Rome (Italy). On 26 December 2020, the Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime, presents Strenna 2021 ‘Moved by Hope’: “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21: 5) to the Salesian Family.
In the afternoon, the Rector Major shares the theme of Strenna 2021 with a group of Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in the FMA Generalate in Rome.
The Reflection on Hope was introduced through a video presentation of Strenna 2021, produced by the Department of Social Communication, ANS and the IME Communication Srl Production Team.
Set in the city of Naples (Italy), with an interweaving of images and testimonies of young people and educators, the problems and hardships of today’s society are presented: dignity, integration, loneliness, injustice, poverty, as well as some places and experiences to learn and exercise hope today.
Fr. Ángel, allowing himself to be asked some questions, proposes a conversation on the main themes of Strenna 2021.
Questioned by the world reality
The world reality cannot be ignored and therefore, as Salesian Family and as Christians, what answers can we give to continue to express the certainty of being ‘moved by hope’? It is God in His Spirit who makes ‘all things new’. As Salesian Family, we need to reflect the love of God, the light that makes all things new, be a ray of hope, the hand that helps change values and visions, transforming difficulties into opportunities to seek authenticity and a true, transformative encounter.
How can we foster communion, unite our efforts for a more just and better society? Don Bosco lived his whole life moved by hope, facing many painful situations. He taught that the journey of faith and hope give the strength and courage to act and bring about changes.
Don Bosco looked beyond the problems, and his strength was faith and hope. The Salesian response to the present moment is to propose a journey of authentic faith and to form oneself to hope, in the certainty that God is near, sustains us, and accompanies us.
Witness to Hope
– By encouraging young people to live life as a celebration and faith as happiness.
– By prayer as a school of hope, where the encounter with God, the Love that saves, is renewed. Prayer that is listening and encounter, transforms and opens minds and hearts to service, solidarity, and peace.
– By acting, by living the sense of fatigue of daily life, committing oneself to transform situations of precariousness, hunger, poverty into full life for others and for young people.
– By suffering, allowing oneself to be educated by God, to overcome the most difficult moments by taking a ‘step forward’.
– Recognizing ourselves in the suffering of the other, opening ourselves to solidarity, to human fraternity as it was for Mother Maddalena Morano FMA, who spent her entire life for the poorest, the most needy and marginalized, always with a gaze of hope.
With Mary, Star of Hope
Look to Mary who in her Yes to God awakened every hope for humanity. She experienced solitude in the Angel’s announcement, suffering in seeing her son misunderstood, rejected; she knew pain under the Cross, but she remained with the disciples as ‘Mother of Hope’.
The Mother General of the FMA Institute, Sr. Yvonne Reungoat concludes: “Hope is a gift from God and a commitment to translate it concretely as Salesian Family, uniting the many lights of hope present in the hearts of the poorest throughout the world.”
In the evening, the Faculty of Communication Sciences of the Salesian Pontifical University – Rome, launched in live-streaming on the Facebook channel Ans, with comments in five languages, the presentation video of Strenna 2021 “Moved by Hope”.
In an interview, the Rector Major gives the whole Salesian Family words of hope and commitment:
- Grow in humanity, learn the essentials of life and have a far-sighted gaze.
- Form yourself to live hope, bring it where you are and where you act. Hope is not just looking forward, it is already here in everyday life, and the Salesian Family is called to make concrete choices in order to be close to the young, the poor, and the excluded.
- Nourish being loved by God from forever. Witness to everyone the One who is the reason for Hope, the God of Jesus Christ and His Gospel.
- Walk together as the Salesian Family to continue to realize Don Bosco’s dream today, in the certainty that it is God who “makes all things new”.
“Hope is the new light that is reflected through our eyes.
LET’S ILLUMINE THIS WORLD TOGETHER.”
