Don Bosco and the Eucharist Saturday 28 January 2012

On January 28^th last about 76 members of the Salesian family (Fma, Sdb and laity) gathered in the De La Salle Pastoral Centre, Castletown for a day of input and reflection on “Don Bosco and the Eucharist”. The time was opportune as in June this year, Dublin will host the International Eucharistic Congress and we are also in a time of preparation for the Bi-centenary of the birth of St. John Bosco. The event was organised by a small group of FMA. The speaker was a well-known Salesian – Fr. Jack Finnegan. Our hope for the day was that we would be spiritually nourished and also enjoy sharing a meal and friendship together,

We were not disappointed.

After an introductory word and a welcome to all by Sr. Mary Doran, Provincial of the Salesian Sisters, Fr. Jack made his presentation accompanied by PPT.

It is difficult to do justice to the depth and breadth of this talk.

 Beginning with the Jewish meal ritual as a source of the Eucharist and   its complexity with many potential levels of meaning, he referred to the Emmaus story where hearts “burned”.   He asked the group: “When was the last time your heart was on fire after the Eucharist, or after a homily on that topic”?

In the global and technological revolution of today, so different from the Industrial Revolution in Don Bosco’s time, we must link Eucharist to life otherwise we miss the whole point of the Eucharist in Don Bosco’s spirituality.

The Eucharist was the nourishment which enabled our founder to meet the challenges of his time and place. For us, it has to be the answer to the challenges we now meet especially as we try to reach out to those who are needy and vulnerable, as we try to see the wholeness present even behind the fragmentation of our times.  It is not enough to find the Eucharist comforting… it is a “disturbing grace” where, if we allow it, we will be moved to continue Don Bosco’s mission to and on behalf of the young. He referred to the dream of the two columns – devotion to the Eucharist and to Mary – in the storms of post - modernity and post-secularism when the faith-life of the whole Church seems shaky, the Eucharist is our anchor.  “What pillars do I anchor my life to”?

We were encouraged to see the Eucharist as Don Bosco did - a saving healing encounter with Christ in His life, death and resurrection; a sacrament not for saints, but for those who want to grow; the definitive relationship of humanity with God in Christ; the Eucharist at the heart of our care for the earth… everything in life is connected to the Eucharist.

In the afternoon after sharing a meal, we had a very meaningful celebration of the Eucharist, which, because it was unhurried, allowed us to absorb some of what we had heard. The final part of the Mass was a quiet moment where we silently sent out to the whole world, something of the vastness of God’s love and mercy which we had experienced.