Hajja Salesjana April-June 2022

Editor’s Note: During this year 2022, we mark the 400th anniversary since the birth of St. Francis de Sales in Heaven in 1622 at Lyon. As a Salesian Family, we know that his spirituality deeply marked Don Bosco and consequently us Salesians, his sons. Infact our name derives from him and not from Don Bosco! Throughout this year, you will be able to read the following article by Rev. Dr. Eunan McDonnell SDB, Provincial of Ireland, who is an expert in the field pertaining to this great Saint and his very practical spirituality. I trust that you may find this article, split in our four Ħajja Salesjana issues for 2022, inspiring and helpful to your faith and relationship with the true King of Hearts, the Lord Jesus Christ! Divine inspirations St Francis teaches us that as well as refusing to make choices which lead us away from our deepest self and the path of love, we also need to be vigilant in monitoring the good desires of our heart, to foster these desires and help to bring them to fruition. In a letter to Jane de Chantal, St. Francis de Sales writes: “I shall never stop praying God to perfect His work in you, that is, to further your excellent desire and plan to attain the fullness of Christian life, a desire which you should cherish and nurture tenderly in your heart. Consider this to be a work of the Holy Spirit and a spark of His divine flame.” 1 What is at play here is the ability to recognize God’s Spirit at work in our good desires which in Salesian spirituality is simply called, ‘inspirations’. Often we are more familiar with the role of temptations than its counterpart, inspirations. 2 God, as our supreme good, is able to draw us to himself through the attraction of his inspirations. This is the particular mission of the Holy Spirit who pours into our hearts the first rays and perceptions of his light and vital heat. 3 Inspiration, then, is to the human person what the light and warmth of the Sun is to the earth. In this instance the inspirations, through which God reveals his will, are presented through the metaphor of light and heat. They are described ‘psychologically’ in the manner in which they affect our conscience. It is consequent on our free will whether we choose to resist or respond to this divine awakening. However, it must be noted that we do not awaken ourselves, it is the prerogative of these inspirations to bring By Rev. Dr. Eunan McDonnell sdb 10 April - Ġunju 2022 hajja