Series of Reflections on Salesian Spirituality (9)

Initiative and Flexibility


The Salesian is called to be a realist and to be attentive to the signs of the times. Don Bosco showed his spirit as not being static, lifeless and closed. He looked rather to the validity of what he was doing and it’s bearing on events around him. He was able to assimilate what was going on around him, incorporate what he saw as useful and respond appropriately to the situations that arose in his work. He was ready to re-fashion his works to suit the needs of the time. This kind of elasticity in adapting to all the forms of good which are continually arising among people is the proper spirit of our Constitutions. Openness to the times, mental agility, special creativity which knows how to re-think one’s own enterprises and those of others, ought to penetrate into our hearts and bring us  closer to the spirit of Don Bosco. I believe our formation needs to adopt more of this spirit of initiative and flexibility. For the sake of discipline and order, these values are put aside altogether or are given a small place in our formative framework. All our institutions must make an effort to use its resources to the last bit for the young especially the poor. This could take the form of allowing poor youth to use our grounds for games and recreation, our classrooms for study and remedial classes etc. 

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