DB Classic Heads South

The Don Bosco Classic, a Salesian organized basketball tournament for the young and the young at heart, was hosted this year by Ryan Phelan at the Diocese of St. Petersburg in Florida. The DB Classic, as it has been called for years was originally founded in the New York area, and brought many members of the Salesian family from our different schools, youth groups, and parishes for fun, friendship, and basketball. It was an exciting feeling to see the DB Classic not only return, but also makes its way to our Southern Salesian friends and family. 

Opening with Mass on the Solemnity of St. John Bosco, the  homily etched out a framework of what constitutes greatness in the kingdom.  A story related how Lebron James was interviewed after a tough loss in the playoffs.  He offered a few comments regarding the game but cut the interview short so that he could go home and play with his kids.  In that moment, James framed greatness as a father who aspires to be present with his family. "Jesus says that we have to become like children to  be great in the kingdom, because children always receive life as a gift, and only those who recognize life as a gift are fit to receive the kingdom." (Mt 18:1-5)

From childhood, John Bosco learned that life is a gift.  With the help of Mama Margaret,  he was able to bridge life with faith resulting in a faith response which fueled him to learn acrobatic skills and to synthesize Sunday sermons.   His knack for entertainment and evangelization impacted his friends for life.  In the spirit of the epistle to the Philippines, John Bosco took “all he had learned and experienced” to help others recognize that the kingdom of God was available to them (4:8).  The participants in the Don Bosco Classic were urged to play their hearts out, to make use of all they had learned and experienced in life as the means to aspire to greatness in the kingdom.       

Ryan Phelan, currently the associate director of youth and young adult ministry for the St. Petersburg Diocese, and formerly assistant director for Youth Ministry in the Province of New Rochelle, NY, brought together eight teams for a round-robin tournament enabling each team to play six or more games.  

Since all teams were required to have at least one female member, this added to the family spirit.  Sr. Mary Jackson, fma, who played with alums from the Villa Madonna School inTampa, displayed great agility on the court and racked up a good number of baskets for her team which helped in their magnificent win!  

The Don Bosco Classic event brought youth and young adult participants to recognize how the Salesian Family with its charism is an avenue for experiencing the kingdom as children of God. All in all it was an amazing time had by all, and an even greater affirmation that the work of St. John Bosco is still continuing and thriving.

Don Bosco Bicentenary Tour: Stop 1- Tour de Gator

I was fortunate to travel last week on the first leg of the vocation tour to celebrate the bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth was with the Gators at the University of Florida in Gainesville. The environment at the Catholic Center at U of F, given its formative character and its missionary outreach, was very welcoming and energetic. It definitely prepares the students to be agents of discipleship and to discern their prospective future vocation. What a great place to begin! 

A viewing of the vocation video followed by a Don Bosco skit was performed at a discernment house and at the Catholic Center.   Three Salesian alumni: Francis Mijares (Immaculata-LaSalle), Eddy Neret (Immaculata-LaSalle, and Jimmy Sebesta (St. Pete Catholic) were on hand to help with the skit and give witness talks on how the Salesian charism had impacted their lives.  For sure, the reunion with these alumni was a highlight of the entire experience.

Of the 50,000 students presently at the University of Florida, 10,000 are Catholic.  The goal of the Catholic Student Center at St. Augustine, headed by Father David Ruchinski, is to reach all Catholic students on campus by offering various programs and ministries to help in their growth and formation.  We were fortunate enough to have new participants gather with us on January 14 at the Catholic Student Center for a late evening of ministry formation geared to empower students to appropriate their faith, and bring it to the larger campus environment. 

That is essentially the goal of this two-year program.  This tour consists of prayer, evangelization, and salvation history so as to bring awareness of our own calls and vocations. With continued prayer and determination, I’m off onto the next stop on the tour. Stay tuned!!

              

Sent Forth as the Beloved of God

Jesus’ baptism celebrates his rite of passage into public ministry, but it also concludes the Christmas season.  His baptism shows the relational mutuality exercised in the Trinity.  The heavens opened and Jesus encountered the Spirit who descended on him in the form of a dove (Mark 1:10).  While the Spirit brings Jesus the welcome greeting of peace, it will also thrust Jesus into the desert where he will be tempted and emptied in order to launch a campaign of mercy, compassion, and justice.

After the dove descends, then the voice of the Father says, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11).  For sure, the Father makes known the beloved relationship He shares with the Son.  Later, as Jesus enters into active ministry, he, too, relates to the beloved relationship by calling his Father Abba.  Intimacy defines their relational colloquy, that is, Jesus abides in the Father and the Father abides in the Son.  

As we conclude the Christmas season, we too are sent out in the name of Jesus.  As he was mutually in the company of the Spirit and the Father, likewise we are not alone in life since Jesus is a brother among us. We remember and hold dear the mutuality we share through our own baptisms.  We witness with Jesus by joining with other believers in promoting life and liberty which all began with Jesus.  

A Don Bosco Christmas

‘Twas the novena before Christmas and all through the residence,

there were candles and a crèche that pointed to God’s presence.

The decorations were up and the tree stood grand and tall,

and our house was made ready for a grand ole ball.

The youth at the parish and center had been prepared very well,

to be open for signs of His coming like a sleigh with its bell.

And Mama Margaret rallied all to one welcoming heart;

that Don Bosco desired to play his every part.

And so let everyone offer all that you can,

to make known how Jesus came among us as man.

Consecration Series - Part 1

Pope Francis’ apostolic letter to “All Consecrated People” provides us with the way to view how consecrated members of religious institutes are to embrace their relationship with God and live the Gospel more fully.  The letter was written in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Vatican II.  In Perfectae Caritatis, article five identifies virtue as the key for living the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience.  For the next series of blogs, we will explore how the theological and spiritual foundation of religious life disposes the Salesians to live the counsels.  By probing the internal sorts of Salesian consecrated life, the hoped-for outcome is to gain a better understanding and appreciation of religious life while learning how to embrace this life more fully in a contemporary setting.

Perfectae Caritatis expresses how religious are to respond to God’s call by living for God alone.  Religious dedicate the whole of their lives to a special consecration rooted in their baptismal consecration to live their baptism to the full.  Seeking God in this manner is always rooted in virtue.  For St. John Bosco, the whole of his life journey was a continuum to seek God which was influenced through the accompaniment of his mother Margaret, who taught him common sense and how pray three times a day; his friendship with Louis Comollo, who modeled to John how to keep one’s gaze on paradise; and his mentor Father Cafasso, who taught John how to use charity to win over the hearts of young men in prison.

Through these influences, John Bosco set up the environment of life in the oratory as a system of virtue such that learning was always rooted in reason, fairness, and charity.  Further, to be a disciple in this setting meant that everyone had to be open to share and give life to promote the virtue in others.  St. Dominic Savio was clearly a product of the system of virtue.  The exemplary way he modeled zeal for being available to his peers resulted from growing daily in his personal relationship with God through ardent prayer, peer relations, and loving service.  

With the models of St. John Bosco, St. Dominic Savio and countless others in our Salesian history, we embrace this call to "wake up the world" and pray for the consecrated in our community, for our fellow brothers and sisters around the world, and  those who have heard God's call to "Come, follow me" and are discerning.