes most strongly is the emotional state, the intention with which we relate to each other in trying to give them the message, and how we place ourselves before the person psychologically. The influence of these aspects is so great that often it ends up being the driving force of communication, one that gives the effective or destructive result.

In a relationship in which the communication is aggressive, for example, one tends to influence the other person, even unknowingly. The implicit goal that is transmitted is wanting to assert themselves and their own reasons, not listening and understanding others. In this situation the rule "I win, you lose" dominates. It is also shown by an expressive style: an authoritative tone, rapid rhythms that leave little room for reflection, tendency to interrupt the other person, even

raising one’s voice, the strong use of the pronoun "I", opinions presented as facts and requests as duties. Sometimes even the use of sarcasm. Examples can be multiplied even in our communities. Like when Mary exclaims impatiently: "But Anna, why don’t you ever do this right? “ Anna, irritated by the generalized criticism not recognozingg her work done with commitment, reacts: "Evidently you never explain to me exactly what I need to do." Maria pursues the question, even more tensely: "Ah, now it would be my fault? I remember very well what I said; I have an excellent memory ".

Anna, increasingly distressed and exasperated responds: "Do you think I invent things? I understand that ... “And Mary: "With you it’s always the same argument.”

In relationships, there are those who resort to a passive communication style. One stays in the background, giving to other person power over the situation. The goal is to protect themselves from a feared danger: "I lose, you win." In this case the expressive style is free from personal statements and assumes a vague, elusive form. The pronoun "I" appears very little, there are frequent references to duties and terms of justification, self-pity, and minimizing of their needs. If there is dialogue, it tends to end the conversation quickly and to escape rapidly into the situation of anxiety generated by an encounter. The person wants to "be in Peace", to avoid conflict.

It deals with a form that sometimes attracts the sympathy and good will of those to whom it is convenient to be submissive listener. However, the price be paid is that others often end up imposing their will and even becoming bullies. Interpersonal problems are not addressed or handled with a passive attitude. Rather, they tend to deteriorate with a negative impact on one’s self-esteem and the possible risk of slipping sooner or later into an aggressive style.

Guilt, low self-esteem, or even excessive correctness can lead to living situations of this type. One does not experience a genuine "interpersonal" relationship.

“We both win”: assertive communication How are we to react to difficult communication situations without becoming aggressive or passive? In our educating communities it is normal to have to deal with people of different characters, education, and styles. At times we find ourselves with ways that are quick, immediate, and invasive manipulative, and/or prying. Or we are so ourselves. We are aware of the need to know how to manage our relationship styles, not to get involved in useless discussions or unpleasant tensions.

Although it is not always possible to transform a relationship into a pleasant and satisfying communication, we all want to live meaningful, serene encounters, or at least survive them with the least possible damage.

In fact, sometimes our relationships cause an aftermath of suffering, of misunderstanding, of bitterness There are relationship strategies that have in common being neither aggressive nor passive, while protecting our needs and aspirations inherent in assertive communication.

Aggressive and passive styles of communication lead to dissatisfaction in at least one of the parties. Assertive communication - which this magazine has covered in a previous article to those of the other person, to their needs and states of soul, and this is due to encounter, to listening , to an honest ,transparent agreement, the ability to "let go and allow others the possibility of making a mistake."

when we express ourselves clearly, with an expressive voice, looking at the face of another, without intimidating them. We are so when our opinions are not offered as indisputable facts, and our requests are presented as such, that is as desires, without obligation or claims.

The suggestions are given in a free and liberating way, without constraint or guilt, and the criticism is constructive. The questions are motivated by wanting to better understand the other, rather than by curiosity, and the proposed solutions are designed to solve problems of their mutual interest. Assertive communication rests on the premise, “We both win”, and at its basis there is the awareness of the emotional rights of every person.

We are assertive when we express ourselves clearly, with expressive voice, looking into the face of another, without intending to intimidate. We are assertive

Probably this kind of response would help 'every Mary' to re-dimension her findings, evaluation, and style. And, instead of a clash, it would allow for creating an encounter.

In the fabric of daily life, in the face of manipulative or unjustified attacks, it is useful to try to shift the attention from oneself to behavior or the actual situation, and to accept the possibility of making mistakes without taking it for granted. This way even a clash can be transformed into a constructive opportunity for mutual growth.

We again find Mary who exclaims to Anna: "Come on! Why don’t you ever do this right? ". Anna, trying to focus on the problem instead of on her irritation, replies: "I have worked hard, but there must be some details that I did not yet have clear. Tell me what's wrong, so we can move on. "

Dossier

Broaden the Vision "Open your hearts to receive the interior movements of God's grace; widen your eyes, widen your eyes to recognize the most authentic needs and urgencies of a society and of a generation that change.�(Pope Francis’ address to Chapter Members, November 8, 2014) Faces, hopes and smiles; listening, dialogue, mutual understanding; different languages, ways of being and thinking , this is the mosaic that characterized the XXIII General Chapter of the FMA. It was a great assembly in an attitude of listening to the Holy Spirit trying to understand what the Lord wants to do with each person and with the Institute today. The experience at the chapter can be told with three words: stop, look, go.

Stop Arriving from different situations experienced in their respective provinces, with daily challenges that question our life, our mission, our being with young people, created the need to stop. The journey that took place, of the recent six -year period just ended, the processes set in motion, those concluded and those that are foreseen, everything was in need of a great, new understanding. Stopping to become aware of self and moving from a vision linked to their local provinces to a universal vision in which every part fits into the whole composed of 83 provinces in 94 countries around the world, with approximately 13,000 FMA. Stopping to meet one another, to learn what and how the charism creatively continues to incarnate and acculturate in many areas of

the world. Stopping in order to awaken in all the great passion for young people, for the Salesian charism and the great love for the Institute which, despite various "ailments", is alive and working for the good of so many young people around the world.

Look Stopping is only a first step of the path that leads to the next one, watching. Recalling a phrase of David Cooperrieder that says: "Our world is not a problem we have to solve, but a miracle that we must embrace" helped us to realize the importance of looking at the world with tenderness, embracing the miracle, and not defending ourselves from it. After all, the world is the place where we are called to exist, to witness to and to proclaim the good news of the Gospel. For this reason we looked at the challenges of the current environment in which we live as calls from God. He speaks to us and invites us to find new appropriate answers to the times of continuous change we are experiencing. Let us look to our communities, not to see the flaws and problems, but to love them as they are, and with that love to heal them, give them a new impetus. It means looking at every young person with hope, witnessing to the joy of having met the Lord of our life, without whom our lives would be gloomy and dark.

Go The whole experience lived during the time the Chapter was a continuous invitation I continue to go with young people, in a mission that leads to being in a permanent state of "outgoing". Faced with so many

calls from God that challenge us continually

with what

is happening around us and within us, we cannot stand still, helpless. It is important to feel a strong desire to leave 'without delay', without fear of leaving one’s own safety, to leave the mediocrity and courageously pursue new paths that open up at the moment in which we return to be in contact with people. Going out with young people towards a true encounter with Jesus, to rediscover the joy of the proclamation.

Going with the little ones and the poor. Only in daily contact with them we will have a look at the reality that begins with meeting their needs, a look that is "converted" and evangelized by littleness, poverty, insecurity

being with young people a home that evangelizes. Five questions starting from the Working Document, allowed for the exploration of the theme articulated in five nuclei: How to proclaim Jesus in a changing world, to a generation that changes? What new vision of community with young people is needed to be a prophecy of Salesian religious life today? How are we to take our place in the culture of communication? How is it that with all the formation we receive life does not change? Are we just “restoring� or are we doing something new?

The starting point The reflection begins from the life of the Institute, the world, the young, the poor, setting the goal to seek together a way of

The beauty of our Institute, also seen with wounds and fragility, encourages and continues to embody the charisma, alive and prophetic, in the various countries of the world where many FMA live and work.

Today it is necessary to believe that the Institute has an original word to say. The

world asks us to witness our "difference", and for us this becomes a commitment to remain consistent and faithful to the Truth of the Gospel. The desire to look at the challenges as a call from God and as an opportunity of faithfulness becomes a response to the call to be with young people and adults, to seek and work together for the benefit of other young people, so that more and more arrive at a vital, humanizing encounter with Jesus in the different experiences of life.

A word that often echoed during the time of CG XXIII, both among the chapter members and those who followed it from their homes, was the word 'new'. What is new? What is the “newness� of this chapter?

Newness cannot be fabricated, newness must be allowed to emerge and grow, newness needs space and confidence, courage and foresight, personal and community journeys. To be a new community, you need to decisively implement a change of mentality to prepare us to set aside established and sometimes a little outdated patterns, and to start looking at our educational mission with new eyes. Only a new glance, which begins from a perspective of hope and joy, can promote new choices and concrete steps implemented at different levels: local, provincial, general Like the disciples of Emmaus The present moment that we are living in consecrated life, and as an Institute, often leads us to be like those disciples who, after the death of Jesus on the cross, thought it was all over, that their hopes for the future were forever unfulfilled.

Their experience, however, tells us of a change. The disciples who looked with sad,

and disappointed eyes at the facts of the death of Jesus on the cross, allowed themselves to be approached by a stranger to whom the opened their hearts, confessing their doubts and their melancholy. While listening to the stranger who helped them to read their reality in the light of the Scriptures, their heart started to burn, so much so that they did not want to let him go. In his own words this man was able to touch the most intimate part of their lives. They were afraid of the advancing darkness and of losing even that small light they had glimpsed in the words of the man who became their neighbor. They invited him into their home for dinner. Jesus broke the bread and their eyes opened. They were ready, had been prepared on the way to a change, to leave aside the sadness and to welcome the news of the Kingdom of God. They recognized him and their joy was immense. The outside world with its contradictions, its lights and shadows was the same, it was they who were new, and different.

They let themselves be transformed by an encounter that life changed forever because it was authentic.

Together they left for Jerusalem: every gift of grace that cannot t be buried and guarded with jealousy, but must be shared with the whole community. Then the two disciples who returned to the others told of what had happened in them, and began without delay to be missionaries of hope and joy.

A new glance Poverty, the perspective of the peripheries, being with young people, our relationships made new by a profound life of communion with the Lord, our passion for education and evangelization, push us to scan the horizon for a glimpse of what the world and young people expect from us.

It is important to know how to accept the unexpected in the world, in the life of every FMA and of the communities, in the entire universe of youth. We must welcome and understand it in order to act with evangelical courage, with charismatic answers and with the passion of the DMA. Becoming aware that all around us there are urgent situations of poverty, does not leave us indifferent. The contact, being with the poor, having compassion for them, suffering with them, helps us to grow in love, to become more human and to have a different perspective on education! For us to be preventive means to dream of a more just and peaceful world for all, a world in which everyone can freely do their part, a world in which all humanity will find themselves well in order to give the best of themselves. We dream of the best for our young people we dream of a happy life for them, one of commitment, full of love and solidarity, the result of a life of true, deep faith.

It is precisely the young people who teach us the meaning of a Christian "difference".

It is life with them, with the least, with those who are on the margins of society for whatever reason, which will teach us to be poor, to look at the world and ourselves with new eyes. As it is written in the Working Document of the CG XXIII: “the periphery is not just a geographical place, but also a perspective from which to look at reality, to welcome the mysterious wisdom that the Holy Spirit communicates through the poor who identify, for us, with young people most in need. " This is the "perspective", "the view of the peripheries" to which Pope Francis so often invites us, who makes us fear only the "tranquility" and the search for the "quiet life". To be happy for us does not mean not finding difficulties, because our joy comes from the hope and faith in the One to whom all things are possible. That's why we should learn to thank God for all the times that we are uncomfortable!

The horizon "I hope that all communities will act so as to implement the necessary means to advance

in the way of a pastoral and missionary conversion which cannot leave things as they are. (...) Let us establish ourselves in all regions of the earth in a "permanent state of mission '" (FRANCIS, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium n. 25-27, November 24, 2013). These words of Pope Francis are a call to renew the passion and commitment to the educational mission of evangelization, in any situation, in any work, traditional or heretofore unprecedented, that demonstrates the Salesian charism.

We have to feel that the appeal of Pope Francis is addressed directly to us, to the whole Church to get moving and get out of the zone of our security. The Church, in fact, by its nature cannot help but be missionary, and must have "open doors" to "go out to others" and� to reach the human peripheries". For Pope Francis, in fact, a Church that does not proclaim the Gospel is a church that remains in the empty rooms of a spiritual worldliness that does not produce results, indeed, is more likely to produce harm. It is because we are loved by God that we are renewed in His image and empowered to be witnesses and instruments of his mercy. We love because God first loved us (cfr. 1 Jn 4:19), and we need to recognize ourselves to be continually thirsting for this love, constantly in need of conversion. Here is the beating heart of the perennial renewal of the Church! And also our own. Familiarity with Jesus and a profound knowledge of the mystery of his existence, in fact, constitute the foundation of shared pastoral discernment. This is why the horizon from which concrete steps and important choices flow is that of pastoral conversion. It is a conversion that urges us to leave our mediocrity, and to choose authentic life so

that the religious life may become true prophecy.

For a new evangelization it is important to be aware that only a personal, authentic encounter with Jesus, at different stages of life, transforms us from within, makes us live new relationships, leads us to communion between ourselves and with young people, and gives us the courage to dare to travel new paths. It is necessary to have the contribution of each person in order to carry out a true pastoral conversion. There are no alibis of age, roles, places, and circumstances. Each person, beginning from self can implemher its reality more evangelical.

Given all of the above there are three great choices that GC XXIII entrusted to the Institute: Transformed from the encounter, Together with young people; Missionaries of hope and joy The road opens as we are walking

This is just the beginning. The journey begins and continues in the various locales where each person is called to be transformed in order to be together with the young missionaries of hope and joy, as advocated by Mother Yvonne Reungoat during her closing address to the members of General Chapter XXIII. "The heart opens to gratitude for the wealth of experience that we have lived and shared. It is a wealth that we will gradually discover when we will go back to daily life. We have had an experience made up of mutual listening, dialogue, discernment and prayer, and especially of great hope. Throughout its development the Chapter has been an important time of continuing education, and definitely something has changed in us�.

Even the DMA Magazine, in the next dossier will follow this path to share together along the journey that the Institute wants to undertake as the Mother invites us to do: "... let us reaffirm together trust in the wonderful action of the Spirit working in the Church, in the Institute, in humanity and especially in young people. Let us continue to decipher his voice among the many we hear every day, to discover his call to "go out", to free ourselves from our schemes and fears to be true collaborators of the Spirit in evangelizing, and helping young people, especially the poorest, to meet Jesus in the Church and to be evangelizers of other young people. A new door opens today on our steps: they are steps that lead us out in the midst of the world to turn on a new light, to be an effective educational presence among the young and to offer everyone a prophetic witness. Jesus reaches us as we journey. Our hearts will be able to recognize him, but we must always be alert, like sentries�.

Go Forward with enthusiasm‌

I cannot help but encourage you to go forward with enthusiasm along these lines that the Holy Spirit is suggesting to you.

Open your hearts to receive the inner movements of God's grace; broaden your vision to recognize the most authentic needs and urgencies of a society and a generation that is changing. Be prophetic witness and educational presence everywhere, with the unconditional acceptance of young people, facing the challenge of interculture and identifying ways to make your apostolic work effective in a context - that of youth - permeated by the virtual world and the new technologies, especially those digital. (...)

You should always put Christ at the center of your existence; allow yourself to be shaped by the Word of God which enlightens, guides and supports; nourish your missionary spirit with persevering prayer, adoration, with that "wasting time" before the tabernacle. Be for all missionaries of hope and joy, witnessing to the values of your own Salesian identity, especially in the category of the encounter, a fundamental aspect of your charism: it is a source that is always fresh and vital where you can tap into that love which revitalizes a passion for God and for the young. The inevitable difficulties, encountered in the journey, should not slow down the enthusiasm of your apostolic action. Indeed, the example of St. John Bosco and St. Mary Mazzarello urges you to contribute even more enthusiastically to the new evangelization with your activities in the field of education and schools, of catechesis and the formation of youth to the apostolate.

(Pope Francis, address to the Chapter members, November 8, 2014) Four pillars of being a home

Welcome

Prayer

The young person who crosses the threshold of an FMA Community must feel and experience that they are center of attention of each Sister; they must feel important, necessary, the favorite in the manner of Don Bosco. Today more than ever there must be a decisive personal accompaniment, giving those who are growing the certainty of being loved, understood and welcomed in their innermost being, in a pure, genuine way. The young person who is being welcomed must find people willing to be close to their situation and able to love them in their poverty; a welcome that must avoid "playing the game" of reaching everyone, but struggles with creativity to make different proposals, focusing on the maximum for each person.

First we need to be authentic women of prayer.

This is a challenge, in a time in which to propose a faith that is not “do it yourself”, nor purely functional with regard to the sacraments or geared toward a “quid pro quo” and immediate satisfaction and has the direct consequence of the distancing from those who "use" God. At the same time, a spirituality of this kind draws close to and involves in a clear way those who experience contact with a “genuine”, deeply-rooted faith, not one that is mediocre, but is in continual seeking for a profound dialogue.

Motherliness Being women implies the natural inclination to be mothers, and it is this desire and ability to carry in self, to support, to nourish and then, also to let go, that must be apparent from the relationship with a Daughter of Mary Help of Christians. A hard skin, but a tender heart; the ability to follow rules, but only in view of a greater good, that of a single young person; to make as explicit as possible the Love that invests and permeates the relationship with young people.

Witness One witnesses by direct, personal knowledge. It is therefore necessary that Christ shines forth in each of the actions, movements, thoughts of a Daughter of Mary Help of Christians, because, thanks to her special consecration, she has direct knowledge and undertakes to transmit this knowledge (which should not only be theoretical) to anyone who crosses the threshold of the house. He is the center of every FMA life, and thus, like Him she loves, rejoices, and hopes for every young person.

The true home is the one where a family lives, builds relationships based on familiarity, i.e. the ability to be comfortable with the young, putting them at the center to learn being with them, and only after this, concerning one’s self with doing.

This means having the courage to open the structures, minds, and hearts; sharing the daily life of the community with the many who cross your threshold; opening the times of prayer, and showing the beauty of Christian, consecrated women ; rediscovering the value of collaboration with the Salesians not only at the level of activities and ministry but also towards the building of a home for the whole Salesian Family; truly accepting the very poor, even with respect to the new poverties which are not material but spiritual and existential; while rediscovering poverty as a charismatic given, without which we would not even be able to live in the Salesian spirit; reaffirming courageously that the least are favored , because they are the "first wounded " by life.

(Young people to October 11, 2014)

the

Chapter

members,

MiILLENIUM GOALS FOR DEVELOPMENT

A CHALLENGE THAT WE CANNOT MISS The Millennium Development Goals sanctioned by the UN General Assembly were the most ambitious ever established by the International community. They were to be achieved by December 2015

The fight against hunger and poverty, to environmental protection, promotion of women’s rights, to the defeat of infant mortality, AIDS and Malaria…

The results heretofore obtained were diverse and “unequal” in different continents and nations.

The International community is called today to the drawing up of a new Agenda that will constitute the frame of reference for development during the years following 2015 .

Gift and Culture

Taking a Chance on Gratuitousness Mara Borsi For some time now there been has established a culture of crisis: one lives in a climate of widespread unease and malaise. There is the discomfort of those who realize that "having" does not pay, and the discomfort of those who cannot deal with the problems that life poses.

There is the sarcastic nihilism of one who feels mocked by life, and there are those who preach the abandonment of a new consumerism. However, in this context, there are some emerging values to which young people are very sensitive. Among them is 'gratuity'.

In an era of disillusionment and anguish gratuity is an original way to cling to life in its spontaneity, against the logic of domination and appropriation, against the materialism of life and the destruction of natural resources. Gratuity says seeking and having a love affair with life in all its forms. Gratuity supports and affirms the gift culture.

Gift and the marketplace Giving a gift is a unilateral, asymmetrical gesture, expressing gratuity, and in this way it contradicts the law of the market as an equivalent exchange. The gift created is a new society that was not there before.

Today, the marketplace has become a logic, a set of ideas and categories in people's minds and, therefore, the it is much more than economics, finance, multinational or other material realities. The person is reduced to homo economicus, and the world is reduced to commerce. That is why

the logic of competition dominates in the popular mentality.

Precisely in times of crisis conflict seems to temper all. The times of conflict are finished even for many for the young people. In the family and at work, in the group as at school, an attitude of tolerance dominates in a large way. In the family they are trying to live what unites them as affective level, moving beyond divisions, still present on the level of positions, are interpretations and models of life. At work and at school the goal has become the creation of a human environment especially through improved interactions with peers.

A eye to the young people If we look attentively at the world of young people it seems that they will recreate the choice between two existential ideas, that of having and the being.

The context of the logic of possession in life is basically designed as a void to be filled.

One lives by calculation administering all as a kind of double entry made up of give and take, always as a balance.

In a logic of life inspired by gratuity, self and others are seen as a wealth that comes from the unfathomable mystery of life. The relationship with others is not ruled as a double entry, but on the need to "offer" one’s inner wealth. Life is not meant as a void to be filled, but as a richness, a mystery to be discovered and communicated.

VIDES International: the word to young people The slum 22 de Enero is all gray and muddy. Poverty goes beyond material and is a given in discomfort and delinquency that govern the district. Not all eyes are as beautiful and profound as those of the children with whom we spent the days; some are dark, dark as the shacks around us. Despite everything, however, something allowed us Flavia and Lavinia to admire enthusiastically everything that surrounded us. Three FMA, Sisters Vilma, Tati, and Marta Riccioli, accompanied the VIDES volunteer experience.

At the beginning we asked ourselves: "What can we give? If giving means receiving, what shall wetake home with us? “This is the answer to our questions: the ability to give unconditionally and to internalize of the uniqueness of our dedication. Gifts for us began the first day: the extreme hospitality of the locals, the essentiality of the shacks constructed with sheet metal, odor-scented garbage burned to provide heat and light, the smile of Peace, and a meal always ready to say thank you.

But the greatest gift that no one can take from us, we received from the children and was ASSURANCE. We often feared not succeeding, of taking a wrong step. But we were protected by the children Juan, Milagros and Wanda, who placing their little hands in our own, told us by their silence,: "Be at peace; we are there." So many beautiful things: the merendero at 5 p.m., the songs, the dances, the asado, the slum, and Vilma, Tati, Marta.

And our gift to them? It was in the "thank you" to everyone, big and small, thanks to the enthusiasm that only two girls, just a bit older, could give.

Our experience did not end with our return to Rome, but continues to grow and mature, to observe and listen, to discern and learn, to decide and act.

These are the key words of the formation period: "education" to human rights and to the relationship with the world. In Argentina, but also among the local volunteers, who continue to act in our city at the center of a refugee children, it was essential to understand the meaning that VIDES gives to these words: everything is interconnected, from observance to action, to dialogue with each other.

It was an experience that continues, that has not changed our lives, but the way we live it.

The Word Emmaus 1: A Stranger Approaches Eleana Salas Setting: - A large Bible and on it a crucifix and nearby the paschal candle - Arrange the chairs in a circle around the Bible - You may draw a path on the floor on pieces of paper, Invocation to the Holy Spirit: Come, o come, Spirit of love, come, rest in us.

Jesus' death on the cross (not only for the terrible suffering that it entailed,but also for the “civil death", canceling also a memory of the person), was a profound crisis for the first Christian communities. In addition, the fate of the Master could even touch his followers; for this reason in the Garden "all (the disciples) abandoned him and fled" (Mk 15, 50); others left Jerusalem and returned / fled to their countries. This was probably the case with these two disciples.

Some sensed that these, "two of them" were actually a couple: Cleophas, and Mary, his betrothed, who were, according to John 19:25, near the Crucified, and probably were also among the group of disciples who went to the tomb, at the time of sunrise on Sunday. Certainly the conversation between them began from different points of view.

Their eyes and hearts were still in the dark.

At this a stranger approaches, and successfully takes part in the conversation.

The text is proclaimed clearly by a reader.

Each participant silently reads the text again. After this, we will speak out the most significant sentences.

Luke 24, 13-19 13 On that same day two of them went to a village called Emmaus, which was about threescore furlongs from Jerusalem; 14 and they spoke to each other about everything that had happened.15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came up and began to walk with them. 16 But their eyes were impeded to such a point that they did not recognize him. 17 He asked them, "What were you speaking about as you traveled along the way?" And they stopped and were sad. 18 One of them, Cleopas by name, answered him, "Are you among the strangers in Jerusalem, who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" 19 He said to them, "What things " They said: "The fact of Jesus of Nazareth, who was a mighty prophet in word and deed before God and all the people. a. Reading: the text in itself

Emmaus. Various locations are competing to be the place indicated by Luke. Look for explanations of the notes on your Bible and possibly on the maps of first-century Palestine. In any case, it is far from Jerusalem. The Disciples. To discover what was said to them, what they did with inner attitudes (such as their eyes, their hearts).

What it was that overwhelmed them...Jesus.

Follow attentively what He does: “Jesus Himself”: “He who was absent is now present” , “in person”. “Draws close”. He seems to have hastened his steps to be close to them. Cf Phil 3,12“Begins to walk with them.” Before speaking, He listens to their experience. “Asks them”: What were you speaking about along the way ? What did you have in your heart? The questions allow them to open their inner self to share what they have within.

Meditation: The text for us today Emmaus: at a time in which the Church and Pope Francis invite us to “go to the peripheries”, we indicate what are the “Emmaus”, from where do the young people and others come and where they are going?

Are our eyes, our interest open to find the “Emmaus of our time? Which attitudes toward those who are different (persons, age, culture, style) do we have before us?

Let us compare our attitudes with those of Jesus in relation to His two disciples. How do we receive those who question us or our ideas, pastoral styles, ways of working, etc?

Prayer Let us speak with the Lord in silence beginning from this text: Let us pray for Emmaus: Recall to mind the images of the areas frequented by our young people, including those which are now considered "refuse" ... Let us exercise "opening our hearts and broadening our vision," as Pope Francis asks of us.

“Jesus Himself approaches and began to walk with them”. Let us begin with our

attitudes, from the openness and trust that inhabit our hearts; let us be grateful for the bridges that we are capable of offering, let us ask for the ability to go out like Jesus, and approach others with much refinement, kindness, as He did ...Do I allow myself to be reached, to be touched by Jesus and by my Sisters, by the young people, by the lives of people ? May prayer prepare me for meaningful and authentic encounters, according to the DMA...

Let us share some echoes from our prayer.

Contemplation – commitment It is not enough to study and pray the Word of God; it is important that it should flourish in our life. Which attitudes must I nourish in my heart to approach that of Jesus in this step? How can we better express in community this “going out to the encounter” to the Emmaus of our time?

Final Prayer: Along the way to Emmaus, I journeyed with a pilgrim. I did not recognize Him along the way, now, I do, in the breaking of the bread.

Charism and Leadership

Being Father and Mother: identity and mission Piera Cavaglià Don Bosco, who experienced the drama of growing up without a father since his early childhood, was able to channel all his energy into expressing a deep paternal affection for his young people and his Salesians. He recognized that paternal authority is authentic only in God, and by God, and was passionate about His Kingdom of love and mercy. He therefore wanted the transparency of this love even with his human resources. His was a paternity in the faith, like that of St. Paul when he wrote to the Galatians: "My little children, for whom I suffer again from the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you" (Gal 4:19).

Don Bosco’s deepest identity was revealed in his being father, friend, brother. For him, animation and government not just any role, but a spiritual generation.

Being and Acting like Don Bosco The first Salesians learned almost by osmosis from Don Bosco how to be directors, to animate and to govern the communities that were gradually being opened. His testimony was for them a daily itinerary of formation. His very person, all given to the good of young people, his style of guiding the community, his strong sense of communication, his wisdom imbued with charity and family spirit, his passion for the Kingdom of God, all became a school for

his sons, for the educators and directors of the first Salesian houses. He formed them to responsibility to give a solid foundation to the Congregation, today we would say that he formed them to incarnate and inculturate the charism in the various environments.

Every director was, at that time and in successive times, a leader, (not a spectator!) of the process of the foundation of his work, and so Don Bosco recommended to the directors in the April 6, 1869 evening meeting in the library: “ Let us seek to become worthy founders of the Society of St. Francis de Sales, so that those who read our story later on can find in us models, and will not have to exclaim: ‘What kind of founders were they!’ Help me with your good will and obedience in this great undertaking. It is up to you to make my task easy” (MB IX 600).

It is true that the charism of the Founder was given to Don Bosco by the Holy Spirit, but in a certain sense it was up to each member of the Salesian Congregation, especially those who had the task of animation, to implement the commitment to guard, renew, develop, and make it visible on the local level . The charism shines forth especially in those who open their hearts to the Spirit, becoming the transparency of His love, manifesting to all the genuineness of this love that helps to grow, give trust, and promote life.

Fr. Paolo Albera wrote: “We need to say that Don Bosco favored in us in a unique way that was all his own: one could feel an irresistible charm. I felt that I was loved in a way like never before, singularly, superior to any affection. We were all surrounded

almost entirely in an atmosphere of contentment and happiness. It could not be any other way because from his every word and act there emanated the holiness of union with God who is perfect charity” ACS 1 (1920). Don Bosco identified the basic attitude of those who had directive responsibilities in "charity and kindness."

These should be the characteristics of each director towards the confreres, young people, and collaborators, as much as to every person encountered.

Formation Directors

guidelines

for

Salesian

Don Bosco formed the directors using varied ways: personal encounters, especially the private talk, letters and annual community meetings at Valdocco, usually around the feast of St. Francis de Sales. In these “conferences” Don Bosco was the teacher, but he favored subsidiarity and complementarity. At times he left the presidency to Fr. Rua, and invited every director to present the respective schools and communities, bringing out difficulties, hopes and future prospects. Expert in involving youthful energies and in showing trust to every person, for Fr. Giovanni Bonetti he traced out a very concrete program of action: "Remember that the Director need not do much, but should work that others ay do so, taking care that each person complies with his duties "(letter of 19 April 1871 in Epistolario edited by F. Motto III 324). Today we would call it subsidiarity or coordination for communion. The terms change but the spirit is similar: it was the condition for a family atmosphere where everyone feels loved and valued. Don Bosco wrote to the young director Michael Rua what the synthesis of his life program was : "In omnibus caritas. Act in such a way 'that everyone you talk to becomes your

friend "(Letter of August 10, 1873 in Epistolario edited by F. Motto IV 142).

Revised and expanded in 1870-'71, the letter would become a formation document entitled Confidential reminders for directors, and it is still a major source of the spirituality of Don Bosco, founder and formator of educators.1Francesco Motto wrote in his commentary to this letter: "Our father's heart and - why not? - his maternal solicitude reached the point of worrying about the physical health of the Director and his brothers, their hours of sleep ("Each night you should have seven hours of rest"; "Do not ever command things that are harmful to health, or what would prevent the necessary rest "),of their treatment at the table (" Avoid austerities in food. Your mortifications are diligence in your duties and bearing the harassment of others "), the risk of excessive work (" Seek to share things so that no one has too many burdens ").2 Unlike the socio-cultural animator, the Salesian director wanted by Don Bosco was to be the person totally consecrated to God that was the awareness of being a docile instrument of His love, helping each and everyone to live the plan that the Father has for each of His children. His vocational identity, assumed and expressed with total responsibility and with a fatherly/motherly heart is the basic condition for properly carrying out his mission of service for the joy and hope of individuals and communities.

1

Cf MOTTO Francesco, I “Ricordi confidenziali ai direttori” di don Bosco, in Don Bosco educatore.

Scritti e testimonianze, a cura di P. Braido, Roma, LAS 1992, 173-186.

2 Ivi 174-175.

A glance at the world

The Courage to Leave Anna Rita Cristaino Rich in history and natural beauty, Mexico is one of the most important nations in the world. Despite the economic progress of recent years, the country still experiences severe problems of instability and social inequality. Beyond the big city, there are places in the country where it is more difficult to find work, where one struggles every day for survival and this leads many people to leave their country of origin. In addition to the significant migration to the United States there is, in fact, a substantial internal mobility. Thousands of older adolescents leave their villages and go on to overpopulate big cities. What drives a girl to leave her family, village, habits, and friendships?

Rosalia and Modesta told us what it means to have the courage to go alone, to leave everything, driven by a strong desire to discover new possibilities for existence.

They left very young for a life to which to give their energy, choosing unknown paths.

Rosalia tells us of her departure: "I came here when I was 17. It was not easy. I arrived at the home of one of my brothers. I lived there. I did not how to travel on the subway, I barely knew how to read. Coming here alone and starting to study has given me more confidence, it opened me to other ideas and I grew up; yes, even in fear I always went on. I am from a village called San Bernardino Laguna. Eight sisters and brothers grew up there. We did not have many resources. My dad worked the land, my mother was devoted to the housework.

My brothers and sisters helped my father, but now they are all here in town. "

They bring with them the baggage of affection, of family relationships, of friends, of places visited and loved, a baggage full of well known maps. But in that baggage, a big space is left for big dreams. There is the dream of being able to work to support one’s self and not to be a burden on the family, to learn Spanish well, without forgetting the local language of the parents, to learn to read and write, or to progress in their studies, to be aware that you have many skills and still unexplored potential .

This is what Modesta said: "For us, people from the countryside, there are many difficulties because Mexico City is very large and many, like me, arrive not knowing how to read or write. Then we do not know where to live. Many have no relatives with whom they can live. This is one reason why the majority of young people, women and men who come to this city look for a job that offers a place to live because we have nowhere to go. " Mexico City is enormous. It is a micro-world of cultures, customs and traditions, of people who are rich or poor, of happy families and single men. It is a small universe that leaves the person who arrives from places where everything was close and known breathless. The way one speaks, moves, looks at life, the way one dresses, eats, everything is different.

Arriving makes one feel like they are being catapulted the middle of an ocean, and one just has to learn how to swim so they do not drown. One arrives with the memory of a mother’s tears, the proud faces of fathers

who wanted to give and do more for their children so as not to force anyone to leave.

One still feels the warmth of fraternal embraces. Immediately one realizes that the path to be traveled is all uphill. The person has to find work, hopes to find lodging, to make new friends, to take every opportunity to learn something new about the city, to learn something from every acquaintance.

"For many years”, says Modesta, “I felt the need to leave so as to grow. I come from a family that does not have many economic opportunities, a large family. I have six brothers. It was one of the things that inspired me to come here. I arrived in this city to work as a maid for a family, doing the housework. After I grew in the intention to continue to study, but I did not know how to go about it. My only day off was Sunday.

Then I discovered that there was a school where they gave lessons on Sundays, and I got in touch with them. " In 1970 the FMA of the Mexican province of Our Lady of Guadalupe began the Mary Help of Christians Youth Center which in 2001 took the name of Obra Social Auxilio.

Here every Sunday thousands of young women who are are were welcomed. Over the years, in addition to young women, they have also welcomed children and adults, migrants employed as workers in private homes or in workshops.

Sr. Neida Julieta Carriedo, one of the FMA who worked in OAS, explains: "Young people who are assisted in this center need help in many areas, and this is why we try to offer the best possible solutions in terms of professional preparation, intellectual, spiritual, and moral study.They come from different places of the countryside, seeking improved opportunities for life. They come

here to work as domestics, so we appreciate the fact that they devote their only day off to better themselves professionally.” L’Obra Social Auxilio, (OSA), each year accepts about six hundred fifty beneficiaries; reaching even to 1,000 registrations. Formation courses include: academic training, apprenticeship for work, human development, educational psychology, sex education, appreciation of the culture of origin, and critical approach to communication. It is a meaningful space for integral human development, an important point of meeting and acceptance. Rosalia further tells us: "This is also a religious environment. I am Catholic and being here has enriched me and helped me to grow.

Now that I'm already completing classes of the Secondary School, I will continue to those of the Preparatory, and this is helping me very much. This school is my home ".

Modesta also studied at the OAS: "When I arrived the school was entitled " Centro Juvenil Maria Auxiladora ". At the time, it offered courses to prepare for work, and Primary and Secondary School, and since I had not yet completed the Primary classes I began to study to become a secretary in a course that lasted three years. Then I was offered to stay on as a volunteer ". Sr. Neida explains: "At the Auxilio Social Work there are about eighty volunteers who come to collaborate Sunday after Sunday to help in a gratuitous way: teaching lessons, and giving support to all young people and adults who are cared for in this center every week." Rosalia and Modesta, are building their future day by day. What is striking about these girls is their willingness to commit and sacrifice themselves. They work hard and work well.

Modesta has been working at the Social Rehabilitation Centre for five years, as secretary of the director of the Centre and at the same time she also attends the University. The following is how a typical day for Rosalia unfolds: "I start work at six in the morning. I get up at half past five and at six I begin to do what is necessary to clean and keep the house in order, and this takes me almost all day. I finish at ten or ten thirty for dinner. All day I go up and down, but I like my job because it helps me financially and with what I earn I can help my family to build their home ".

During our stay in Mexico we visited one of the largest cities in the world, a nation rich in possibilities for development and in contradictions, where you can touch the thread that binds together people from very different backgrounds. We met hardworking Sisters who were fraternal, and sympathetic; and we met young women and girls who are not afraid to take their lives in hand. We have proof that when one is really committed, even Providence will come to our aid helping to realize ideas and projects.

To whatever each of us aspires, we must begin to do it because it brings it bring with itself daring, genius, and strength!

Consecrated Life

Communication and Communion with God Patrizia Bertagnini Closeness with God is like the idea of the rays of a circle. As they approach the center, the distances between them shortens, allowing for the overcoming of fragmentation. In continual dialogue with the Lord vocational identity is strengthened and one learns to listen to the brothers and sisters.

A world in pieces The world in which we live has a common denominator that is generally referred to by the word fragmentary. It indicates the gradual disappearance of communities which were once real points of reference.

The group, the church, the village, the people with whom we shared daily life are community realities, which in the face of urbanization, the spread of the means of mass communication, the homogenization and isolation of metropolitan life, all seem destined to disappear. In this context the person is reduced to the status of a mere individual, a fragment struggling to find a social position; the loss of the physical community is matched, in fact, by the crisis communication and solidarity.

From a social point of view, the person is forced to abandon "solid" modern standard with its codes, norms, values and constraints, to migrate toward a "liquid" society (Bauman), where everything is uncertain, fluctuating, detached from any reference; in a liquid life neither heroes nor martyrs are of any value, because there are

no trenches to defend and no value for which to give one’s life; they are judged to be victims of “psychological dysfunction".

In their place "celebrities", come to the fore, the stars, and the new heroes of songs, sports, cinema, and finance. They are celebrities that wear out quickly to make room for other celebrities, other stars, which act as social glue for the masses.

Each piece in its place Is it possible to meet the challenge of the contemporary world and escape the logic just described?

God's relationship with man was, from the very beginning, in the name of communication, the Dei Verbum begins in a paradigmatic way : God is revealed, manifests his will, through Christ he speaks, he has relationships with persons, invites and admits to communion with himself "(cfr.

DV, 2). Revelation has the aim of allowing each person to become a participant in the life of God himself, permitting each person to enter into the relationship of love expressed by the divine Trinity and, therefore requires the free accord of man to God's initiative.

But it is before the historical Jesus spoken of in the Gospels that the miracle of perfect communication between God and man is carried out; the Incarnation is the space in which God is present to the person calling him/her to a deeper relationship with Himself, a relationship in which there appears in all its evidence the attention of

God to make the relationship with the human person a virtuous circle that involves, as a final goal, the free, human response to God. The historical event of the life of the Son of God, while on the one side it exalts a higher Will of communication, on the other side it is proposed as the most fertile ground for this communication to come about in all its fullness.

A workshop of communications Each religious community is, by its nature, a witness of the words and gestures with which Jesus involves humanity in His plan of salvation. This is why it "exists to communicate to people of every time the good news. If you do not commit to it with all your strength in communicating what the Lord has entrusted to you it would fail in its mission "(Card. Ruini) Drawing closer to the Lord and allowing self to be caught up in deep conversation with Him allows for the solidifying of vocational identity, an identity that we are called to guard, and which is based on fidelity to one’s own vocation story, on the awareness of the uniqueness of the value and on the need for authentic relationships that broaden perspectives. An identity that is authentically centered on discipleship becomes the gift of self, because when we give ourselves to others we discover the meaning of our own choices and consecration.

The challenge of fragmentation requires of the religious community a special care of communication, both internally, as it is koinonia, fellowship, intimate bond, fraternal relationship of solidarity, shared responsibility and participation; and externally, because it presents itself to the world as actually engaged in an explicit proclamation of salvation, as a reality in the service of the person, as a sacrament of union with God.

On 25 March 1996, John Paul II signed the Apostolic Exhortation Vita Consecrata, a document clarifying the doctrine or theology of the VC. N. 36 reads: "Every charism has [...], as its source, a three-fold approach: to the Father, first of all, the filial desire to seek His will through a process of continual conversion, in which obedience is the source of true freedom, chastity expresses the tension of a heart unsatisfied by any finite love, and poverty nourished by that hunger and thirst for justice which God has promised to satisfy (cf. Mt 5: 6). [...] To the Son, by which we are led to cultivate an intimate communion of inner life and joy at the school of generous service of God and neighbor [...] to the Holy Spirit, insofar as it disposes the person to be guided and supported by Him, both in one’s own spiritual journey as well as in the life of communion and in apostolic action order to live in that attitude of service which should inspire every choice the authentic Christian�.

Parents and Children: love and conflict Mariano Diotto Music has always told of family events with its unforgettable, beautiful moments, but also of the saddest facts of conflict and resentment or "things unsaid."

Children and parents The relationship with a loving mother is told

by Cat Stevens in his song entitled My Mother. She found herself raising a child as a single parent because her husband abandoned her before the child was born.

The result was this song inspired by a 19th century Madrigal: I know what my life is worth/I know what it cost you/I will treat you well/because it is all that you ask of me”.

“O Dad, sit down and hear my song/and if you feel like it, then please sing along / and if you feel like it then please sing along / No, there’s nothing that I want to say that I haven't said before /But to use your words, ‘ you can never be too sure’ /Look, even though I don't always show it, I'm glad that you're around. / I'm glad that you’re 3 around» .

These are the words that Alain Clark uses in the Father & Friend to tell the story of his relationship with his father who is seen to be a friend who remains close even when you have grow to adulthood.

3

«Oh papà siediti e ascolta la mia canzone / e se te la senti cantala anche tu per favore / no, non c'è niente che voglio dire che non abbia già detto prima ma, per usare parole tue, "non puoi mai essere troppo sicuro"./ Vedi, nonostante io non lo dimostri sempre sono felice che tu sia qui».

Instead, in 2004 Bono of the group U2 wrote the song Sometimes you can't make it on your own which is his own personal remembrance toward his father who disappeared three years earlier. “We fight all the time, You and I / and that's alright / We're the same soul / I don't need to hear you say / That if we weren't so alike / You'd like me a whole lot more / Listen to me now / I need to let you know / You don't have to go it alone».4 The suffering of being a parent Life always reserves big surprises, and at the end of a long tour with the Beatles John Lennon realizes that he was an absentee father to his first child Julian, and he wants to wants to heal the relationship by not making the same mistakes with his youngest son, Sean. So he retires from the music scene to be with his family and wrote the masterpiece Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy). In this song, Lennon describes his love for his son, and the small and great

4

«Litighiamo tutto il tempo tu ed io / va bene / Siamo la stessa anima / Non ho bisogno di sentirti dire / Che se non fossimo così simili / Ti piacerei molto di più / Ascoltami adesso / Ho bisogno di farti sapere / Che non devi fare tutto da solo».

son, and this shows that sometimes a song is not "a simple song", but speaks of one’s own life, one’s emotions, and of their intimacy Being part of the world

teachings that a parent has to give, from the simplest recommendations :“Before you cross the street, take my hand»5 to the point of saying : «Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans»6.

But being a parent means also losing children to a tragic, unjustified death. This is what Eric Clapton sings about in his famous Grammy Award song: Tears in Heaven. In this ballad of voice and guitar, the musician tells us of the death of his young son Connor who fell from the 53rd floor of a New York skyscraper. It is the desperate song of a father who hope to again meet his son in Paradise where all difficulties will finally disappear.

«Time can bring you down; time can bend your knees / Time can break your heart, have you begging please, begging please / Beyond the door there's peace I'm sure / And I know there'll be no more tears in heaven».7 Clapton has not played this song for many years, sincel he felt that he had finally overcome the pain at the loss of his

Some songs also tell of forms of special parenting: ,a feeling that they are part of a world in need of individuals who know how to guide other people.

This was the case of the Italian singer, Fiorella Mannoia who sings of this form of love in the song Luce: “There is no child who is not my own nor injury of which I do not feel the pain. There is no land that is not my land, and there is no life that does not deserve love. There is no voice that is not my voice, nor injustice of which I do not bear the offense. There is no Peace that is not my Peace, and there is no war that has an excuse”. This form of love overcomes the degrees of parentage and makes us all children of the same land and the same God. So it is that songs at times become a message from parents to children and vice versa. Because at time it is easier to sing of some sentiments that to speak them: And daughter, daughter , / I do not want you to be happy,/ but always “against”/ As long as you have a voice” ».8

5

«Prima di attraversare la strada, dammi la mano».

«La vita è ciò che ti accade mentre sei impegnato a fare altri progetti» 6

7

«Il tempo può buttarti giù; il tempo può piegarti le ginocchia / Il tempo può spezzarti il cuore, farti implorare pietà, implorare pietà / Oltre la porta c'è pace ne sono sicuro / E lo so non ci saranno più lacrime in Paradiso».

8

Roberto Vecchioni nella canzone Figlia

Camilla RE-CREATION Dear friends, whether we want to admit it or not there are some things in our lives that are typical, real entrustments from our Founders that we are betraying! The situation is deteriorating as time goes on, and I feel a moral obligation to report the risks to which, in my humble opinion, we are exposing ourselves.

If we cast a glance on our community, we immediately notice that there are many Sisters affected by the virus of “optimization”. It is fairly easy to glimpse the symptoms of this disease: we are always in a hurry, we scarcely focus in certain environments, and we quickly pass people by, moving about the house always with something in hand. We always have at least two commitments to be carried out simultaneously, and we say that we scrupulously avoid downtime…

There is a sign by which we can be sure that we are in the presence of the disease: the “sick” Sister always has a reason for deserting recreation.

There are Sisters who are never at recreation, and do you know why? Because they are victims of “optimization”. Those twenty minutes when we finally meet those whom we have not seen since breakfast, is a real torment for them. I mean it!

For an active person who is constantly busy with a thousand occupations, who does not have time to breathe, to eat, to pray...those twenty minutes closed up in a room where no one does anything essential, where there are those who tell jokes, who crochet, who transmit a news story in which one has an interest, who ask for help in carrying out small jobs for the next day, who inform the group on the health of an elderly person, and even those who play checkers or cards, well, believe me, to that person those twenty minutes that are “time lost” bring an indescribable suffering.

Clearly, I am not speaking of those Sisters who need to carry out a determined task right at that time, but of those who take off as soon as the clock strikes.

If the community is lucky, they will see them at the beginning of the Good Night, otherwise they’re gone until tomorrow!

Now, I tell you, if that is the time when we regain a bit of lost energy and we strengthen our ties, evidently these others re-create elsewhere with something or someone else, because no one can live alone, much less if she has chosen to live in community!

I, instead, love recreation very much, but as soon as the Good Night begins, I fall asleep!

Could it be that I’m “sick”, too?

Camilla’s Words...

In the next issue DOSSIER:

Broaden your vision...Encounter

Only a real encounter with Jesus leads us to “re-view” reality and allow it to transform us from within. Our change is a transforming force of reality. Ordinary Salesian spirituality nourishes a culture of encounter that brings us close to young people and to the laity, and makes us solicitous in Mary’s style.

Ecological Education:

Toward something new

The theme of Expo Milano 2015 is "Feeding the Planet; Energy for Life". This will be expressed through the principles of awareness and interaction that are feasible thanks to new technologies. The thematic areas constitute a real network that interfaces with the things of the world, by helping people to understand that it is important to know and perfect each stage of the food chain, since each depends on the success of the entire process.

ARIANNA’S LINE:

Behind the mask

The article presents the various defense mechanisms with particular reference to the experience of leadership: the sense of superiority, imposition, rationalization, identification with the role, projection and analysis proposed through some solutions.

COMUNICATING:

Communication and charism

The text expresses the need to understand that being present on the world stage today is not an optional choice but a duty, a way to be heard (provided you know how to do it). The need to review and renew language, and to find new ways to communicate well in tune with the laity

CHARISM and LEADERSHIP: Accepting self and forgiving through faith The issues discussed in the text, with reference to the charism of Mother Mazzarello, are: authentically communicating, conflict resolution, and assertiveness.