【慈幼通訊社
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2014
年
03
月
26
日羅馬慈幼會總部訊】
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總會長范達民神父(Ángel
Fernández Artime)首天的
工作異常繁重，可能感到疲累，但一定喜樂。那一天，他陪伴著全代會成員，以及眾多前來向他致以問候、感恩、祝願或祈禱的賓客。
3月25日星期二，直至很晚才結束。晚餐過後，舉行豐富的慶祝活動，節目甚多，包括音樂及來自各區的全代會成員組別的表演，以及羅馬周邊的慈幼會及母佑會國際團體代表的演出。
總會長幾次表示，這並非發表政策的場合，卻是表達信任與感恩之情的時候。「從來沒有像今天一樣，我如此明白到眾多聖經章節中，人們面對天主的召叫時，感到力有不逮的心情。然而最終我卻以信德接受。『有我的恩寵為你夠了。』祂的恩寵為我們足夠了。」(短片請按此)
在信賴上主的同時，我懷著感恩之情。我感謝眾多慈幼會士，因為查偉思神父多次重申：「會士是修會最寶貴的財富。這是我每一天要記著的深刻信念。我願永不忘掉。」
他繼續說：「感謝來自世界每一角落的每一位會士因他的生命及慈幼會聖召。我僅代表眾多青年，以及代表願意我們為青年福祉服務的鮑思高神父，感謝你們每一位。」
3月26日星期三的早上，總會長主持感恩聖祭(短片請按此)。他的講道受到申命紀的說話所啟發：「以色列，請聽……你們才能生活，才能進入並佔領上主你們祖先的天主賜給你們的地方……。」
總會長以自己代入這些說話演繹說：「我感到上主再一次告訴我：『現在，我的兒子，請聽……』祂要求我用心聆聽你們每一位，整個慈幼大家庭，以及青年的哭訴。祂要求我聆聽我的兄弟們，和你們一起，永不離開你們。……鮑思高神父是一位聆聽者：他知道如何了解處於社會邊緣青年的需要。」
聆聽本身並不是一個終結。我們聆聽，是為了服務。「請聽……你們才能進入並佔領上主你們祖先的天主賜給你們的地方……。這是青年的地方，處於各種情況下青年的地方，我們在新數碼世界中找到他們，也能在古老傳統地方找到他們。佔領地方並不表示要成為主人，卻要成為僕人。就像梅瑟在西乃山曠野一樣，將你腳上的鞋脫下，因為你所站的地方是聖地。青年的生命就如燃燒中的荊棘，天主從那裡向我們的心靈說話，期待著我們在那裡與祂相會。」
GC27: Listen in order to serve; the Rector Major’s first day
(ANS - RMG –Roma, 26 March 2014) – Fr Ángel Fernández Artime’s first day as Rector Major was intense and maybe also tiring, but certainly joyful. He spent it in the company of the Chapter members and many visitors who came to offer a greeting, a thank you, a wish or a prayer.
Tuesday, 25 March, finished late. After the evening meal there was a lengthy celebration with musical items and presentations by groups of Chapter members from the different Regions, and by representatives of the international communities of Salesians and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians from around Rome.
Several times the new Rector Major said that this was not the time for policy declarations, but time to express feelings of trust and gratitude. "Today, more than ever before, I understand the many passages in the Bible where people who are called by God feel that he is asking of them something that is beyond their strength. But in the end, I accept in faith. ‘My grace is sufficient for you.’ His grace is enough for us."
As well as trust in God, I also feel gratitude. I am grateful to the many Salesian confreres because, as Fr Chávez stressed repeatedly, "the confreres are the greatest wealth of the Congregation. This is the profound conviction that I would like to have in mind every day. I don’t want ever to forget it."
He continued: "Thanks to every confrere in every part of the world for his life and his Salesian vocation. On behalf of the young people and of Don Bosco who wants us for their sake, I want to thank you all."
This morning, Wednesday 26 March, the Rector Major presided at the Eucharist. His homily was inspired by the words of Deuteronomy: "Listen, Israel (...) that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, gives you ... ".
Making these words his own, the Rector Major said: "I feel that the Lord is telling me once again:'Now, my son, listen ... ' He is asking me to listen attentively to each of you, to the whole Salesian family and to the cries of the young. He is asking me to listen to my brothers, together with you and never without you. (...) Don Bosco was a man who listened: he knew how to interpret the needs of the most abandoned young people."
Listening is not an end in itself. We listen in order to serve. "Listen … and take possession of the land which the Lord gives you. It is the land of young people, in all kinds of situations, in the new digital world and also in the old traditional places where we find them. Taking possession of the land does not mean becoming masters, but servants, like Moses in the Sinai desert. Take off your sandals, for the lives of our young people are sacred. The lives of young people are the burning bush from which God speaks to our hearts, and where God is waiting for us to meet with Him."