STRENNA09 Comment (Am)

STRENNA 2009 Commentary150th anniversary of the Foundation of the Salesian Congregation“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is thesmallest of all the seeds but when it has grown it is the biggest shrub of all and becomes a tree sothat the birds of the air come and shelter in its branches” (Matt 13:31-32)My Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Salesian Family,I greet you with the heart of Don Bosco, from whose zeal and pastoral charity was born ourspiritual and apostolic family. We are the most beautiful and rich fruit of his total giving ofhimself to God and of his passion to see young people – especially those who were the poorest,the most needy and at risk – achieve the fullness of life in Christ.After the strennas of the last three years, so propositive and demanding, here I am once again tooffer you one even more urgent, demanding, and promising. It has all to do with our identity andour mission. In fact, it is on that that our more visible presence in the Church and in societydepends, and our more effective activity in facing up to the great challenges of today’s world.2009 ought to help us to make ever more actual Don Bosco’s conviction that the education of theyoung requires a large network of people dedicated to them and a determined synergy in theefforts made to reach the goals that the young expect and that are significant for society.Therefore in Don Bosco’s name I ask you:Let us commit ...