During his lifetime, Don Bosco constantly advocated his boys and those around to grow in three devotions: to the Eucharist, to Mother Mary and to the Holy Father. However, if we review the impact of this in the Salesian tradition, one can very well grade them in the order of devotion to Mother Mary, to the Eucharist and to the Holy Father, in order of importance. Not that there is some sort of competition or conscious grading. It is just that devotion to Mother Mary stands out in the Salesian tradition, much more than the other two.
However, there is one devotion we Salesians of Don Bosco have not really bothered about: devotion to Don Bosco himself. After all, he is a Saint. A well known and worthy saint, at that. But somehow we never promoted among those with and around us the devotion to Don Bosco. A couple of years ago, just before the relic of Don Bosco was making its rounds in India, there was a move in one particular parish or place where the Salesians tried this out: spreading devotion to Don Bosco. I did not hear much about it anytime afterwards! The relic came and went, nothing much happened. I'm yet to meet any family or even individual who really 'reveres' Don Bosco as a saint, as most do with regard to saints like St Anthony, St Joseph, and so on.
That said, I don't think there is any need of making a great effort at 'spreading devotion to Don Bosco'. That very attempt would go against what Don Bosco wanted all his life. He wanted us all, especially young people, to grow up as loving children of Mother Mary and genuine disciples of Christ, with respect for the Church. He would hate himself being promoted at the cost of any or either of these.
However, there is one devotion we Salesians of Don Bosco have not really bothered about: devotion to Don Bosco himself. After all, he is a Saint. A well known and worthy saint, at that. But somehow we never promoted among those with and around us the devotion to Don Bosco. A couple of years ago, just before the relic of Don Bosco was making its rounds in India, there was a move in one particular parish or place where the Salesians tried this out: spreading devotion to Don Bosco. I did not hear much about it anytime afterwards! The relic came and went, nothing much happened. I'm yet to meet any family or even individual who really 'reveres' Don Bosco as a saint, as most do with regard to saints like St Anthony, St Joseph, and so on.
That said, I don't think there is any need of making a great effort at 'spreading devotion to Don Bosco'. That very attempt would go against what Don Bosco wanted all his life. He wanted us all, especially young people, to grow up as loving children of Mother Mary and genuine disciples of Christ, with respect for the Church. He would hate himself being promoted at the cost of any or either of these.
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