Fr Sean, the other day while celebrating Mass, accidently stated that Mother Mary was Holy Spirit for Don Bosco. However, he then did realize that it was not very untrue either.
I sat in the Chapel after Mass reflecting on this odd comparison. The more I viewed it from my knowledge of Don Bosco and his ways of going about, the more true I found it to be. Don Bosco rarely spoke of the Holy Spirit. He certainly was no 'charismatic' preacher or advocate of the Holy Spirit. However, everyone who has read his life or known him will vouch for the fact that he was an ardent devotee of Mother Mary. So much so, I wonder if he ever mentioned Mary the same number of times as he mentioned Jesus in his whole lifetime. Not to say that he considered Mother Mary to be greater than Jesus or the Holy Spirit. None of that theological debate. But if Holy Spirit is something that is considered as all-pervading and ever involved, for Don Bosco that was exactly how he viewed Mother Mary, as ever loving, all-pervading, and always close at hand.
Hence in our Salesian tradition, we have a central place for Mother Mary. Perhaps someday someone may wish to research the role of the Holy Spirit and Mother Mary in Don Bosco's life and the Salesian tradition. I will not be surprised if he or she comes to the same conclusion: Mother Mary as the Holy Spirit, in the Salesian tradition!
I sat in the Chapel after Mass reflecting on this odd comparison. The more I viewed it from my knowledge of Don Bosco and his ways of going about, the more true I found it to be. Don Bosco rarely spoke of the Holy Spirit. He certainly was no 'charismatic' preacher or advocate of the Holy Spirit. However, everyone who has read his life or known him will vouch for the fact that he was an ardent devotee of Mother Mary. So much so, I wonder if he ever mentioned Mary the same number of times as he mentioned Jesus in his whole lifetime. Not to say that he considered Mother Mary to be greater than Jesus or the Holy Spirit. None of that theological debate. But if Holy Spirit is something that is considered as all-pervading and ever involved, for Don Bosco that was exactly how he viewed Mother Mary, as ever loving, all-pervading, and always close at hand.
Hence in our Salesian tradition, we have a central place for Mother Mary. Perhaps someday someone may wish to research the role of the Holy Spirit and Mother Mary in Don Bosco's life and the Salesian tradition. I will not be surprised if he or she comes to the same conclusion: Mother Mary as the Holy Spirit, in the Salesian tradition!
No comments:
Post a Comment