The group of Salesians who will take part in this gathering have experience in this field and, above all, have reflected on the type of Salesian prayer and meditation. Furthermore, it also follows the spiritual accompaniment of people, through spiritual direction, prayer and meditation. The Salesians who will participate in this seminar are invited to contribute with their experience and reflect on the proper elements of "Salesian Meditation."
Through several visits to the Salesian communities, the Dicastery for Formation has perceived the interest of a good number of Salesians who question themselves about the value of meditation, who ask for a methodology on the subject and who are interested in re-evaluating this practice so appreciated by Don Bosco himself, and clearly indicated by Salesian Regulations (see Regulations - No. 71).
There were many questions that led to creating this meeting: what was Don Bosco's intention when he believed that meditation was of fundamental importance? Is there a specifically Salesian (Donboschian) method of doing meditation? Are there methods of meditation that tune in to and with Salesian spirituality? What place does Salesian meditation occupy among other types of prayer and meditation that the Church has, such as the Lectio Divina or the Centering Prayer, for example?
In tracing the spiritual profile of the Founder of the Salesians, Blessed Fr Filippo Rinaldi, III Successor of Don Bosco, presents him as a model: "Those who knew Don Bosco well described him as a man of prayer: if you want to live according to the spirit of Don Bosco, you must never lose sight of your inner life ... The inner life is the spiritual sense that must always accompany us. It is the constant presence of God with us, who is remembered, invoked and loved."
