My Dear Confreres,

It gives me great joy to present to you the third volume of Salesian Recollections for the academic year 2004 - 2005. Fr. Devasia Manalel, Fr. Armind Nazareth and Fr. Antony Mookenthottam who make up the Commission, have once again placed before us the joyful service of their consistent efforts in preparing the new booklet for our personal and collective renewal. I convey to each of them the gratitude and appreciation of the entire Congregation.

This third Volume is on PRAYER from Salesian perspectives. It offers inspiration, clues and suggestions to make prayer a means of our union with Jesus, of our transformation into Christ, and of our witnessing and radiation of Jesus through our life. Prayer and Life merge in the Salesian perspective. To that extent prayer is a way of life for a disciple of Jesus, and more so, for a religious. This Volume invites us to seek guidance from the Church teachings on prayer, from St. Francis de Sales and from our Founder, Fr. Peter Mermier. Attentiveness to what they say, sensitivity to listen to their heart beyond words, response to demands they place on us will make our fresh commitment to these recollection themes a big step forward in our quest for spiritual renewal.

One needs to know what one wants as a result of following these recollection themes. I, for one, would like for myself and for my confreres a joyful and lasting commitment to the following:

• One hour of personal daily prayer.

• Commitment to the devotions of the Congregation.

• Ardent, enthusiastic, faith-filled participation in community prayer, the Eucharist and Sacrament of Reconciliation.

• Practice of the presence of God to live in an atmosphere of prayer

• Experience of the fruits of the worship of God in genuine respect, care and attention to human persons and refrain from harmful and depreciating talk about them.

• An hour of adoration once a week before the Blessed Sacrament as a community.

• Transforming ourselves into communicative, dialogal and listening persons in our communities and ministry.

These are gifts of God from above. Let us pray earnestly that each and every one of us may be open to receive them. May the themes for Salesian Recollections in this Volume give us new opportunities to affirm our Fransalian identity, to nourish it and place it at the service of the Mission of Jesus.

Yours devotedly