A Son of Don Bosco Indeed

This blog features an interview with Deacon Michael Eguino. As he prepares for his ordination, we took the time to speak to this Salesian High Alum on his vocation journey at this special point. Deacon Mike will be ordained a Salesian priest by His Eminence Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan on Saturday, June 27, 2015 in Bronx, New York.

What is symbolized in the image of your ordination prayer card? How does that image characterize for you what the sacrament of Holy Orders is all about?
When searching for an image for my prayer card, I was looking for something unique. The image is of a priest's hands offering mass. It shows the symbolism of the sacrifice of the mass; that it is truly Christ’s body and blood that we receive in the Eucharist. What impresses me is that I will taking and offering what is bread and wine and it will become the body and blood of the Lord. The image overall spoke powerfully to me.

Why did you choose Joshua 1:9 as the quote for your prayer card?
Again, I wanted something unique, a phrase which I haven’t heard too often. I think the quote relates to my vocational call because as a Salesian I will not know necessary where I will go, or what I will be doing. Nevertheless, I'm going to have to not fear because the Lord will be with me. I know the Lord will accompany me. I may go far from family, home, my culture, but I know the Lord will be there for me, with me, and will act through me, and will meet me through those I meet.

What is the most important grace for you to ask for as a newly ordained Salesian priest?

I don’t know? Because this will be such an impactful part of my journey, I can only ask God to be with me and keep me.  I do plan on keeping the following personal prayer in my heart during the ordination:
    "Lord you created me, you know me, you know my      
      heart, you’ve walked with me on this journey. You
      know my needs, I ask that you fill me with the grace
      that will  most benefit me, even if I may not be aware
      of it."

Waking Up the World with Hungry Hungry Hippos

Since Pope Francis spoke to an audience of religious superiors in 2014 at World Youth Day in Rio de Janiero about “Waking up the World,” that quote has gained much notoriety.  The quotable message stresses how we are to live prophetic lives, make the Church attractive to youth, become more generous and willing to sacrifice, and talk to youth in a language that will resonate meaning and compassion to them.

         Waking up the world is an art form that can open young people to discipleship.  Pope Francis has written about how we need to “go out of ourselves” before we can be wake up others.  This entails that we have the intentional desire to alert youth to know that we are “in their corner” in life.  Young people knew that St. John Bosco was out for them because he identified with their real needs during an industrial era where a hard work ethic lacked a balance with play.  By promoting the experience and memories of playing in the playground, the youth enjoyed each other’s company and came to relate better with Salesians and collaborators, and for that matter, the world. 

Two weeks ago, Br. Craig Spence and I had an opportunity to visit with the St. Frances Cabrini Youth Group in Brooklyn, NY for their Tuesday evening program. To say that we thoroughly enjoyed our time with this extension of the Salesian family would not be enough.  When we entered their meeting room, we were asked to join in a friendly live action version of the game “Hungry Hungry, Hippos”. Some of you may have seen this new recess craze all over YouTube wherein participants ride around on small scooters and gather as many balloons from the center of the room as they can before their team pulls them back to base. I thought it was such a new, cool way to bring this cherished board game to life.  In fact, during the game it was hard to tell whether the youth or adults were having more fun.  That activity set the mode for the rest of the evening because the youth felt engaged and comfortable in a compelling way to relate with others.   Later, when Craig and I presented our vocation witnesses and session to them, we were well received for the presentations because the youth group had gotten off to a great start and genuine bonds had formed.

  The live action recess version of Hungry, Hungry, Hippos was transformed into a recreational game by a teacher who had the instinct  to create  an indoor playground experience when there was too much snow to have recess outside.  This teacher crafted a great way to “wake up youth” to see their indoors as their new playground.  As this teacher “woke up the world” for youth during heavy snows, how can we wake up youth wherever they might be?  At church? At youth groups? Through the use of social media?  Or, how might we wake up youth this summer as the heat index increases?   Both Jesus and Don Bosco continue to serve as examples of Pope Francis’ now iconic phrase. They went to the young people where they were and woke them up to love of God and the faith, not with giant productions or lengthy lessons but rather with a simple genuine care to see everyone  joyfully come to God with open hearts and take His love all in…..much like Hungry, hungry hippos take it all in!

Beatitudes Imitating Christ

 For Salesians around the world, May 6^th is one of those days with a special meaning.  It is the feast day of one of St. John Bosco’s most memorable students from the Oratory, Dominic Savio.  Though his time in the Oratory and with Don Bosco was a brief one, Dominic Savio’s experiences and willingness to be a servant of God left a lasting impact on Don Bosco’s heart and on Salesian life.
 Prior to joining the oratory, there’s an incident that characterizes Dominic’s disposition for peer relations when he was a student at Mondonio.  In the absence of their teacher, two classmates stuffed the iron stove that heated the room with snow and debris.  The two feared they would be kicked out of school and blamed the affair on Dominic.  The teacher, Fr. Cagliero proceeded to rebuke Dominic publically in front of the class while Dominic took it silently.  The next day, the real pranksters were discovered.  When Dominic was asked about his silence, he pointed out that he was willing to take the scolding over the thought of his classmates being expelled.  Further, Dominic said that he was imitating Jesus who remained silent when he was judged unjustly in the trial that led to his Passion.  

This school incident showed Dominic’s demeanor to live out the Beatitudes early on.  He tried to envision how Jesus would want him to live, especially in peer relations.  By frequenting the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation, Dominic put on an attitude of Christ and by carefully choosing his peers, an alliance of discipleship was formed.

Living out the Beatitudes radically transforms our lives to be united with Jesus in the breaking in of the kingdom for the here and hereafter.  Fr.  Rafael Borges, SDB framed that living as beatitudes has five requirements which can be recited with the fingers on one hand—Always  Be Joyful, With Christ, For the Church, In the World.

• Always practice simplicity of life like Mary who pondered Christ in her heart (Luke 2: 51)
• Be Joyful in the Lord always, for “this is the day the Lord has made” (Psalm 118:24)
• With Christ, we listen for what God desires to make of us (John 2: 1-5)
• For the Church, we live as a community of believers as The Body of Christ
• In the world, we prepare to be  good Christians and  honorable citizens 

Vocations Festival, Everyone!!!

In my recent travels all around to different Salesian works, I have noticed two messages resonated throughout them all. One is that when the Salesian Family comes together, we do so in amazing ways to celebrate being Salesian, honor Don Bosco, and give glory to God. The second message, which has fueled my work as the director of vocations, has been that everyone in the Salesian family values vocations and helping those who have a call from God explore and follow that journey. Fr. Gus Baek organized a Vocation Festival for the Korean community on Sunday April 26 at the Marian Shrine in Stony Point, NY.  There were about five hundred youth, youth ministers, parents, religious and clergy in attendance from parishes in the tri-state area.  The day consisted of a youth music rally, a mass, a Korean food festival in the picnic area, and vocation talks. The audience was filled with joy and excitement about being together in fellowship and supporting vocations in our world.

 

The homily drew from Pope Francis’ words on World Day of Prayer for Vocations.  A Christian vocation is meant to draw us out of ourselves so that we have a greater capacity and yearning to serve and find God’s presence revealed to us in new ways.  We gain forward movement in our vocation when we leave our egos behind and place Christ at the center.  If we live our Christian vocations as an “Exodus journey,” by leaving behind what is not needed, we can then recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd. I can’t wait to see where else my travels take me next on my own Exodus Journey!

Vocation: An experience From Exodus to Life Anew

In the April 2015 issue of the Catholic News Service, Carol Glatz covered Pope Francis’ message on vocations for World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The most striking image and challenge from the Holy Father was for the world to look at vocations as an “exodus to joyfully leave behind all that enslaves us so that we are freed to journey to the Promised Land”. Such a powerful image captures much of what our faith is about and connects all of the parts of our Church’s history to present day. Just as God’s chosen people left their enslavement in Egypt to trust God’s plan for them in the Promised Land, so too must those discerning vocations and those who have committed to Religious Life leave those things that anchor them in one place to move towards bringing about God’s plan for salvation on earth.

In John Bosco’s life, he had to move from a mentality of maintaining order with the young to an attitude of winning over their hearts.  Moreover, he had to let go of control and meet the youth as a good shepherd, making charity as the core of the relationship.

This grass roots approach to charity was inspired by Fr. Joseph Cafasso, John Bosco’s mentor in prison ministry. Early on, the young inmates would treat Fr. Cafasso with disdain and resist his pastoral approach.  But Cafasso slowly won them over by bringing them fresh bread and food.  As trust developed in this ministry, Fr. Cafasso could guide the inmates to look at the future anew where they could make something of substance with their lives after completing their term.

The word prison connotes being locked up.  All of us can get locked up by habits that keep us from living a way that brings about abundance (John 10:10).  By living well an exodus experience, we can let go of habits that impede us from hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd, who laid down his own life to lead us to the Promised Land.  By listening to and abiding with the Good Shepherd, we become God’s free agents to guide others to the Promised Land, especially those in greatest need, where charity and service abound. 

Thus, on this World Day of Prayer for Vocations we join together with the Holy Church to pray for all people- that they may open to hearing their vocational calls and bravely choose to answer it. We ask God to be with those who have answered the call presently- that they may be at peace and filled with joy in all their prayers and works.

 If you are being called to something more, answer!