One year Journey with Jesus and Mary

My dear friends of ADMA,

Here we are at the end of this formative and pastoral year which, with the feast of Mary Help of Christians on the 24th May, the feast of the Consolata on the 20th June, and the final meetings and activities before the summer break, is coming to an end.

Shall we then spend a moment to do a little review individually, as a family and as an Association!

First of all, we want to give thanks for the many gifts received this year: the new groups formed around the world, the new Associates, the gift of our priests and guides, the small and big graces received by so many of us, especially the gift of faith. Like Don Bosco, we must never cease to give thanks to the Lord, touched by the gifts He gives us through the intercession of His Mother.

Let us then reflect on our journey this year; how we have come closer to the hearts of Jesus and Mary; whether our groups have always focused on relationships and that simple style that inspired Don Bosco to found ADMA; whether we have made progress in communion and sharing; if our belonging to ADMA and the formation programme has led us to spend ourselves in the apostolate and in service.

How many questions could we ask ourselves, never to judge one another or to make a human evaluation of our work but to grow in faith, accompanied by God’s mercy.

It is good then to pause and try to pick up the thread of our journey this year, from September until today. We have tried to go back to the essentials, to the roots of our belonging and more to the roots of our faith, drawing from the deepest sources of Christian, Salesian and Marian spirituality.

We did this first of all individually, putting our inner life at the centre, and then joining hands with members and with all the groups associated with the Primary ADMA, being accompanied by the Word of God, by Don Bosco and by St. Francis de Sales.

We made an itinerary in ten stages, all of immense value: rediscovering ourselves as children and feeling loved by God to begin, nurturing our relationship with Him in prayer, growing in trust and confidence in the Lord even in difficulties, nourishing ourselves with the immense gift of the Eucharist, learning, like Mary, to do everything out of love, rediscovering joy, exercising our virtues, going to meet the Father and His embrace in the sacrament of reconciliation, looking to Mary in her attitudes and finally remaining united with God in our daily lives.

So, during the summer break from pastoral activities and work, let us try to find a little space for reflection to look back on our journey. Let us be guided by Mary, asking her to take us back to where our hearts have been vibrating, to make us re-trace our steps to that point where the Lord is waiting for us to take us into His embrace and let us continue our journey by His side.

Renato Valera, President, ADMA, Valdocco

Alejandro Guevara, Spiritual Animator, ADMA, Valdocco