SALESIAN SPIRITUALITY

            Don Bosco considered this earthly life as a road to happiness: and along this road the highest possible degree of holiness leads to personal happiness. Man finds himself on his way with all his natural and supernatural resources. In following this road, man finds joy and peace as directions given by the Church. His world includes God, Christ, and the Immaculate Virgin Mary who is the Helper of Christian, the angels, the saints, the Pope and his brothers in the faith.

            In his spiritual journey, the Christian is guided and sustained by God. The word of the Lord which he finds in the Church shows him the goals which he has to seek, puts before him the essential truths he is to believe and gives him a moral code he is to practice. The Sacrament of Penance rises up those who fall and the Sacrament of the Eucharist pillars of the religious life, which is enriched equally by good “examples” and by pious practices which should, as far as possible, be very simple and available to all Christians.

            But this is not enough. The Christian life consists in practicing virtue, and its development is quite difficult. God is the author of life and all living things have to turn to him. There is no holiness except in carrying out his will-often a difficult thing. Prayer, simple and continuous, to which he is devoted, keeps him in contact with God.

            Characteristics of the Spiritual Thought of Don Bosco

            Every spiritual thought which claims kinship with Christ supposes a certain understanding of man, a method of asceticism and of prayer and some preference for one of the two types of Christian life which are represented traditionally by Martha and Mary.

            Don Bosco was an optimist. Let us recall one of his favorite expressions, transcribed on a bookmark for his breviary: “I have known that there was no better thing than to rejoice and to do well in this life”.

            His asceticism was demanding, although it has escaped the attention of more than one of his superficial observers. The motto “work and temperance,” which he gave to his followers, obligated the followers to a constant surveillance over themselves.

            His style of devotion which he favored was sacramental-I would not dare call it liturgical. He certainly recommended and promoted the pious devotions which were in use in his environment and no others, with the exception of the Exercise for a Happy Death, but he never allowed them to impede the sacramental life.

Exercise for a Happy Death.

            He gave great importance to this exercise. It taught him to direct all his life towards its final purpose.

At the time of Exercise for a Happy Death. We do everything that will have to do on the last days of our lives. Examination of conscience, Fervent Communion with the acts of devotion which are customary during the reception of Holy Viaticum. Reading the prayers for Extreme Unction. Finally we would imagine ourselves before the tribunal of God.

            He recommended with insistence the practice of going to confession and Communion.

Those who practice this devotion will attain salvation and will adjust their consciences.

Do the Exercise for Happy Death so that you might be a good soldier of Christ.

Religious Concepts.

            Don Bosco based his spirituality on the religious concepts available for in his time. We have to study them because the contemporary Christians may find difficulties in accepting them.

Don Bosco’s idea of God.

            In his infancy Don Bosco believed in a severe God. His mother ha d inculcated in him the universal presence of God and of his rigorous justice, tempered somewhat by his benevolent Providence. The seminary of Chieri strengthened these ideas. The God of Comollo was a judge. Don Joseph Cafasso gave him the idea of God as love. The God of the Liguorian School. God’s fatherliness and his goodness were keys of Don Cafasso. Don Bosco understood this idea and wrote on of his first booklet “devotion to the Mercy of God.”

Don Bosco’s trust in Divine Providence.

            According to Don Bosco the two attributes of justice and goodness were united in the Person of a provident God in whom he saw both father and judge. Through his providence God rewards the good and punishes the bad. Providence watches over us. Often it allows the same evil which men do or wish to do others to fall upon their own heads.

The role of Mother Mary in his life.

            Mary was around him everywhere. He discovered her name on the lips of his mother. She made him recite the Angelus and the Rosary. In his hamlet there was atmosphere of Marian devotion. Whenever he spoke about Madona he appeared to be overcome with tenderness. Before Communion and on Saturdays of each week he would fast in honor of Mary. For Don Bosco Mary was always a most holy mother, very loving and powerful he promoted her devotion.

            The unrivaled Beauty of the Immaculate Conception.

            The definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary by Pius XI in 1854 encouraged him to consider her as the symbol of purity and of holiness. On December 8, 1854 Dominic Savio gave his heart to Mary and begged her to allow him to die rather than commit a venial sin against modesty.

            Don Bosco’s veneration of the Immaculate Conception rendered him and his imitators uncompromising with their won weaknesses and eager for heroic holiness. This demanding spirit is found in the last article of the regulations of the Sodality of the Immaculate Conception.

Mary, Mother and Helper.

            Mary is the Mother of God and therefore our mother. Even up to about 1862 Don Bosco did not speak about Mary Help of Christians.