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CONTENTS by Everyone, but No One Ever Dared to Propose Her for Marriage

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CONTENTS by Everyone, but No One Ever Dared to Propose Her for Marriage DON BOSCO'S MADONNA Mumbai JANUARY 2017 vol.18 No. 9 LOVE IS AN ACT OF FAITH Paulo Coelho tells this story from Greek mythology: “Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Psyche. She was admired CONTENTS by everyone, but no one ever dared to propose her for marriage. Desperate, the king consulted god Apollo, who said that Psyche From The Editor's Desk: Love is an should be left alone, in a mourning dress, at the top of a mountain. Act of Faith ...........................3 Before daybreak, a serpent would come to her and marry her. The king obeyed, and throughout the night the princess waited, Dealing With In-Laws terrified and freezing, for the arrival of her husband. She ended up - Jeanette Brimner...................4 falling asleep. As she awoke, she was in a beautiful palace, transformed into a Youth on the Move:Eh, Don’t Judge queen. Me! - Melanie D’Souza............8 Every night her husband would come to her and they would make Salesian Saint: Bl Bronislaw Markiewicz....10 love. But he had just one condition: Psyche could have anything she desired, but she should trust him completely and never see his face. Witnesses In And For Our Times: Psyche lived happily for a very long time as she had comfort, St Leonie Francis de Sales Aviat...12 affection, joy and she was in love with the man who came to her every night. Lectio Divina: Epiphany of the Lord Once in a while, however she was afraid of being married to a - Cl. Ian Pinto, sdb................16 horrible serpent. One night, while her husband was asleep, she illuminated the room with a lantern and found Eros, a man of Quietspaces: Saved By A Child incredible beauty, beside her. - Pope Francis.............................18 The light woke him up and he found out that the woman he loved Strange Grows the Heart wasn’t able to fulfil his only desire, and disappeared.” - Fr. Ian Doulton's Collection...20 Grant that we may Every time I read this story, I ask myself: Will I never be able to discover the face of love? It has taken me many years to understand Don Bocso’s Identity: Don Bosco’s imitate the Holy Family that love is an act of faith in another person, and her face shall stay Preternatural Gifts (22) covered in mystery. Each moment shall be lived and enjoyed, but - Fr. Elias Dias, SDB..................24 in practicing the virtues whenever we try to understand it, the magic disappears. After I accepted this idea I allowed myself to be guided by a strange Reflecting on Mary: A Poet Celebrates language, the language of “signs.” All around me there are signs, as Mary’s Beauty - Ephrem the Syrian of family life - Roberto Spataro...................28 the great Jesuit poet exclaimed: “The world is ablaze with the glory and in the bonds of God.” I know the world is talking to me, and I need to listen to it, Walking With the Church: Name of and if I do that, I will always be guided toward what there is of the Jesus, Reserved Sin, Abortion......31 of charity, most intense, passionate and beautiful. Of course, it isn’t easy, and sometimes I feel like Psyche at the cliff, Newsbits...............................................32 and so, in the joy cold and terrified. Anything that is unfamiliar is awkward, to say In a Cheerful Mood.....................15 the least, but I’m learning that we have a God who is closer to us The Devotion of of your house, than we are to ourselves and if I can only stop and listen to his breath the Three Hail Marys............33 in the breeze I might feel not nervous but reassured that he gently Loving Children to their delight one day in leads me and holds me close. (Is 40:11) So if I am able to overcome that Loving Mother.......................34 night and surrender to mystery and to the faith in life, I always end up They Are Grateful to eternal rewards. waking up in a palace. All I need is to trust in love, even running the Our Lady & Don Bosco.........34 risk of erring. It is all about trusting that the Lord wants what’s best Thanks to Dear From the Opening Prayer of the for us, our welfare in every sphere. Don’t try him, trust him! St. Dominic Savio..................35 Solemnity of the Holy Family Fr. Ian Doulton sdb January 2017 2 Don Bosco’s Madonna January 2017 3 Don Bosco’s Madonna their son. To make things almost friend of mine is estranged from FAMILY ISSUES unbearable for the grieving her daughter because her DEALING WITH IN-LAWS parents their oldest son and his daughter’s husband is very DEALING WITH IN-LAWS wife abandoned them while they controlling and does not like her Jeanette Brimner eased their own grief by seeking visiting with family or friends. counseling. Thankfully their Because of this situation, Sylvia e hear many jokes about among members of the family. daughter and her husband and prays for her daughter often but Wmothers-in-law and their For instance, a friend who is a their remaining son and his wife it has been several years now faults and foibles and once in a divorce lawyer confided to us were very supportive. and nothing has changed. Yet while their positive points but that his busiest time occurs she gets along well with her other friction or good relations can around the Christmas holidays. Anna’s family is reconciled in-laws and they have fun get- also exist between daughters-in Unfortunately when tragedy now but will never forget the togethers at Christmas, Easter law, brothers-in-law and strikes a family, especially ar- anguish they went through and other family get-together fathers-in-law as well. Some ound a holiday season, undue while trying to deal with their events. mothers-in-law can be stress can almost tear its mem- grief. overbearing and manipulative bers apart. Take for instance my but many can also be excellent close friend Anna. Many people I have met have grandmothers and can get along Two years ago Anna confided in-laws who are kind and very well with their in–laws. in me what happened after her helpful and some who are Some fathers-in-law can be son’s suicide. There had been a sometimes unkind and even grumpy and may ignore their great deal of tension between her disrespectful. Whether they be grandchildren while others are son, Brad, and his wife and their sons or daughters-in-law or easy going and have fun with son became very depressed. mother or fathers-in-law they their children’s offspring. Anna and her husband did each have to learn to deal with Likewise some daughters-in-law everything they could to help new members of the family and and sons-in-law can be disres- besides storming heaven with adjust to situations that can pectful and demanding while prayers. They encouraged him to demand tolerance and well- When I first met my father-in others can be congenial and take the antidepressants his honed people skills. -law, he was very different from helpful to their spouses’ parents. doctor had prescribed for him, anyone I had ever met. Herm Genetics, family history, they were supportive when he My sister’s daughter-in-law is was outspoken and the opposite cultures and complex psycholo- sought counseling and listened Persian and she highly values of my dad who was well spoken, gical dynamics all influence how to his attempts to express how he family closeness. When she and rather shy and a gentleman in extended families get along with felt. They even invited him to my sister’s son visit she treats every sense of the world. Her- each. return home for several weeks so the family to delightful Persian man had been brought up on a that he would have more time to dishes and entertains her in- farm and our family lived think about some solutions to his laws with true tales including in Toronto and attended con- difficulties and marital prob- how her parents and her sisters certs and other cultural events. lems. Since Brad had a preteen escaped from Iran during a time But as I began to know my and teenager we felt that getting when minorities were father-in-law I learned how kind away would be a good idea. Then persecuted. Her children who he was to others. For instance he shortly after, he had moved into are still in their teens are visited many elderly people and an apartment and his wife accomplished violinists who he was a very good grandpa to refused to have him back; he spend many hours practicing our children. He may have been killed himself. instead of watching TV or being rough around the edges but he glued to video games or other gave up smoking and drinking After his suicide Brad’s wife electronic gadgets. My sister’s shortly after his wife left him In times of strife, when anxiety took her anger out on her in-laws family is certainly an example of and never had a smoke or drink is high, especially around and sent them horrible e-mails how an extended family can live since then. That took a great deal holidays, friction can often exist saying very unkind things about in harmony with one another. A of courage. When he died of January 2017 4 Don Bosco’s Madonna January 2017 5 Don Bosco’s Madonna cancer he was stoic and never two boys over to visit quite often marriage work.
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