CIS NEWSLETTER  No. 50 - January 2008 On the steps of Don Bosco: Contemplative in action John Bosco was born of poor parents on a farm at Becchi, a hill-side hamlet near Castelnuovo, Piemont, Italy, on 16 August, 1815 and died on 31 January 1888. He was declared Saint by Pope Pius XI on Easter Sunday of 1934. Don Bosco never wrote a theological treatise on his spirituality. He wrote ‘The Memoirs’ (an account of events, inner moods, hopes and frustrations of a spiritual father) only under obedience of Pope Pius. Don Bosco lived in a spontaneous way what he felt that was good and worked naturally what he perceived was good to reach his aim. He based his spirituality on the two pillars of pastoral charity and ascetical discipline. Pastoral charity was the central virtue which inspired, influenced and moved all other virtues in the life and apostolate of Don Bosco. His life’s motto was: “Give me souls and take everything”. Following in the footsteps of Francis de Sales, Don Bosco was convinced that perfection is attainable by everyone, not doing anything extraordinary or exceptional but through practicing the ordinary virtues. He perceived that sanctity of that kind was suitable for young people. Don Bosco read and tried to live the ‘Imitation of Christ’, however his own spirituality was not one of flight from the world. He, of course, practiced detachment, interior self-denial, sorrow for sin but, given the active nature of his apostolate, he could not indulge in the luxury of mystical prayer or in the unbroken absorption in God of the contemplative. In the memoirs, Don Bosco does not speak explicitly about his moments of prayer. Don Bosco’s biographer, Eugene Ceria wrote that ‘Don Bosco did not spend a long time in meditation, as did other saints’. One the other hand, one who knew him said that Don Bosco never really stopped praying. Don Bosco’s Oratory was founded on prayer. The ethos of the Oratory reflected his own way of living and praying. St. John Bosco spirituality can be a model for those who are seeking a sanctity that is enhanced and perfected by apostolic action. Don Bosco’s spirituality proposes an apostolic holiness in the active life characterized of being able to achieve a vital union of being and action, consecration and mission, love of God and neighbour, prayer and unity and this realized in a saving mission for humankind. May Don Bosco’s spirituality as contemplative in action continue to be an inspiration for those involved in apostolic mission in today’s world! For your reflection:   As one striving for holiness in an active life, how do I try to achieve the union of being and action? Who do you know that live consecration and mission… love of God and neighbour concretely? How do you live this? In what ways do you feel united with Jesus in personal prayer and in participating in the Eucharist? How have you been called to become more involved with others as a result of your relationship with Jesus? Ms Rosaline Scicluna   Book Review The Cloud of Unknowing and the Book of Privy Counselling Edited with introduction by William Johnston. Image Book, Doubleday, 1973. ISBN 0-385-03097-5   Read this book again and again for it will yield treasures of love between you and God. It reminds me of how the love grows, how it progresses: from formal to a more intimate sharing of ideas, thoughts, desires, fears, wishes, plans. A time comes (usually), when the lovers stop talking and just listen to one another, and just be to and with one another. Just being near to one another, in union, says it all. The book reminded me of something from De Mello’s “Prayer of the Frog” (Vol. 1): The four stages of prayer: I talk, you listen; you talk, I listen; neither talks, both listen; neither talks, neither listens; silence. The book reminded me also of a prayer from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola (no.234): “Take Lord and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. You have given all to me. To you Lord I return it all. All is yours; dispose of all according to your will. Give me your love and your grace for this is sufficient for me.” Quoting De Mello again: “A word about getting out of your head: the head is not a very good place for prayer. It is not a bad place for starting your prayer. But if your prayer stays there too long and doesn’t move into the heart, it will gradually dry up and prove tiresome and frustrating. You must learn to move out of the area of thinking and talking, and move into the area of feeling, sensing, loving, intuiting. That is the area where contemplation is born and prayer becomes a transforming power and a source of never-ending delight and peace.” (Sadhana, p.13) The Book of Privy Counselling was written when the author was at a mature age. Make sure that you do read it. Note “The Cloud of Unknowing” (but not the “Book of Privy Counselling”) has been ‘edited and modernised’ by Bernard Bangley. Book published by Paraclete Press, Massachusetts, USA, 2006. ISBN 81-7109-771-5. ’ Fr Victor Degabriele, S.J.   Prayer To Our Lady, Help Of Christians By St. John Bosco Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christian, how sweet it is to come to your feet imploring your perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how can you, the most loving of all mothers forget me? Grant then to me, I implore you, your perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow, and especially in all my temptations. I ask for your unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through your intercessions many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked you on earth we may love and eternally thank you in heaven.   From the CIS Programme JANNAR Irtir għall-Ħaddiema tal-Id Id-dinja tax-xogħol għandha s-sabiħ u l-iebes tagħha. Dan l-irtir hu maħsub biex jgħin lill-Ħaddiema jifhmu aħjar ir-realtà li jgħixu fuq il-post tax-xogħol u jagħmlu minnha esperjenza nisranija. Data :     20 ta’ Jannar 2008 mid-9.00am sal-5.00pm (bl-ikel inkluż) Imexxi :  Fr Paul Deguara S.J. Post :     Mount St Joseph Retreat House, Mosta Nofs ta’ nhar ta’ riflessjoni fuq kif nuża l-immaġinazzjoni fit-talb (Kontemplazzjoni Injazjana) Tul dan in-nofs ta’ nhar ser naraw kif nistgħu nitolbu bl-Iskrittura billi nużaw l-immaġinazzjoni tagħna. Data :     26 ta’ Jannar 2008 mid-9.00am sas-1.00pm (bl-ikel inkluż) Tmexxi : Ms Mary Clare Camilleri Post :     Mount St Joseph Retreat House, Mosta FRAR   Ir-Randan : żmien il-konverżjoni. Irtir fis-silenzju bħala preparazzjoni għar-Randan. Data:     Mill-Ġimgħa, 1 ta’ Frar, 2008 fis-7.00 ta’ filgħaxija, sal-Ħadd, 3 ta’ Frar wara l-pranzu. Imexxi : Fr. Nazju Borg Post:     Dar Manresa, Victoria, Għawdex. Irtir ta’ Weekend għall-Miżżewġin Dan il-Weekend huwa okkażjoni għall-dawk il-koppji miżżewġa li jixtiequ jġeddu u jiċċelebraw il-wegħediet taż-żwieġ tagħhom. Din hija esperjenza spiritwali b’differenza. Il-Weekend huwa mfassal li jkun kreattiv fejn il-partners jirriflettu u jitolbu flimkien. Ikun hemm ħin ta’ sharing fi grupp magħmul minn 8 koppji. Dan il-Weekend joffri opportunità lill-koppji parteċipanti sabiex jiskopru dejjem aktar l-imħabba li Alla għandu għall-miżżewġin u l-familji tagħhom. Data:          Mill-Ġimgħa 8 Ta’ Frar, fis-6.00pm sal-Ħadd 10, fil-5.00pm Jiffaċillitaw: Il-Koppja Carmen u Karm Conti u Fr. Vince Magri S.J. Post:          Mount St. Joseph Retreat House – Mosta The Book of Psalms and Select Themes from the Spiritual Excercises of St Ignatius The Book of Psalms can be described as the prayer book of ancient Israel in poetic form. It was also taken over as a prayer book by the Christian Churches. The Psalms are written in first-class Hebrew poetic style, thereby succeeding to express the deepest yearnings of the ancient Israelites for God – both as individuals and as a community. The emotions of the Psalmist are expressed very graphically – and at times they seem to be harsh to the contemporary ear. In this weekend seminar, such aspects will be examined together with the main theological tenets of the Psalms. In turn these will be linked to select themes from the Spiritual Excercises of St Ignatius. Professor Anthony J. Frendo, Head of the Department of Arabic and Near Eastern Studies at the University of Malta, lectures on Ancient Near Eastern Studies. His special interests lie in Biblical Hebrew, the Bible, and Near Eastern Archaeology (mainly Biblical Archaeology). He is also interested in Ignatian Spirituality. Date:         From Friday 15th February at 6.30 pm till Sunday 17th at 5.00 pm Given by:   Prof. Anthony J. Frendo (Professor in Scripture and Biblical Archaeology) Place:       Mt St Joseph Retreat House, Targa Gap, Mosta. Irtir għall-Professjonisti. Dan l-irtir, li għandu storja twila, huwa miftuħ għall-professjonisti individwali. Dan l-irtir isir bil-Malti. Data :        Mill-Ġimgħa, 29 ta’ Frar, 2008 fis-7.00 ta’ filgħaxija sal-Ħadd, 2 ta’ Marzu, wara l-pranzu. Imexxi :     Fr. Godwin Preca, SJ Post:         Dar Manresa, Victoria, Għawdex.