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20091214 青年慈父與導師 Father and Teacher of Youth

十二月十八日是「慈幼會」成立一百五十週年。「慈幼會Salesian」由聖若望.鮑思高John Bosco神父創辦,其教育青年三大方法是理智、宗教和仁愛。

理智

假如我們不認識,就很難去愛;故此,聖若望.鮑思高神父相信要年青人熱愛信仰,必定要通過教授要理,讓他們認識自己的信仰。其實,早在一八四一年十二月八日,聖人已開始教導年青人:當時,他予一個未初領聖體的年幼孤兒講解要理,以教導他恭劃十字聖號作開端。不久,這孤兒又帶同了他的朋友一起學習;這樣,學習的人數漸漸增多,遂把這學習小組冠以「慶禮院Oratory」名稱。由於參與的青年日眾,鮑思高神父干脆開辦寄宿學校收容他們。團體不斷壯大之時,有些青年也跟隨聖人渡修道的生活;聖人因此在一八五九年十二月十九日成立了聖方濟.沙雷修會The Congregation of St. Francis de Sales,乃後來普認的「慈幼會」。

過去一百五十年,慈幼會會士灌輸了以千計的青年,對信仰、學術和工業技能的認識,使他們身心健康成長。

宗教

慈幼會的精神支柱是「聖體、告解和熱愛聖母」。聖若望.鮑思高神父更推崇這三大支柱,是培育和保守貞潔的良方。

方濟會會士Franciscans強調神貧的重要,道明會會士Dominicans注重聽命,聖鮑思高神父的慈幼會會Salesians士則着重貞潔之德;他們提倡「工作、祈禱和玩耍」,以保守貞潔和其它德行,也因此孕育了不少年青的聖召。

天主在很多兒童的心靈內賜下了聖召的種子,可惜很多人在青年期喪失了聖召。良好的環境和影響才能培育聖召。讓青年們藉祈禱和聖事感受到宗教的神聖是非常重要的。今日, 很多年青人都熱衷於朝拜聖體。希望在這些年青人中,能見到更多聖召得以培育。

仁愛

「臨在」是愛的表現。慈幼會其中一項特色,就是會士們與青年人為伍,看顧他們。青年們有神父臨在,除轉達天主對他們的愛以外,更能有效地幫助他們躲避犯罪的機會。移民加拿大前,我曾在慈幼會辦的中學就讀五年,神父們的臨在,對我印象甚為深刻,也推動了我嚮往做一位有聖德的神父。今天,作為一位神父,我源用「臨在」的方式,接觸我在堂區和學校所服務的青年。

慈幼會會士愛青年人: 對青年人表示欣賞和信任,對他們友善,耐心聆聽他們,同時,也和他們在運動場上一起嬉戲。聖若望.鮑思高神父努力賺得青年們的心,好能導他們向善。

但願一總的教育工作者都被聖若望.鮑思高和慈幼會的精神所啟發。

December 18 will be the 150th anniversary of the Salesians Congregation. The Salesians Order was founded by St. John Bosco. The Salesians methods of education are: reason, religion, and kindness.

Reason

St. John Bosco believed in thorough catechetical instructions for young people. We cannot love what we do not know. In order to love our holy religion, we must know it. In fact, St. John Bosco began his works for young people as a priest on December 8, 1841 when he gave catechetical instruction to a young boy. This young boy was an orphan who had not received his First Communion. The first lesson St. John Bosco taught him was the Sign of the Cross. Later, this young boy brought other friends to St. John Bosco for instructions, and eventually the group of boys was formed into a group called the Oratory. The group continued to grow, and finally St. John Bosco opened a boarding school for them. When the school become too small, St. John Bosco opened other schools. Some of St. John Bosco’s students followed him into the religious life, and on December 19, 1859, the Congregation of St. Francis de Sales (the Salesians) was born.

In the last 150 years, the Salesians have imparted religious, academic, and technical knowledge to many thousands of students, helping them to grow humanly, intellectually, and spiritually.

Religion

Holy Eucharist, Confession, and Devotion of Mary are the pillars of the Salesians spirituality. St. John Bosco proposed these supernatural means as effectively ways to safeguard and foster of the virtue of chastity.

St. John Bosco valued the virtue of chastity. The Franciscans emphasize the virtue of poverty, the Dominicans emphasize the virtue of obedience, and the Salesians emphasize the virtue of chastity. The Salesians strive to provide young people a healthy atmosphere of “work, pray and play” to safeguard purity and to foster virtues. Many vocations have been fostered in the Salesians environment. Many young children have the germ of a vocation, but if vocations are not fostered they can easily be lost during high school years. Good surroundings and influences help to foster vocations. It is very important to help young people to be in touch with the holy especially through prayer and Sacraments. It is very edifying to see that many young people today are devoted to Eucharistic adoration, and I hope that this will help to foster many vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Kindness

“Being presence” is the language of love. One of the characteristics of the Salesians is the apostolate of presence and watchfulness. The presence of religious priests and brothers among young boys is an effective way to prevent them from sinning. This presence is also a sign of God’s loving presence among the young. Before I came to Canada, I studied five years at a Saleians high school in Hong Kong. The language of presence of the Salesians is one of the things that I remember best and this is one of the important factors that prompted me to consider the holy priesthood. Now, as a priest, I strive to speak the same language to the young people entrusted to my pastoral care.

The Salesians also showed kindness to young people by: appreciation of efforts, friendliness, listen patiently to the personal concerns of students, and playing with students on the playground. St. John Bosco’s first care was to win the heart of the student in order to guide him effectively to goodness.

Let us pray that all Catholic educators be inspired by the life of St. John Bosco and by the works of the Salesians Congregation.