Community Day - a few ideas to Maximize its benefits

Community Day - a few ideas to Maximize its benefits

Background:

The weekly community day was a proposal especially highlighted at the GC25.

We can claim that every day is community day, but in order to give due attention to community building, it is important that communities schedule a weekly moment dedicated to fostering the relationships among our confreres.

“The future of the Salesian Charism depends on a solid Fraternal Community Life”. (Pascual Chavez)

“A deep conviction about living and working together (C49), and making sure that our mission is entrusted to the community and not individuals (C44), are the departure points for this effort.

Furthermore, we need to “believe in the necessity of regular community days as the best opportunity for on-going formation with reflection, sharing, prayer, recreation and rest. (GC25 #58)”. Of the five aspects to be achieved, recreation and rest do not generally pose any great difficulty, and a BBQ in good weather provides the right atmosphere. What remains to be organized is an opportunity for community reflection, sharing and prayer within a reasonable timeframe.

It is a little surprising that, in view of the insistence on the community day for the past 20 years, the New ‘Rector’s Manual’ only mentions it four times (on pp.78, 95, 139 and 150) as one of the tasks the rector must attend to, with references to GC25 #15. However the manual does not offer any suggestions regarding what it should consist of and how to organize it.

Multiple apostolates and busy timetables, age differences, the size (too few or too many) of the community, a wide range of interests,… make it difficult to find a suitable day, time and programme of activities each week, to ‘waste’ on caring for brotherly bonding/connecting with each other.

The Community Day is a ‘Salesian Sabbath’.

Both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, the Sabbath was a day to protect the anawim (wananchi) from the relentless pressures of daily labours, and to provide some prime time with the LORD and with one another.

Far from being just another event to overload our busy schedule, the ‘salesian sabbath’ is a moment to come aside and rest awhile which we should anticipate with joy in the same way that the working man and woman look forward to the weekend and the Christian to Sunday worship. Such an event cannot be just squeezed into our timetable but must be given pride of place.

Because in most of our communities there are many works going on each with their own timetable, it is never easy to plan a fixed weekly/monthly/annual schedule of any of the community events: even the mandatory recollection days and community meetings sometimes get neglected as a result. Since GC25 these Community Days have been encouraged as a beneficial supplementary.

Each member of the community must plan ahead, so that his engagements do not clash with other events/responsibilities which would deprive the community from his presence. It may even mean having to pay someone to take charge of supervising the students in a school during that time, just as parents sometimes pay a babysitter to care for their children while they go for a night out!

Cooperating to achieve such a community moment is the first test of our sincerity towards renewing our ‘radical evangelical lifestyle and apostolic mission’! “The first mission of a Salesian community is to build community and give witness to fraternal communion.” (Pascual Chavez)

Serious obligation to participate!

It means that once a weekly day and time has been agreed to, each member of the community commits to be present for that sacred moment, and makes sure he never plans or undertakes any other activity, however commendable and pastoral it may be, during that community moment.

Who is responsible for organizing the ‘sacred moment’?

The rector is the one who is responsible to ensure that it happens, but he can delegate the actual details of each week’s event to each member of the community on a rota basis.

How long must this ‘moment’ last?

Half a day maximum to 2 ½ hours minimum.

What should it consist of?

Something of each of the following aspects: Reflection, Sharing, Prayer, Recreation & Relaxation together. So it could include various options –

• a discussion on a topic of current (social or ecclesia) importance,
• lectio divina, or one of the prayer times of the Divine Office (lauds, midday prayer, vespers, compline) or the rosary, stations of light/cross, or other devotion… If there is no other day of the week when all confreres can join in the eucharistic celebration, then mass could be part of the program.
• A meal or at least a special snack/cocktail. It needs to be ‘festive’, something members look forward to each week, as a celebration of com-unity/com-union…
• A game [cards, billiards, boccia, volleyball, table tennis], or a (not too long) video…
• Various activities could also be part of the program: singing practice [learning some new hymns]; some gardening; sharing of talents – like magic tricks, a piece of music, a story or joke, with each member contributing a prepared item; a slide show of photos collected from each member sharing about his family, origins and younger days; if one confrere has an expertise like IT he could lead a session sharing latest computer tips… etc…

A longer outing to a show, a visit to a place of interest, a hike, a picnic, … could be an alternative 2-3 times a year – especially on public holidays when nothing much happens...

The most important factor of the community is that all the members of the community be present and contribute to make the moment enjoyable and something to look forward to each week.

And it is not a time for dealing with the serious business of the normal scheduled community and council meetings to plan and organize the apostolates, finances, logistics, programmes, personnel issues, etc. The opportunity may be taken to make a few brief announcements, but no business!

It is merely for community building through relaxing and sharing together.

It is recommended that cell phones and other gadgets be banned from the moment!