Hajja Salesjana January March 2018

25 opportunities and challenges of our Salesian vocation, the VDBs see how all three intertwine and they compared them to the three theological virtues: Faith in God and the Church is their pillar of Strength; rekindling the flame of hope opens their experiences to a world of opportunities; and their main challenge is to help the world experience charity and love. The Volunteers with Don Bosco are a very recent branch within the Salesian Family and were founded only 23 years ago. The Maltese group are among the founding members as they started a few years before in 1991. Through their witness, the Volunteers become ‘bridges’ between the people and the Church, between the demands of daily life and God. The Volunteers try to share the Word of God through their actions and through their consecration in the secular life. One of the strong messages of the Rector Major during this meeting with the Salesian Family, was when he emphasised the importance of a true Family Spirit in all the Salesian groups. He appealed to everyone to avoid negative criticism – ‘non lamentarsi!’ he urged us! The Salesian Family is built on a spirit of joy and optimism. The Rector Major said that each and every one of us has to work hard to maintain our family through being united with God in prayer and to be active in the joy and optimism of Don Bosco. After the meeting, the members of the Salesian Family joined the children and young people for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in a moment of joy and prayer.