Hajja Salesjana October-November 2020

27 H AJJA S ALESJANA are deprived of the strength, light, and comfort found in friendship with Jesus Christ, deprived of a community of faith that includes them, and deprived of a horizon that holds life and its meaning. Dream… and help others dream!” What a beautiful challenge this is for the numerous people who are part of Don Bosco’s family and for so many others who feel a great affinity for this saint who lived for young people, for his boys [and for his girls through the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of whom Don Bosco also dreamed, and founded, together with St. Mary Domenica Mazzarello, to be the “living monument of his gratitude to Our Lady, Help of Christians”.] I am neither remaining silent about nor ignoring the pain people have experienced during this grave crisis that the world is living, the serious health crisis due to the pandemic that has already claimed almost 377,000 lives as I write these words. Neither am I ignoring another very serious crisis: the lack of wages and food for tens of millions in the world, with more than 100 million people having lost their jobs in just two months’ time, some of whom have received some State aid, but the majority who have not and who have no other recourse. Nor do I forget the great suffering of families, of children, and of young adults, especially the poorest who are always the most affected by anything that hits our society, even if it seemingly has nothing directly to do with them. It is precisely because I do not ignore these realities, because I do not look the other way, that I feel a pressing need to make Pope Francis’ words a reality; i.e., to undertake both as a goal and a task to help young people dream, and dream big, because it is possible to dream at the same time as being realistic. Poor young people if, in addition to all that must be done to Photo by Thomas Vitali from www.unsplash.com