Hajja Salesjana January-March 2020

27 H AJJA S ALESJANA them our main concern. From out of nothing, a beautiful tree has grown: A tree that today has thousands of friends and benefactors, thanks to whom we can do so much good; a tree that has thousands and thousands of laity who share the charism of Don Bosco and who work every day in the houses of the whole Salesian Family throughout the world. Without any triumphalism and always with the invitation to be conscious of our responsibility, I very often remind my brothers and sisters around the world that we are custodians of a great treasure that does not belong to us, for it is a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church for the sake of children and young adults. But we must guard it and make it fruitful, as in the parable of the talents in the Gospel. This is our great responsibility, since imagining a Church and a world today without the sons and daughters of Don Bosco present among young people would be difficult, or at least would lack that predilection given to them by the “Father and Teacher of Youth,” as Saint John Paul II named him. Dear readers and friends, I wanted to share with you this small detail of the beginning of this great reality: that Don Bosco had the “genius” to found his Congregation from his own boys – four boys from among the many who were already in the Valdocco Oratory in that year. I take the opportunity in the brief lines on this page,which will appear in the Salesian newsletters of the world in many languages, to say to all of you, “Thank you,” in the name of Don Bosco! “Thank you” for your love of Don Bosco’s charism, of his Dream, and of all that was his reason for living: Jesus Christ the Lord, and the young. May our Holy Founder bless you! With great affection, Don Angel