THE JOY OF BEING A SALESIAN

Yeah... you see these youngsters... so full of life... they live with passion for life. They fight to win and enjoy moment of victory like they have conquered the world...
But for many of them real life is quite a different story. They are labeled as failures or good for nothing at times. They are accused of being worthless.
Give them little appreciation, love & encouragement and your see how their entire life is transformed... They forget the pain and take on the stage... rocking and turning the world upside down.

Young people need to be told that they are loved.
If you tell them that, then they will teach you how to live life.
I feel thrilled when I see them happy. I am a salesian working for the young.... but working with them is like learning how to be happy. I teach them how to live. They teach me how to live happily.
have you ever thought what it would be if you were called to be a Salesian
Think about it... it may be God telling you where to find true happiness... in the midst of young people.

That you are young is enough to make me love you very much.
-Don Bosco

The "R. A. C. E."

"R" for "Reading". Reading refers to constantly learning more about my faith, about the teaching of the Church, about Christ and His plans, whether by reading books, listening to tapes, attending lectures and study circles etc. if I make no effort to learn Christ's point of view, I will end up adopting someone Else's point of view-the TV's, the newspaper's, my boss',my professor's? In our "age of information"' with Church teaching available from myriad sources, we have no excuse for not knowing what we believe.

"A" for "Apostolate". An "apostle" is someone who is "sent out" to perform a task. When we become followers of Christ we are given the all-important task to: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."(Mt. 28:19-2) If a cell is not reproducing, it is probably dying; if I am not bringing others closer to Christ, I am probably not close to Christ myself.

"C" is for "Cross". The Cross -suffering, sacrifice, self-denial- was Christ's chosen instrument to redeem the world, to reestablish communion between God and man. If self-denial and sacrifice(i.e. doing things God's way when I would prefer to do things some other way, accepting the trials he allows me to undergo even when they make my heart bleed) are not present in our lives, how can we stay close to Christ? As Christ put it: "Then he said to all, "If anyone one wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."(lk. 9-23)He didn't make it optional.

"E"for "Encouragement". We can't do it alone. There are no Christian "Lone Rangers" -at least, not for long. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them"(Mt. `18-2-). We need the encouragement of friends and companions who share our priorities, and we need the encouragement of those who are further along on the journey, who can guide and direct us.

In Short... If we frequent the sacraments, pray & fulfill the purpose for which God has created me then we can run the "RACE" in order to win.

THE MEANING OF LIFE

God created us in order to live in communion with Him, to know and love Him, to serve Him, and in that way to experience the fullness of life that He wants to give us. As the Catechism puts it: "Man is made to live in communion with god in whom he finds happiness" (Catechism of Catholic Church, #45).