PASSION FOR CHRIST AND COMPASSION FOR THE YOUNG
Who was Jesus? He is the Son of God,
the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Our Saviour. For me, he is not just
that; he is the compassionate face of God the Almighty. Based on the Latin
roots of the word, the meaning of compassion (cum = with, passio
= suffering) is to ‘suffer with.’ Jesus incarnated in our midst to suffer with
us. All through the gospels we see that Jesus was moved with compassion. When
he encountered the multitude, the paralytic, the blind Bartimaeus, the ten
lepers, the dead son of the widow of Naim he had compassion on them. Jesus
asked the same from his disciples too,
Be compassionate.
Being compassionate is not feeling sympathy or pity for
others. It is much more than that. It is being an active presence in their
life. It is embracing one’s heart with your heart, more than advising or
suggesting a solution, it is conveying a message that I am present in your
life. I am ready to walk with you, laugh with you and ready to suffer with you.
When we
examine the life of Don Bosco he also had
done the same. When he realized that youngsters from various surroundings of
Italy were exploited in the city of Turin, he was moved with compassion. He
realized that they are missing the simple joys of life like singing, dancing,
playing games and more especially the spiritual aspect of life. He understood
that they all lacked paternal affection. So he became a father to the
fatherless, and was present throughout their life. He started oratories not
merely as a solution to their problems but he wanted it to be a place where he
can be with them and help them, to be in communion with Jesus.
He
encountered many difficulties but he was not ready to give up his work of
saving the young souls. Christ was his passion and encountered the same Christ
in every youngster he met. He vowed that he will live for them till the last
breath of his life. Youngsters felt that they are in safe hands, whom had been
sent by God. He was sure that the work he had taken up is the work of Christ.
The thirst Christ had on the cross was embodied in Don Bosco’s compassion for
the young. “For you I study, for you I work…”.
When Don
Bosco said he loved his youngsters more than anyone or anything in this world
it was not an exaggeration. In turn those youngsters fell in love with him. They
enjoyed his presence and experienced the compassionate heart of a good
shepherd. The youngsters encountered Don Bosco as a man always in communion
with God, one who raised his voice for their personal sanctification, one who
helped them to grow physically, mentally and spiritually.
Like
Christ he became a servant: the servant of the young. As we follow Christ in
the footsteps of Don Bosco, we, the Salesians, are also called to be mystics
(to have passionate hearts for Christ), prophets (courageous to be witnesses of
Christ in a world possessed by materialism and consumerism) and servants (men
of compassion, especially towards the young).
Jose Alunkal sdb
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