Negombo (Sri Lanka). From 6 to 12 September 2020 the Novices of Sacred Heart of Jesus Novitiate of Negombo (Sri Lanka), of the Indian Province St. Thomas the Apostle (INM), celebrated the “The Preventive System Week”.
For the novices, this week was an opportunity to better assimilate the contents of Don Bosco’s Preventive System explored during the lessons, making a small experience of the educational method and Salesian spirituality.
Starting from Don Bosco’s phrase: “The educator must have the paternity of Saint Joseph and the maternity of Mary to make Jesus grow in the soul of every young person”, the Novices, with the guidance of the Formator and the Assistant, scheduled activities and moments of prayer for each day, taking inspiration from the Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (1Cor 13: 1-13), “the gift of love”. All the Novices were involved in the preparation of the days with the recitation of episodes from the life of Don Bosco and songs on the theme of the Preventive System.
On 6 September, through a moment of animation with the presentation of the days, the whole community was invited to participate in the initiative. On 8 September, the feast of the Nativity of Mary, Don Bosco’s devotion to Mary was highlighted. The three pillars of the Preventive System – Reason, Religion, and Loving Kindness – were shown through a Power Point, accompanied by games and skits conducted by the novices. The last day was dedicated to a celebration to thank the Lord and Mary Help of Christians who inspired the Preventive System in Don Bosco.
At the end of the week, the pupils of the School and the community of the Auxilium Convent of Negombo were invited to spend a day in the Novitiate dedicated to the Preventive System. The Novices animated the day through singing, prayer, and the actualization of the elements of the PS in today’s youth reality, starting with episodes in the life of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello. The Formator, Sr. Siriapushpam Mathew, concluded the day with a thought on living in the presence of God and thanked the Novices for their commitment to study and make their own the fundamental elements of Salesian Spirituality.
Congratulations dear Novices. Happy to see you all growing in the spirit of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello. keep up! Assure you of my prayers.
Congratulations to the Novitiate community of Sri Lanka! So happy to see also the Novices who spent a year or two of their Postulancy in the Philippines, those I have met in Negombo. God bless all of you and may you grow to be Holy FMA.
Thank you dear Sr Kathleen!
I felt good to see your blessings for the INM Province- the Novices in SriLanka. Thank you very much!
I’m praying much for you and your good health. Please keep me too in your prayers!
I remember you with gratitude!
It is an inspiration. Thanks for sharing the experience
I am so happy to discover that you now have your own novitiate in Sri Lanka. What wonderful growth. I rejoice with all of you and wish you every blessing. I am amazed at the growth since I made the visit. I see from the web that sr. Siripushpam is now your Novice Mistress. May God bless each one of you. I send you my affection and Irish blessings. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Kathleen Taylor fma
Thank you so much dear Sr. Kathleen for your kind appreciation. Do support us with your prayers. At present the Novices re in different communities for apostolic and community experience. Loving wishes form all our novices. How nice to hear from you. Hope you are keeping good health. Thanks once again. with love.