For a Eucharistic life

For all believers in Pakistan to have the possibility of receiving the Sacraments

We pray that Catholics may place the celebration of the Eucharist at the heart of their lives, transforming human relationships in a very deep way and opening to the encounter with God and all their brothers and sisters.                 

[Prayer intention of Pope Francis]

CAGLIERO11_176, JULY 2023

Dear friends,

Greetings from Valdocco where our mission sector team is concluding a special event. For the first time we have organised, directed by Fr. Reginaldo Cordeiro, a training course for 18 young missionaries who have already been staying a few months, or even a year or two, in their new destinations. This was not our original intention. We did not plan to organize it; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic they had not been able to come to Italy to participate in the regular September course.

It turned out to be very beneficial in the end, because these young confreres from African countries and Vietnam already have some missionary experience, and it seems that the course was not just a theoretical question for them, but rather a mirror of their ongoing missionary experience.

We see, once again, how obstacles and handicaps can become great opportunities and advantages.

▀ Fr. Pavel Ženíšek, SDB

Member of the Missions Sector

Eucharist and missionary life                    

“The Church draws her life from the Eucharist”. In 2003, Pope (St.) John Paul II used these words to begin his encyclical on the Eucharist “Ecclesia de Eucaristia”, explaining the mystery of the Church and the Eucharist. The Eucharist has nourished the Church throughout history and, in the Eucharist, Christ continues to gift himself – his body and blood – for nourishing our life even today. The Eucharist is essentially linked to the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. In fact, Jesus asks his disciples to do the same in his memory, and in their doing so, he makes himself a real life-giving presence in the Eucharist for all times. Eucharist is, therefore, the person of Christ. Fall in love with him!

The Eucharist gives strength to the missionary in his/her call to continue to make Christ present in the world today. The self-gift of Christ celebrated in the Eucharist inspires the self-gift of the missionary. He/she becomes a sign and bearer of the love of God, making it felt in his/her relationship with people.

Don Bosco was a saint of the Eucharist who educated his young people with the Eucharist as a central element and highpoint in his pastoral activity. One of the recommendations that he gave to the first missionaries on their departure to South America in 1875 was: “Constantly promote devotion to Mary Help of Christians and to the Blessed Sacrament”.

Here are some modern saints of the Eucharist:

• St. Teresa of Calcutta says, “Once you understand the Eucharist, you can never leave the Church. Not because the Church won’t let you, but because your heart won’t let you.”
• St. José Sánchez del Río is a Mexican teenager who was martyred at the age of fourteen and canonized in 2016. His life was marked by an ardent love for Jesus in the Eucharist. When his captors told him to either renounce his faith or be executed, his reply was: “My faith is not for sale.”
• Blessed Carlo Acutis, a young Italian teenager who died at the age of fifteen, and was beatified in 2020, attained sanctity at such a young age because the Eucharist was at the centre of his life. His slogan was, “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.”

▀ Fr. Shaji J. Puykunnel, SDB

Professor of Sacred Scripture

Università Pontificia Salesiana Rome

WHAT DO THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN NEED?

Dear Faraz, this month's theme is "Eucharistic life"; How does the Eucharist specifically affect your life?

As a religious the Eucharist is the centre of my life. In it I perceive the real presence of the Lord, the one I have chosen to follow. The Eucharist as a Sacrament makes the Lord present in my life every day. Furthermore, it puts me in communion, not only with the confreres of my community, but with the whole Salesian family and with all the faithful of the Holy Church, even if thousands of kilometers away.

What do today's young people in Pakistan need most and how can we help them?

In my opinion young people in Pakistan need someone who can be a teacher, a father, a friend and an educator for them; just as St. John Bosco was for the young people of Turin in the 1800s. The young people of Pakistan have so much potential to become good Christians and honest citizens, despite the fact that they face discrimination, persecution and violation of freedom every day. To survive in this context, it is necessary for our young people to learn manual work, as well as receive a more academic education. Here too the obstacles are numerous, as it is difficult for Christians to access the human and economic resources needed for effective educational structures.

As a young Pakistani Salesian in formation, how do you see the future of Salesian work in Pakistan, especially after Father Gabo [Gabriel Cruz Trejo] - the leader of the mission - was forced to leave your country?

As a young Salesian in formation, I see the future of Salesian works in Pakistan fruitful, prosperous and blessed by the Lord, because everything we do in Pakistan is for the greater glory of God and for the salvation of souls. I would like to emphasize that when God entrusts someone with a mission to accomplish, He also ensures the necessary means to succeed. The Salesians in Pakistan, as also Father Gabo, are carrying out the mission of God entrusted to them, imitating Don Bosco's approach of total reliance on God's divine providence, both for human resources and for material means. The Salesians offer a high level technical and academic education, also thanks to the numerous benefactors who continuously offer their support. In this way and thanks to this collaboration, a solid future can be built for the young people of Pakistan.

Finally, I would like to request your prayers for the Salesian works in Pakistan.