Homily for Memorial of St. Ignatius Loyola

Homily for the Memorial of
St. Ignatius Loyola

July 31, 2025
Matt 13: 47-53
Collect
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

“The kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old” (Matt 13: 52).

St. Ignatius wounded in battle

Ignatius of Loyola lived in a revolutionary age.  He was born in the same year as Henry VIII, 8 years after Martin Luther.  He died 8 years before John Calvin did.  They were among the archetypes of the religious revolution that turned Europe upside down.

Ignatius brought forth the old in religious reformation:  the need for personal conversion and a radical commitment to Christ.  It was old, too, to find an impetus for that in the lives of the saints, which sparked Ignatius’s own conversion and reminds us of the power of good models and good mentors—for ourselves and our being such for others.

Ignatius’s spirituality was also new, his emphasis on the discernment of spirits, conveyed especially in his Spiritual Exercises.  His apostolic labors were new, appropriate to the age:  education, training the young in both the dramatically new forms of learning and in solid Christian formation; and missionary activity to reach the new worlds opened up by European exploration and commerce.

The collect suggests that we imitate Ignatius “in fighting the good fight on earth.”  That, of course, is an allusion to Ignatius’s military career, to his severe wounding in battle that began the course of his conversion, and to his founding of a “company”—a military term—to carry out Christ’s battle for souls against the archenemy of humanity, Satan, and against the reformers who were deforming Christian teaching and destroying the unity of the Church.  This Company of Jesus was a new approach from this householder, a new form of religious life, radically immersed in the world while constantly serving “the greater glory” of God’s name, ad maiorem Dei gloriam, as the collect states.

We all learned in our earliest catechism that the glory of God is our purpose in life:  “God made me to know him, to love him, and to serve him in this life and to be happy with him forever in the next.”  Ignatius adapted that old idea to the revolutionary age of 16th-century Europe and to the mission lands of Asia and America, whither he dispatched his troops.  We remain engaged in the same fight on God’s behalf—the battle for our own souls against the enemy of mankind and the battle for the souls of the young thru the education and mission work of our confreres.  Even in this house, we’re still engaged in the battle thru our prayer and our fraternal support of the troops on the front lines.

Homily for Wednesday, Week 17 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Wednesday
Week 17 of Ordinary Time

July 30, 2025
Matt 13: 44-46
Ex 34: 29-35
Salesian Missions, New Rochelle, N.Y.

Treasure in a Field, Goodly Pearl
(Window, Scots Church, Melbourne)

Jesus tells 2 brief parables today.  Both make the same point:  the supreme value of possessing the kingdom of heaven.  We could turn that around to mean being possessed by the kingdom of heaven.  Being possessed by Christ, belonging to Christ, is like finding buried treasure or a pearl beyond price.

You’ve all seen Jesus, our Blessed Mother, and other saints portrayed in art.  They almost always have haloes about their heads, like in our windows [pointing].  The aura of God’s holiness surrounds them.  They radiate the presence of God.  That was the case with Moses in the 1st reading:  “the skin of his face became radiant while he conversed with the Lord” (Ex 34:29).  He was so close to God thru prayer (conversation with the Lord) and thru his efforts to do God’s work that the divine light shone all thru him.  God possessed him and worked thru him.

Annunciation Window
(St. Catharine's Church, Spring Lake, N.J.)

That’s our purpose in life as followers of Jesus.  St. Paul compares Christians to Moses when he writes to the Corinthians, “All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Cor 3:18); i.e., the glory of the Lord is transferred to us and transforms us both inwardly and outwardly.  The saints radiate the glory of God in their words and actions.  When Christ takes possession of us, we have the greatest treasure you can imagine.

Five Days Looking Toward the Future

Five Days Looking Toward the Future

SDB Youth Ministry Department Meeting

(ANS – Rome – July 25, 2025) – Five days of intense dialog, discernment, and planning marked an important moment for the Salesian Congregation’s Youth Ministry Department. This gathering signaled the beginning of a new phase of work, with eyes set on the journey from 2025 to 2030.

A united team with a common goal

Fr. Rafael Bejarano (front, 3d from left), general councilor for youth ministry, brought together everyone involved in the department’s work. The central team included:

–       Fr. Francisco Cervantes, coordinator of the Development Office and contact person for oratories and youth centers, parishes, volunteer programs, joint formation, biblical ministry, and the Latin American region

–       Fr. Jose Lorberth Vivo, coordinator of the evangelization office, responsible for the Salesian Youth Movement, vocational training centers, catechesis, and the East Asia-Oceania region

–       Fr. Jerry Matsoumbou, responsible for youth ministry with a vocational focus, liturgical animation, youth prayer, art and sports, youth leadership and accompaniment, and contact for the Africa region

–       Fr. George Thadathil (back, 4th from right), general coordinator of the Salesian Institutions of Higher Education (IUS) and university residences, in charge of digital platforms and contact for the South Asia region

–       Fr. Oscar Lozano Rios, coordinator of the education office, responsible for schools, and representative at OIEC and the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education

–       Antonella Sinagoga (front, 4th from left), involved in youth and family ministry, mental and emotional health, budget management, and knowledge management

–       Andrea Montesano, in charge of logistics and social media

Additional collaborators and regional representatives

Also participating were external collaborators and those with specific roles:
–        Piero Fabris, responsible for sustainability and social reporting
–        Sara Sechi (front, 4th from right), advocacy representative at Don Bosco International in Brussels
–        Fr. Peter Rinderer, working on vulnerability and exclusion, representative at Don Bosco U.N. in Vienna, involved in sociopolitical issues, and contact for Europe
–        Fr. Antoine Farrugia (front, far right), safeguarding and human rights specialist, advocacy coordinator and representative at Don Bosco U.N. in Geneva
–        Marco Ferrarato, sustainability and social reporting
–        Andrea Farina, human rights
–        Fr. Piotr Wojnarowski, safeguarding
–        Fr. Mathew Panamkattu (front, 2d from right), advocacy representative at Don Bosco U.N. in New York

Laying foundations for the future

In a spirit of fraternity and shared responsibility, the group worked on present-day realities with the future in mind. The work sessions were well organized, with shared documents, carefully planned schedules, and alternating formation moments. Together, the team identified key directions for planning the coming years.

Core activities included analyzing internal structures, reviewing roles and priorities, and reflecting on current challenges.

Leadership and strategic input

The Rector Major, Fr. Fabio Attard (front, center), took part in a formation session, clearly outlining the path the department is called to follow. In another session, his vicar, Fr. Stefano Martoglio, officially presented the guidelines developed during the 29th General Chapter for the upcoming 6-year pastoral cycle.

An important meeting was also held among the departments operating at the central headquarters, allowing them to reconnect and begin a journey of synodality and co-responsibility.

Contributions from academic and institutional partners

Some formation moments were led by professors from the Pontifical Salesian University, including Fr. Rossano Sala, Fr. Gustavo Cavagnari, and Fr. Michal Vojtáš. A valuable contribution also came from the Vatican Commission for the Protection of Minors, which shared its efforts in safeguarding and extended an official invitation for the department to collaborate in this vital mission.

A renewed commitment

The meeting ended with a strong sense of having launched a vital synergy for the animation and accompaniment work to which the Youth Ministry Department is called in the coming years.

Homily for Memorial of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

Homily for the Memorial of
Sts. Martha, Mary, & Lazarus

July 29, 2025
1 John 4: 7-16
John 11: 19-27
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Christ in Martha's House (attr. Georg Stettner)

“In this way the love of God was revealed to us:  God sent his only-begotten Son into the world” (1 John 4: 9).

Abraham and Moses had personal encounters with God—we’ve been reading about them on recent Sundays and weekdays—and God spoke to the prophets.  Such revelations were rare and bespoke God’s transcendence, his otherness, and even a certain distance from us.

The revelation of God in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth is something else entirely.  Here’s a God who is close to us, befriends us, speaks to us mostly in language we understand.  All of which communicates to the people around Jesus that God loves them personally—communicates at least to those with open hearts for seeking God.

Jesus, the personal encounter with God, comes closer to some people than to others, exercising divine predilection.  So Peter, James, and John are closer to him than the rest of the 12.  So he chooses Lazarus and his sisters as a family to whom he can reveal God’s personal care in a way different than when he speaks to thousands at the lakeshore or in the fields.  They respond by sharing their home with him and recognizing his unique status in God:  “Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God” (1 John 4:15).

Jesus desires that each of us have such a relationship with him, a relationship of friendship and imitation that we love one another as our response to God’s loving us first (cf. 4:11).  To paraphrase Pope Francis, it’s more important that our love makes us believable disciples than that we merely believe.[1]  To that end, he touches us with his risen self in the Eucharist, so that we may both believe in him and live in him and never die (cf. John 11:26).

[1] Hope: The Autobiography, with Carlo Musso, trans. Richard Dixon (NY: Random House, 2025), p. 287.

9th General Assembly of DBVs

9th General Assembly of the Don Bosco Volunteers
“With Christ to Revive the Joy of the Call and the Passion of Witness”

(ANS – Rome – July 23, 2025) – The 9th General Assembly of the secular institute of the Don Bosco Volunteers (DBVs) began on July 17 with a Mass presided over by Cardinal Angel Fernandez Artime, SDB, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, rector major emeritus of the Salesians.

The DBVs, the 7th group of the Salesian Family (in order of recognition), were founded in Turin in 1917 by Blessed Philip Rinaldi, Don Bosco’s 3d successor.

The general assembly, the highest governing body of the Institute, brings together 80 DBV delegates, along with others serving in support roles (secretariat, translation, communication, etc.), all gathered to reflect on the theme “With Christ to Revive the Joy of the Call and the Passion of Witness.”

In his homily, Card. Fernandez reminded everyone that the DBV Institute exists not for itself, but as a faith-based reality where the Holy Spirit is the true protagonist. The life of each volunteer, he emphasized, should be centered on God, and in doing so will naturally grow the desire to bring the joy of the Gospel into the heart of the world.

Following the Mass, the DBV delegates and representatives of various groups of the Salesian Family formally opened the assembly.

The world coordinator of the DBVs highlighted the core theme of the assembly,
calling each DBV to renew her desire to live in Christ and to “fill the jars” of her life—allowing herself to be transformed into fruitful love.

Warm greetings followed:

• Card. Fernandez Artime stressed that this assembly is not just a celebration for the Institute, but a joy for the entire Salesian Family.
• Mother Chiara Cazzuola, superior general of the Salesian Sisters, expressed strong affection and emphasized the richness of communion between these 2 female branches of the Salesian Family.
• Antonio Boccia, world coordinator of the Salesian Cooperators, and the world leader of the Volunteers with Don Bosco (CDBs, a male secular institute), also conveyed their deep affection and support.

After the opening ceremony, the assembly moderator presented the schedule and shared some introductory notes. The evening concluded with a sisterly meal.

On Friday, July 18, a day of spiritual retreat was held, including meditations, Eucharistic adoration, and Mass—providing a time of personal reflection and inner preparation.

On Saturday, July 19, the official work began, guided by a structured and rich program that included moments of prayer, assembly work, spiritual reflection, and community life. The opening sessions featured the report of the world coordinator on the state of the Institute, the financial report, and the presentation of the internal regulations.

After electing secretaries and scrutineers, the delegates registered into working groups for reviewing and updating the base document—an activity that continued through Sunday, July 20. All proposals for amendments were submitted to the coordinating group.

On Monday, July 21, the assembly shared a special moment: a Jubilee pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Basilica. Work resumed in the afternoon with the discussion of the first proposed changes to the base document.

This same rhythm continued on July 22-24, focusing on the gradual study and provisional approval of the document’s 3 parts and related action plans, leading up to the final approval of the 9th General Assembly Document.

Throughout the week, fraternity among the volunteers was nurtured by evening activities, each animated by different DBV regions from around the world.

Friday, July 25, was dedicated to discernment: following personal prayer and silent adoration, the election of the new world coordinator and her vicar took place.

On Saturday, July 26, voting continued for the election of central councilors, followed by an opportunity for participants to offer suggestions to the new council. The day closed with a sisterly celebration.

The 9th General Assembly of the DBVs officially concluded on Sunday, July 27, with the final mandates to the central council, a farewell address by the newly elected world coordinator, and the closing Mass, marking both the end of the assembly and the beginning of a new chapter in the life of the Institute.

Homily for 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
17th Sunday of Ordinary Time

July 27, 2025
Luke 11: 1-13                                    
Villa Maria, Bronx
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx

The Lord's Prayer (James Tissot)

“One of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray’” (Luke 11: 1).

The gospels tell us often that Jesus prayed.  Today one of his disciples asks him to teach them how to pray.  We’re given 3 lessons.

The 1st and 3d lessons are what we are to pray for.  The 2d one is that we need to be persistent.  Our Old Testament reading (Gen 18: 20-32) also is an example of that.

St. Luke gives us a somewhat simpler version of what we often call the Lord’s Prayer, or more commonly, the Our Father.  We’re more familiar with St. Matthew’s version, which we find in the Sermon on the Mount (6:9-13).

1st, Jesus advises us to address God as our Father, as a loving parent, just as he prays to God his Father.  Then we pray that we and everyone will reverence God:  “hallowed be your name” (Luke 11:2); may your name be treated as sacred.  God’s name is holy; it represents God himself, like your name and my name standing for ourselves.  It’s disrespectful, therefore, to exclaim as so many people do, “O my God!” when they’re surprised or want to be emphatic.  No one invokes his mother’s name that way, nor should we invoke our Father’s.

We pray that God’s kingdom come, i.e., that God reign, that he rule our hearts and our actions.  How peaceful our neighborhoods and our world, even our families, would be if we truly tried to live the way God desires, the way that Jesus and his holy Mother model for us.  (She said, “Let it be done to me as you say” [Luke 1:38], and she lived her whole life that way.)

We pray for what we need to live.  “Bread” stands for everything.  Note that we pray in the plural, “Give us,” not “Give me.”  Everyone is a child of God, and everyone deserves God’s care:  Palestinians and Ukrainians, refugees and foreigners, the homeless, the sick, and even our enemies.

Yes, our enemies too.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands us to love them and to pray for those who persecute us (Matt 5:43-44).  So here in the Lord’s Prayer, he links the forgiveness of sins that we all need with our willingness to forgive others.  We may struggle to do that—no one pretends it’s easy—but we must desire that and at least pray for whoever has harmed us.  Jesus did that, as you know, when he asked his Father for forgive those who crucified him (Luke 23:34).

Jesus concludes his prayer with a plea for deliverance from “the final test” (11:4).  Obviously, that’s not a student’s prayer.  The gospels were written in a time of persecution (“pray for those who persecute you”), and such a time persists somewhere in every age, even in our own time in many parts of the world, such as Nigeria, Nicaragua, and India.  In his autobiography, Pope Francis wrote, “Even in the twenty-first century, ours is still a Church of martyrs.”[1]  In the face of persecution, many are tempted to deny Christ or even God himself in order to save their lives or their status.

Or, in the face of a horrible disaster—a storm, a flood, an earthquake, a vicious crime—we might rage against God for permitting that or blame him for causing it.  We pray to be delivered from such a test of our faith—persecution or disaster—lest we not be strong enuf, faithful enuf, to pass the test and, instead, flee from Jesus like the apostles when he was arrested.

Or, as we approach death, we might tremble so much for our sins that we despair of God’s mercy—a terrible final test!  But all we need do is throw ourselves into his arms.

I’ll pass over what Jesus says about persistence and come to his conclusion about our ultimate prayer:  for the gift of the Holy Spirit (11:13).  We can’t ask for anything more, anything greater, than that.  The Holy Spirit binds us to God, fills us with divine love, empowers us to live like Christ.  In the Holy Spirit is our salvation.  “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love.”

---

[1] Hope: The Autobiography, with Carlo Musso, trans. Richard Dixon (NY: Random House, 2025), p. 285.

Salesians Set Up Vocational Training in Georgia

Salesians Work to Establish Vocational Training Center in Georgia
Also includes boarding arrangement

(ANS – Tbilisi, Georgia – July 21, 2025) – Salesian missionaries in Tbilisi, capital of the republic of Georgia, are working to establish a vocational training center and residence for youths who are vulnerable. This project is supported in part by funding from Salesian Missions in New Rochelle. The center will offer education for 60-100 students older than age 16 who are want to gain employment skills. Up to 30 youths will live at the residence center while they complete their education.

[Editor’s note: In the early 1870s, Don Bosco considered taking up a work in Savannah in the U.S. state of Georgia.  That did not work out.  From 1974 to 1990, the Salesians had a presence in Fr. Mario Balbi, who was chaplain at the port.]

A Salesian explained, “The vocational courses will be short and oriented to students engaging and completing an internship. They will have the opportunity to live in the residence center for up to 5 years. Our goal is to ensure that poor and vulnerable youths are able to gain the skills for employment so they can become self-sufficient.”

The construction is still underway. With the funding from Salesian Missions, Salesians have installed an elevator to accommodate individuals with disabilities, made several significant improvements in the yard, installed a fire reservoir with a pumping station and piping, and put in place sewage and storm drainage systems. Once the construction of the vocational training center is completed, the Salesian community will need funds for furniture and equipment.

4 of the SDBs missioned to Tbilisi (October 2024 photo)
with Fr. Alfred Maravilla (center),
general councilor for missions at the time

Georgia borders Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia and gained its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. The country’s transition to a free-market economy allowed for persistent growth between 2010 and 2015 and a considerable reduction in poverty rates.

In 2022, Georgia’s poverty rate was at 15.6%, the lowest in its history, but those in poverty are still suffering. The World Bank reports that there are limited high-quality jobs and 1/3 of the population still relies on low-productivity agriculture for income. Many youths are not able to access secondary education. Only 50% of rural students and 43% for students from poor backgrounds complete their education, leaving them few opportunities for a stable future.

Source: Salesian Missions

Homily for Thursday, Week 16 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
Week 16 of Ordinary Time

July 24, 2025
Ex 19: 1-2, 9-11, 16-20
Matt 13: 10-17
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Moses on Mt. Sinai (Gustave Dore')

When the Lord speaks to Israel in the desert, it’s with thunder and lightning, clouds and trumpet blasts—not only with solemnity but with an element of terror.  God’s approach is literally terrific, terrifying.  Who wouldn’t tremble?  Only Moses can come close, and only he can act as mediator.

What a contrast with Jesus!  God comes to us now “meek and humble of heart” (Matt 11:29).  The crowds come to him, eager to hear him speak to them of God, to bring God down to them.  They don’t understand everything he teaches; not even his closest disciples do.  But they are blessed to have God among them, approachable and revealing “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (13:11), even the mystery of the heavenly Father.

The awesome God of Sinai has come among us, wants us close to him, wants us to enter the mystery of his life.  He remains with us in his Word, which we can ponder endlessly, seeking to understand.  He remains with us in his sacraments, which bind us ever more closely to him.  Blessed are our ears that hear Jesus, our eyes that see him.  Blessed are we whom he loves so deeply, whose company he desires.

Salesians Prepare for First Presence in Greece

Salesians Prepare for a First Presence in Greece

(ANS – Athens – July 21, 2025) - A new and promising chapter in the Salesian mission is about to begin in Greece. Last week, the general councilor for Missions, Fr. Jorge M. Crisafulli (at left in photo), accompanied by Fr. Pavel Zenisek of the Missions Department, visited the Salesian confreres currently serving in that country: Fr. Oscar Tuscano (formerly from Southern Italy), Fr. Rodil Lladones (North Philippines), and Fr. Marcin Wosiek (Krakow).

The missionaries are staying temporarily at the religious house of the Marist Brothers in Athens, but preparations are already underway for their relocation to the island of Syros, 4 hours by ferry from the capital. This move will mark the start of the first Salesian presence in Greece.

During their visit to Syros, the missionaries met with Bishop Sevastianos Rossolatos, the apostolic administrator of the diocese, as well as much of the local clergy. The island currently has 12 priests—both diocesan and religious—only 3 of whom are under the age of 70. The group also visited the nearby island of Tinos, where they met with Bishop Josif Printezis and the archbishop of Athens, Theodoros Kontidis, SJ, who led a spiritual retreat for the religious present.

“We received a warm and enthusiastic welcome,” said Fr. Crisafulli. “The bishops, clergy, religious, and active laypeople are all very supportive of our Congregation’s decision to begin Salesian activity in Syros. Expectations are high, but it’s just the beginning—we must act with wisdom, courage, and prudence. The greatest gift we can offer to the diocese and the young people of Syros is the charism of Don Bosco.”

With a population of 21,000 inhabitants, including nearly 9,000 Catholics, Syros offers a fertile ground for the Salesian mission. Starting in September, the missionaries will take on the pastoral care of several local parishes and focus their energy on youth ministry, an area currently almost non-existent on the island.

This new initiative marks a significant step forward in strengthening the Salesian presence in the Eastern Mediterranean. It aims to bring the spirit and mission of Don Bosco to a region eager for pastoral renewal. Supported by the local community, the missionaries’ efforts promise to be a beacon of hope for the youths and families of Syros and, potentially, other parts of Greece in the future.

Homily for Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

Homily for the Feast of
St. Mary Magdalene

July 22, 2025
Collect
John 20: 1-2, 11-18
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

St. Mary Magdalene
(Jan Van Scorel)

The Church has long acclaimed Mary of Magdala as the “apostle to the apostles.”  The collect strikes that note:  our Lord Jesus “entrusted” to her before all others the mission to “announce the great joy of the resurrection.”  Her mission began when she—with other holy women, not mentioned in John’s Gospel, altho she reports “we don’t know” (John 20:2) where his body’s gone—went to the tomb and found it empty, and, apparently, the guard gone.  John tells us she “ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple” to report (20:2) what she couldn’t fathom.  No one was expecting Jesus to rise.

Today’s gospel, as you know, skipped the passage about Peter and the Beloved Disciple racing to the tomb, their discovery of the burial cloths, and their not understanding what had happened, tho the Beloved “saw and believed” (20:8).  What he believed, John doesn’t say.

So Mary’s left alone at the empty tomb.  After a brief, inconclusive exchange with 2 angels, she “turned around and saw Jesus” (20:14).  We may interpret that language as an invitation to turn ourselves around, i.e., to be converted, so that we may see Jesus.  A change in our attitudes is necessary before we can perceive who he is and what he means for us, as Mary was converted when Jesus cast 7 demons out of her, according to Luke (8:2).

The other point to note is that Jesus recognizes Mary before she recognizes him (John 20:16).  St. Gregory the Great tells us:  “He calls her by name, as tho he were saying: Recognize me and I recognize you; for I do not know you as I know others; I know you as yourself.”[1]  It’s God who calls each of us uniquely to himself, God who knows who we are, God who invites our response.  Altho he commands Mary not to cling to him physically (20:17), like her we have to recognize him as our teacher (20:16).  He commands us not to call anyone else “rabbi” or “teacher,” for we have only one teacher, the Messiah (Matt 23:8,10).  And then we are to cling to him, not physically, but religiously, spiritually, and following Mary’s apostolic lead, to go to his brothers and sisters to announce to them that Christ our Lord lives (cf. John 20:17-18).

---

[1] Homily on the Gospels, Hom. 25, 1-2, 4-5, in LOH 3:1544.

Homily for 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Homily for the
16th Sunday of Ordinary Time

July 20, 2025
Gen 18: 1-10
Luke 10: 38-42
The Fountains, Tuckahoe, N.Y.
Our Lady of the Assumption, Bronx
St. Francis Xavier, Bronx

Abraham welcomes 3 visitors
(James Tissot)

“The Lord appeared to Abraham … as he sat in the entrance of his tent” (Gen 18: 1).

The story from Genesis today is about 2 matters, one primary and one secondary in this context.  The primary matter is the Lord’s visit to Abraham.  Without saying it explicitly, the Lord’s visit presents us with the Triune God.  The Lord (who is one) comes to Abraham in the appearance of 3 men.  This one-and-3 presence runs thru the story.

Abraham welcomes these unexpected visitors, practicing the most precious virtue of the people of the Middle East, the virtue of hospitality.  That virtue comes up also, as you surely noticed, in today’s gospel.

The 2d matter in the Genesis story is the imminent fulfillment, at long last, of God’s promise to Abraham that he and Sarah shall have a son.

The matter of the 3 visitors will lead us next week to yet another story, the reason behind the Lord’s unexpected appearance.  Come back next week—or pick up your Bible—to see where the story’s going.

Today Abraham is simply doing what he does every day, sitting in the shade of his tent during the day’s heat.  He has servants to see to his herds and flocks, and Sarah has servants to manage the domestic chores.  In this “everyday” setting, God comes to them.  God comes in the ordinary affairs of the day.

The Letter to the Hebrews advises us that in times past, God’s people by their hospitality unknowingly entertained angels (13:1).  That’s a reference to this story of Abraham.  Entertaining Angels is the title of a film biography of Dorothy Day—not because God came to her as he did to Abraham but because she welcomed the down and out of this world into her Catholic Worker homes.  She took to heart Christ’s words about caring for the hungry, thirsty, ragged, and sick as one would care for Christ himself.

When Pope Francis addressed Congress in September 2015, he told them, “Legislative activity is always best based on care for the people. To this you have been invited, called and convened by those who elected you.”  He went on to cite 4 great Americans who “offer us a way of seeing and interpreting reality” and of being “inspired … in the here and now of each day, to draw upon our deepest cultural reserves.”  Those 4 great Americans were Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton.

Dorothy Day, like Abraham, was able to see God present in her ordinary daily life and to offer his presence a kind of hospitality—not without struggle on how to “lift the heart to God, … except to say…, ‘Lord, I’ll have no time to think of Thee but do Thou think of me’”—as she, a single mother, dealt with raising her daughter and all the concerns of New York’s needy people, and prayed when she could “for Russia, for our own country, for our fellowmen, our fellow workers, for the sick, the starving, the dying, the dead.”  “So I must try harder,” she wrote, “to pause even for a fraction of a minute over and over again throughout the day, to reach toward God…,” besides in her few quiet moments in church or by her bed at day’s end.[1]

Such is a busy woman’s habit of welcoming God into her heart, not in a long, concentrated period of prayer but from one moment to another.  Such is the hospitality that Jesus proposes to his dear friend Martha, so busy scurrying about her kitchen and the dinner table, so fretful (Luke 10:40-41) because her sister Mary “has chosen the better part, sitting beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak” (40:39,42).  Both women were being hospitable to the Lord, like Abraham—0ne offering a meal and one her company.  We, likewise, can and must welcome the Lord into our homes—that warm place we call the heart—with prayer, listening to the Lord speak, and with going about our daily work and with tending to the people in our lives.  When we work and attend to others with Jesus at least in the back of our minds, with a general intention to love him and serve him, then we’re practicing the ancient Christian spirituality of the presence of God.  We’re prepared to “entertain angels” like Abraham or Dorothy Day.  We’re keeping Jesus present, whether we’re active like Martha or quiet like Mary.

---

[1] From On Pilgrimage (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), quoted in Magnificat, July 2025, pp. 279-280.

Builders of Peace and Development

Builders of Peace and Development

The Salesian Commitment in International Arenas

(ANS – New York – July 18, 2025) – From July 14 to 25, the High-Level Political Forum is taking place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Salesian Congregation, represented by Fr. Rafael Bejarano, general councilor for youth ministry, Fr. Mathew Thomas Panamkattu, the representative of the Salesians to the U.N., Fr. Antoine Farrugia, and Sara Sechi, is actively participating in this significant global event. This presence, supported by Salesian Missions of New Rochelle, highlights the Congregation’s commitment to global advocacy, particularly in connecting its work with the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Fr. Bejarano emphasized the deeply Salesian approach to promoting justice and peace, quoting Pope Paul VI: “Development is the new name for peace” (Populorum Progressio). He stated: “As Salesians, we work tirelessly to create a society more worthy of the human person. Our Constitutions call us to collaborate with all those building a better and more just world.”

The advocacy team of the Youth Ministry Department is working at the forum to amplify the voices of the most marginalized youths worldwide. Across six continents, Salesian environments—schools, parishes, centers supporting vulnerable and excluded youngsters, universities, technical training centers, and youth centers—operate with professionalism and apostolic passion.

Fr. Bejarano also highlighted the importance of the Salesian presence in international forums: “For nearly two decades, the Salesians have maintained accredited representation at the European Union in Brussels through Don Bosco International (DBI) and at the United Nations in New York through Don Bosco United Nations (DB UN). This ensures that our grassroots work is connected to global dialogue, fostering justice, peace, and integral human development.”

Homily for Thursday, Week 15 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Thursday
Week 15 of Ordinary Time

July 17, 2025
Ex 3: 13-20
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

Moses and the Burning Busch
(Gebhard Fugel)

“I am concerned about you and about the way you’re being treated in Egypt” (Ex 3: 16).

Ex 12:40 tells us that Israel dwelt in Egypt for 430 years.  We don’t know when their favored status changed and they became slaves; Ex 1:8 hints at a change of dynasty.  Nor do we know whether Israel in that time remained faithful to “the Lord, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob” (3:15) or whether, how soon, and how intensely they cried to him for deliverance.

We do know that the Lord was observing and was concerned, as we believe he observes and is concerned about the afflictions of millions today in too many places to list, the many whom we repeatedly call to his attention (so to speak) out of compassion for our unfortunate neighbors.

We also know that the Lord in his providence prepared Moses for the role of liberator.  We know God identified himself to Moses as the One in command of the situation:  “This is what you shall tell the children of Israel:  I AM sent me to you” (3:14)--a name that means more than Supreme Being; also the Supreme Cause, the One who makes things happen.  He promises Moses that he will overpower Pharaoh and effect Israel’s liberation (3:19-20).

He makes that promise to us, too, as we know.  He will liberate us from our oppressors:  sin, death, damnation.  We need to cry out to him and to put our trust in our liberator, our Lord Jesus.  God assured Moses that the Israelites would heed his message (3:18) and so experience God’s plan for them.  The Lord desires that we heed Jesus’ message and place our burdens, our fears, and our hopes on his shoulders; desires that we trust Jesus is the master of the situation and will provide rest for his people (Matt 11:28-30).

Salesian School in Odessa Expands

Salesian School in Odessa Expands

by Fr. Adam Nyk, SDB

(ANS – Odessa, Ukraine – July 14, 2025) – Despite the war in Ukraine, the Salesian community in Odessa continues its work. Taking advantage of the school’s summer break, work has begun on the construction of a new floor for classrooms and the re-roofing of the entire building.

The old roof was badly weathered and the school needed new space. In fact, given the growing demand from the population – which has increased because of the presence of war refugees from occupied areas – the Salesians decided to open a high school in addition to the elementary and middle schools, which have already existed for many years.

At the end of the works, there will be a large Salesian school center located in the middle of Odessa’s working-class neighborhoods, populated by numerous young people eager to study in a serene and peaceful atmosphere, permeated by Christian and human values in the style of Don Bosco.

This purely Salesian project was largely financed by Salesian headquarters, for whom everyone expressed great gratitude. “However,” they explain from Odessa, “we remain concerned about how to settle the finances to cover [all this], given the constant increase in the cost of building work in Ukraine. Here the Salesian community trusts in Divine Providence, which acts, as always, through people of goodwill.”

Once the works are completed and the war is over, all the faithful and friends of the Salesian Family will be invited to come and see not only the Salesian educational and pastoral activities but, it is hoped, also to spend a holiday period in a renovated and welcoming Odessa on the shores of the Black Sea.

Homily for Tuesday, Week 15 of Ordinary Time

Homily for Tuesday
Week 15 of Ordinary Time

July 15, 2025
Ex 2: 1-15
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

The Finding of Moses (Alta-Tadema, 1904)

“She took a papyrus basket … and placed it among the reeds on the river bank” (Ex 2: 3).

From the start of the story, the destiny of the child of this mother to rescue Israel is evident.  At least one commentator notes that he’s placed in a basket, tebah in Hebrew, the same word used in Gen 6-9 for the vessel that saved Noah and his family amid the waters of the flood, and the same word still used for the cabinet where the sacred scrolls are kept in a synagog.[1]  We’re speaking, then, of God’s action to preserve his people and carry out his saving will and the people’s action to preserve the memory of it.

The child’s mother places this “ark” among the reeds of the river bank.  Foreshadowing here:  Moses will lead God’s people across the Reed Sea—a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew yam suph than “Red Sea.”[2]  The child is saved in the reeds, and Israel will be saved thru what happens at the Sea of Reeds (Ex 13:18).

Finally, Pharaoh’s daughter names the child Moses because she “drew him out of the water” (2:10).  Later, he will draw or lead Israel thru the water.  The name’s Hebrew root means “rescue.”  That’s his destiny, by God’s grace.

Your name and mine isn’t related to our destiny until we’re named “Christian,” one who’s related to or belongs to Christ.  That’s the name by which we’re saved, rescued, drawn out of the water of rebirth.  So God places us in the ark of his Church and leads us thru or over the waters of death toward Mt. Sinai, toward his covenant relationship with us.

God appointed a destiny for Moses and slowly guided him to it.  He has appointed a destiny likewise for each of us and has been guiding us toward it for a very long time, ultimately toward the fulfillment of the covenant he sealed with us at Baptism.

---

[1] William T. Miller, The Book of Exodus Question by Question (NY: Paulist, 2009), p. 18.

[2] Ibid., pp. 18, 75.

The Most Famous Salesian Parishioner

The Most Famous Salesian Parishioner

Pope Leo XIV Celebrates Mass in Castel Gandolfo’s Parish

Foto ©: Vatican Media

(ANS – Castel Gandolfo, Italy – July 14, 2025) – On Sunday, July 13, the parish of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo experienced a historic moment when Pope Leo XIV presided over Mass there. He was the first Pope to do so in 13 years. The entire parish community—entrusted to the pastoral care of the Salesians of Don Bosco—was filled with joy and emotion.

At the Eucharist were Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, Bishop Vincenzo Viva of Albano, the rector major, Fr. Fabio Attard, his vicar, Fr. Stefano Martoglio, the pastor, Fr. Tadeusz Rozmus, the Salesians involved in the parish, the youth of the Salesian oratory, the faithful of the community, and numerous civil and religious authorities.

The presence of the Holy Father in this “small pontifical parish,” a treasure trove of spiritual and artistic history designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, was indeed a moment of grace. The visit served as an invitation to rediscover the value of communion and to strengthen solidarity in the hearts of all present.

An Invitation to the “Revolution of Love”

During his homily, Pope Leo offered a profound meditation on the parable of the Good Samaritan, emphasizing the importance of a “gaze” that comes from the heart. He explained how there are different ways of seeing: one that is “distracted and hurried,” another that “pretends not to see,” and then invited everyone to choose the “gaze of the heart,” capable of empathy and compassion. “The first gaze is the one God had toward us,” affirmed the Holy Father, recalling the figure of the Good Samaritan as an image of Jesus Christ, who came to heal humanity’s wounds with the oil of his love and mercy.

The Pontiff issued an appeal for a “revolution of love” in a world often marked by indifference and individualism. He invited everyone to care for those who suffer, without distinctions of nationality, religion, or affiliation. “Healed and loved by Christ, we too become a sign of his love and compassion in the world,” he concluded.

The Gestures of the Holy Father and Salesian Joy

At the conclusion of the celebration, the Pope presented Fr. Rozmus with a paten and chalice, symbols of communion and fraternity. “These liturgical instruments are an invitation to live in communion and to promote the fraternity we find in Jesus Christ,” explained the Pontiff.

A particularly joyful moment was the tribute from the youths of the Salesian oratory, who gifted the Pope a basketball, joking about a possible game with him, as signs of affection and gratitude.

The Reflections of the rector major

After the celebration, the rector major spoke to the confreres at the Salesian headquarters in Rome, sharing his reflections of the day. He emphasized that his presence, along with that of his Fr. Martoglio, at Castel Gandolfo for Mass with the Holy Father represented the closeness of the Salesian Congregation to the Pope and the Church.

Fr. Fabio recalled that during the singing of the Salve Regina at the end of the Mass, as he gazed at the statue of Mary Help of Christians, he noticed a significant detail: the Child Jesus in the statue bore the image of the Eucharist on his chest. He interpreted this as a powerful sign that recalls the pillars of Salesian spirituality: devotion to the Pope, to Mary Help of Christians, and to the Eucharist.

In his conversation with Pope Leo, the rector major assured the Holy Father of the fidelity, prayers, and support of the Salesian Congregation, as Don Bosco himself would have desired.

Finally, Fr. Fabio shared a thought he had while observing the Holy Father during the celebration of Mass: “Looking at the Pope, I could perceive the weight of the universal Church and the world that Pope Leo carries as the successor of St. Peter. It is an invitation for us Salesians to renew our fidelity to the Pope and to the Church.”

Concluding his reflection, Fr. Fabio recalled the message of the Good Samaritan shared by the Holy Father: “We are called to see, to stop, and to act with compassion. This symbolizes the essence of a meaningful and compassionate life.”

An unforgettable day for Castel Gandolfo and the Salesians

The visit of Pope Leo XIV to Castel Gandolfo will remain an indelible moment in the memory of the parish community and the Salesian Family of Castel Gandolfo. The celebration of Mass, the moments of prayer and fraternity, and the gestures of affection between the Holy Father and the youths of the oratory were a unique and grace-filled experience.

For the Salesians, this event represents a call to live Don Bosco’s mission with renewed zeal: to serve the young, the Church, and the world, with their gaze always fixed on Christ, with eyes of mercy and love.