Hajja Salesjana

Dear Friends, readers of the Salesian Bulletin, Let me begin my letter today with a short wisdom story: A tightrope walker stretched out his rope, at a discreet height, over a bustling marketplace. Some jugglers put on their act before his,but when their show lasted longer than expected, the square was enveloped in darkness. The tightrope walker would have to put on his show using reflected light. In the subdued light of the twilight hour, the tightrope artist did not realize that a little boy had tranquilly followed him up the ladder. When he took his first steps on the rope, he realized the boy was behind him. “What are you doing up here?” he asked the boy. “I want to walk the rope with you.” “Are you not afraid?” “As long as I am with you, no.” The spectators held their breath as the tightrope walker placed the little boy on his shoulders and, in order to distract AFTER THE TSUNAMI THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR Don Ángel Fernández Artime The pandemic has changed the way in which we relate with the world, others, and ourselves. We need to rebuild and to begin again in greater solidarity and with greater awareness so as to rebound from a silent calamity marked by pain, confinement, struggle, and fear. What would Don Bosco do if he were alive today? his attention from the dizzying height and darkness, said to him, “Look at how beautiful the stars are up there! Keep your eyes fixed on those stars.” As long as the boy kept his eyes fixed on the brilliant splendor of the twinkling stars, his thoughts did not go to the danger of the hesitant steps along that thin rope or to the huge drop beneath, buthe allowed himself to be carried the entire length of the square. Don Bosco would have been the first to “climb up to the rope” with his children and young people. He would have been the first to be present to them and make use of all his abilities, creativity, and skills in his preventive fashion to move the young to hope. He would have believed in them, offering them the chance to be leadersand speaking to each of them about the joy in living and in growing in harmony, forming them to make a courageous commitment for the sake of others, especially of those most in need. photo by Joannes Plenio www.unsplash.com 32 Jannar-Marzu 2022 hajja