The just shall flourish like the palm tree

St Joseph has always been an important saint in my family. My paternal grandfather and grandmother were both named for St Joseph and 19 March was always the occasion for my father to take us all to their home, armed with le zeppole di san Giuseppe (a special southern Italian pastry made only for the feast of St Joseph). My grandparents celebrated this day more than their birthdays (which they really did not celebrate) and, since I was named for them, this was the day that I celebrated. I soon figured out that St Joseph was worth a lot more than my birthdate, and so this day became special to me.

In all the years that I passed this feast in Italy, it was always a very important feast day. For Italians, it is Fathers Day. For the Salesians, it is the feast of the lay Salesians… On this feast in 2007, there were 8 of us in the Gesù Maestro community that celebrated this day as our own. The memory of it keeps me glowing still.

So this year at Don Bosco Hall, we celebrated the day in great style… and there are three of us with the name. I had the sense that it was like my birthday also because the wishes were directed toward me. I am grateful for it all…

St Francis de Sales not only had special devotion to St Joseph; he was one of the first, along with St Teresa of Jesus, to promote this devotion. Since I was the principal celebrant at the community mass this morning, I was looking for some words from our St Francis about St Joseph. Only later in the day did I find something that a friend sent to me. It comes from the Spiritual Conferences.

In Conference XIX, St. Francis de Sales made the following observation about the virtues of St. Joseph:

St. Joseph is most justly said to resemble the palm tree, for he was always constant, persevering, strong and valiant. There is a distinction to be made among these virtues. We call people constant when they remain firm and are prepared to suffer the assaults of the enemy, without surprise or loss of courage during combat. Perseverance has chiefly to do with a certain weariness of mind which comes upon us when we have suffered a long time, and this weariness is as powerful an enemy as we can meet: perseverance enables us to disregard this enemy by a continual calmness and submission to the will of God. Strength makes us vigorously resist the attacks of our enemies, and valor is a virtue that makes us not only hold ourselves in readiness to fight or to offer resistance when the occasion presents itself, but also to attack the enemy at the moment when our adversary least expects it.

Wishing one and all a very happy feast of St Joseph (buona festa di papà).

Had to do it finally

My third visit to Dr Gary Hale in five weeks -- two more fillings (instead of the originally planned 4). The visit began with the doctor's assistant making casts of my teeth so that the famous night-guard can be made for me. I will have to return next week for that piece. Then the work on drilling and fillings. The pain killer (with the disinfectant tasting like piña coledas) did its trick. I had no idea what the doctor was doing in my mouth. I just tried to comply as best I could, mourning the fact that now, at age 59, I have fillings for the first time. Still, I did not have time to think about that. My preoccupation was not to choke while he was working on me.

The trip to and from the dental office was made pleasant by the podcasts of Vatican Radio. They are transmitting some wonderful programs for the start of Lent. I'm so pleased by the iPod technology which allows me to have this immediate contact with Italy with the daily downloads of mp3 files. This was something unheard of even 5 years ago. Now it is part of my daily experience.

So, my Roma bocca della verità is a mouth (bocca) that is materially a little far from Roma and host to six fillings…

Better news; better mood

Made my return visit to Doctor Khun Huang this morning. The analysis of my blood yielded more favorable results than last August, but varies with that of October. My blood sugar is slightly up over October, but low compared to August. The bad cholesterol is down respect to both August and October, and the good cholesterol is up (for the first time in a year). But I am still on the borderline for diabetes, or pre-diabetes.

The medication that I have been taken has left me weak, do Dr Khun is putting me on a new prescription. Now I just have to find a pharmacy, since my favourite place, Elephant Pharm, closed down a month ago.

Throughout the day I have gotten encouragement from friends. Terence, my former student, who has a similar condition, put it into words: “This is great news!! Coping with Diabetes means knowing about it!!”

All in all, it is good news and I am in a better mood tonight than I have been all month.

Some ways that the young make a difference

My friend and companion of ordination, Michael Gergen, is spending this year in Guadalajara. We have been in-touch over the last few months, and I note how he is enjoying his stay among Salesians of a very different cultural and spiritual context. It is exciting to see his enthusiasm, really.

Mike writes today in an email you said that this is the first time in decades that you are in a Salesian setting where there are many young Salesians. Being in a province where there are young Salesians is a great encouragement. You are filled with hope and a sense of the future. You can also become more aware of new ways of responding to the gospel and to Don Bosco's call for youth because the young Salesians bring fresh voices to the tradition.

This is what experienced in 1990-1994 when I was at the UPS working on my licentiate and doctorate. I was 40 when I was sent to Rome for advanced studies; the majority of those from other provinces were between the ages of 31 and 33. Most thought that I was younger than I was because of other factors, but I really appreciated those younger Salesians who were still very full of the first joy of their apostolic lives. Just being with them changed my understanding of a lot of aspects of the Salesian vocation.

Sadly, our province never had time for young Salesians even when, in our youth, there were many of us. We were more work oriented than mission oriented, I feel. I say after thinking about it, pondering it for the last 18 years. We never made much space for young Salesians. The kids, yes yes of course -- but young Salesians? Not really.

Now there are just a few… but my effort is always to make space for them: to hear their ideas, to share stories, to let them take leadership. We have some interesting prenovices this year too, and they have a lot to offer. Some of us are trying to give them opportunities and encouragement to do so… This may be the last chance.

Excuse my ranting, please. This is not said as a complaint against the province. My intent is to try to understand how we have worked hard in the USA but been unable to flourish. I say it with with a hope that we may respond more fruitfully in the near future.