Juan Edmundo Vecchi – “Letter of the Rector Major” in “Acts of the General Council of the salesian society of St John Bosco”

The Rector Major is writing at the outset of the jubilee year dedicated to God our Father, the source of every good gift. Among these gifts, after Baptism and Christian life, lies the special grace of consecration, which he previously invited everyone to reflect upon. He continues by emphasizing the importance of virginity or the celibate state, stating that it is a precious gift of divine grace given by the Father to certain souls, enabling them to devote themselves more easily to God alone with an undivided heart. Therefore, he suggests further reflections on this aspect of consecration. The Constitutions highlight the particular role this gift plays in the Salesian charism, describing it as “a love for God and for the young that has no limits.”

Contents:

• 1. Chastity for the Kingdom. What we have professed
  • The cultural climate
  • The inspiring certainty: a love which proclaims the Risen One and awaits him
• 2. Chastity and the salesian charism
  • In the wake of a tradition
  • At the service of educative love
  • A sign of complete self-donation
  • “Almost a requirement for education”
  • Enriching and complementary nature
• 3. The process towards maturity
  • A challenging development
  • A course to be followed
  • Vocational discernment and initial formation
  • The role of the community
  • Conclusion: The force of a prophecy

Reference time period: 1999

Reference institution:
Direzione Generale SDB