Rome (Italy). The Mother General of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Sister Yvonne Reungoat, in Circular No. 1004, on behalf of the FMA Institute expresses her gratitude to Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, for the first fruits of the presentation of Strenna 2021, on 26 December 2020.
Strenna 2021, on the theme “Moved by hope: “See, I am making all things new” (Rev 21:5)”, constitutes for the Salesian Family “a gift to be accepted from God and a challenge to be faced with evangelical courage and a Salesian heart” and calls everyone in this time of trial and uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic, to let themselves be “moved” by hope .
Presenting the Strenna, the Rector Major specifies that the theme does not simply refer to an optimism linked to the mentality of the world, but to Christian hope that is based on faith in God, an interior dynamism that comes from the Holy Spirit, which requires the willingness to let oneself be formed.
Hope is the attitude for recognizing the signs of ‘new life’ that are budding forth, to proclaim with joy, especially to young people, that a new Spring can be born. The Salesian Family, following the example of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello who “hoped against all hope”, is called to make this difficult season flourish:
“As Salesian Family we have the possibility, through the energy that comes to us from the charism, to give evangelical answers to the various unprecedented emergencies, to write in humility, with creativity and resourcefulness, a new page of salvation, while being aware of our fragility and our weaknesses.”
Mother Yvonne shares the joy of the news coming from the FMA communities of the world, which recount their creativity in living the educational and evangelizing mission together with young people and the laity, through choices of moderation and gestures of solidarity to bring relief and hope to families in difficulty.
To live together a journey during which to express the strength of the Salesian charism lived in evangelical hope, Mother takes up some of the commitments suggested by the Rector Major in the commentary on Strenna 2021 and proposes them to all the Educating Communities. In particular, she emphasizes fidelity to prayer lived as a “school of hope” and educational-evangelizing action towards the poorest young people, marked by hope, promoting quality education as an indispensable prerequisite for protecting the common home and promoting human fraternity, according to what Pope Francis says in the Video message for the launch of Mission 4.7 and the Global Compact on Education: “Education is always an act of hope.”
Mother General ends the Circular by assuring the Rector Major of the commitment to live the proposal offered in the Strenna as a renewed appeal to be Communities that radiate hope, and wishing the FMA, the laity, young people, and families a 2021 of hope, serenity, health, and concrete solidarity towards each brother and sister, welcomed with the love and mercy that Jesus puts in our heart.
Gracias al Rector Mayor Don Angel Artime,por el Aguinaldo centrada en la Esperanza Cristiana,que nos lleva a Jesús Resucitado. y a Madre Yvonne, por dar una respuesta centrada en la oración y fidelidad al Carisma salesiano,en este tiempo de incertidumbre,tenemos el Apoyo en la comunidad y en la Iglesia de aunar fuerzas para ir al encuentro de los mas necesitados…un abrazo misionero Sor Aida
Gracias por su mensaje.