LAS - ROMA
Aldo GIRAUDO, sdb
What are the writings that best represent St. John Bosco the master of inner life and give us back, if not really his "spiritual doctrine", at least the characteristic traits of his spirituality, of that fruitful current that can be considered as "school of sanctity valid for all states of life "? 2 The question is pertinent because Don Bosco, like St. Alphonsus, not only left no page that reveals the intimacy of his soul, but neither did he think of organically representing a spirituality, as we would say today, an ascetic, as they would have said in his time. Of course, he gave us splendid, though few and sober, testimonies on the spiritual life of others, of which he was a witness and contributor: Luigi Comollo, Domenico Savio, Michele Magone,
The study of those biographical profiles, of the inner paths followed by the young protagonists, of the general educational climate of the educational community in the background and in which their spiritual adventure unfolds, allows us to gather the essential features of a model of youthful holiness and the principles salient of an ascetic handbook that could be compared with the Introduction to the devoted life of St. Francis de Sales.
1 Expression used in the years following Don Bosco's canonization to define in an organic way what we call "spirituality" (see P. SCOTTI, The Spiritual Doctrine of Don Bosco, Turin, Società Editrice Internazionale 1939).
2 Cf J. AUBRY, The Salesian school of Don Bosco, in E. ANCILLI, The great schools of Christian spirituality, Rome-Milan, Pontifical Institute of Spirituality of Teresianum-Editions OR 1984, pp. 669-698.
3 [G. Bosco,] Notes on the life of the cleric Luigi Comollo who died in the seminary of Chieri, admired by all for his unique virtues, written by a colleague, Turin; Tipografia Speirani and Ferrero 1844 (the second edition is more significant, for the additions introduced by Don Bosco with the intention of offering a spiritual model for the youth of the Oratory: G. Bosco, Notes on the life of the young Luigi Comollo ... , Turin, P. De-Agostini Typography 1854); G. Bosco, Lives of young people. The biographies of Domenico Savio, Michele Magone and Francesco Besucco, Rome, LAS 2012,
Not so much because they offer, like the Philothea, an articulated directory of the inner life, but because they outline the basic attitudes of an integral Christian experience, in a concrete state of life (that of the evolutionary age) and in a process that fully expresses the triple way: purgative, illuminative, unitive. The attentive reader will be able to see, behind the lightness of the anecdotal story, an essential and complete spiritual journey from the first openings of the heart to the action of grace, under the delicate guidance of attentive parents and educators (who are also passionate witnesses of Christian life) , through a process of internalization and appropriation, reaches the unconditional gift of self to God in the generous assumption of baptismal commitments and is expressed in absolute docility to the Holy Spirit, along all the moments of everyday life. This work of building with sanctifying grace, which the boy's will implements step by step in his concrete state of life, in his spontaneous way of being, causes deep resources to blossom in him and generates serene, fascinating, strong human and spiritual personalities.
All the paths are sketched in an essential but clear way. In these three lives we find the path of prayer, which proceeds from the humble exercise of the good Christian's prayers and from modest devout practices, from stage to stage, towards the fervent intimacy of affective prayer, is translated into a spirit of prayer, to then lead to a state of permanent loving union with God. We see the demanding path of purifications and improvements, through the daily examination of conscience, thanks to which the child is led to a gradual awareness of himself, of his own action moral, is educated in contrition and purpose, and oriented towards the regular and fruitful celebration of the sacrament of penance. Here, under the paternal and balanced leadership of the director, learns to detach the heart from creatures and orient oneself to God, to rectify intentions, to discipline the senses and affections, through a "natural" mortification - that is, of the adaptation to the needs and small adversities of everyday life accepted for love of God - and through the operational exercise of the small virtues in the joyful fulfillment of the duties of one's state and in human relations. Above all, it translates into an experience imbued with charity, illuminated by the sanctifying grace, which proceeds in a perfective tension, to the point of maturing a very solid virtuous organism. Finally, we discover a vocational journey aimed, through community service in humble things and oblative charity, to the generous gift of oneself and the offering of one's life to the divine will,
Even the Memoirs of the Oratory, together with the rereading of personal history and the Oratorian vocation in a key of faith, focus on spiritual attitudes and virtuous clothes, they indicate inner passages, indispensable to those who are called to dedicate themselves to the salvation of the young, especially the self-stripping and trusting in Providence for an unconditional surrender to God's will.
Alongside these masterpieces of narrative spirituality, there are other materials thought by Don Bosco as practical aids for the Christian formation of the young and of the people from which useful cues can be found for the reconstruction of his spiritual methodology: the Younger provided, first of all, which was, perhaps, the most loved and cared for operetta by the saint; The exercise of devotion to the mercy of God; The key to paradise; The month of May; The Catholic provided. Together with the Regulations (of the Oratory, of the Houses, of the "Companies"), to the correspondence of letters and to all the very vast documentation that gives back to his daily pastoral action (preaching, evening talks, conferences, tales),
The most significant documentation from the spiritual point of view is certainly that produced by Don Bosco, founder of religious congregations, formator and animator of consecrated communities and apostles. These are the years in which his horizons expand dramatically. The priest of Valdocco, concerned to save and safeguard the poor and abandoned youth of the Turin suburbs with the proposal of "a method of living short and easy, but sufficient" to become "the consolation of relatives, the honor of the homeland, good citizens on earth to be one day fortunate inhabitants of heaven ", 4 now feels transported by God in a vast field, invested with a charism that makes him father and master of a movement of consecrated men and women, educators and apostles that extends into space and time. His spiritual teaching expands and deepens, his proposal becomes more radical, all-encompassing. But it is precisely in this movement that accentuates the absolute primacy of God and the demands of discipleship until the Christ is offered and sacrificed that the substance of that "easy" and essential spiritual proposal made to the young people of the primitive Oratory emerges more clearly. The core is in fact the same, even if expressed with the simplicity of an unadorned and everyday language: that of an ardent charity that is expressed in the unconditional gift of self and translates into unitive and operative tension. But it is precisely in this movement that accentuates the absolute primacy of God and the demands of discipleship until the Christ is offered and sacrificed that the substance of that "easy" and essential spiritual proposal made to the young people of the primitive Oratory emerges more clearly. The core is in fact the same, even if expressed with the simplicity of an unadorned and everyday language: that of an ardent charity that is expressed in the unconditional gift of self and translates into unitive and operative tension. But it is precisely in this movement that accentuates the absolute primacy of God and the demands of discipleship until the Christ is offered and sacrificed that the substance of that "easy" and essential spiritual proposal made to the young people of the primitive Oratory emerges more clearly. The core is in fact the same, even if expressed with the simplicity of an unadorned and everyday language: that of an ardent charity that is expressed in the unconditional gift of self and translates into unitive and operative tension.
This anthology - which is only an essay, a selection among a vast quantity of analogous materials, all significant - aims to put the reader in contact with that climate, make it enter into Don Bosco's inner horizons, make him familiar with a language and with a vision.
4 [G. Bosco], the young man provided for the practice of his duties of the exercises of Christian piety for the recitation of the office of the Blessed Virgin and of the principal vespers of the year with the addition of a choice of sacred praises, etc., Turin, Typography Paravia and Comp. 1847, p. 6 (OE II, 186).
It is not an organic presentation of his "spirituality", but a collection of "teachings" on how to live as good Christians and good Salesians in an integral way, on the spiritual life understood in the sense in which Saint Francis de Sales meant the "devout life" .
The volume is composed of four parts: 1. Don Bosco spiritual guide of the young; 2. Addresses of life for a coherent and active Christianity; 3. Consecrated to God for his glory and for the salvation of the young; 4. Final recommendations of a father and concerns of a founder.
The first part includes a selection of texts taken from printed works, such as the Young provided, the Regulations of Salesian educational institutes and the correspondence, but also from archival documents, especially from the "chronachettes", ie the transcriptions of oral interventions of Don Bosco (instructions, good-night speeches, story of dreams) that give back his formative practice, his system and the fervent, industrious, stimulating climate in which he inserted his young people. An essential overview emerges of Don Bosco's spiritual proposal for young people, in a joyful and dynamic conception of Christian life.
The speech is clear, concrete. In the background dominates the radiant vision of God the creator, a tender and provident father, leaning towards love for man, who calls for communion and intimacy with himself. Don Bosco presents him particularly attentive to children and young people: he prefers them because they are simple, humble, innocent, "not yet become unhappy prey of the infernal enemy", positively open to good. His love is answered with love: "We are created to love and serve God our creator, nothing would benefit us all the science and all the riches of the world without the fear of God" .6 The saint urges young people to listen to divine invitations and to correspond, to "give oneself" in time to him, to embrace a virtuous life and put himself at his service with enthusiasm and joy, doing " all those things that may please him, avoiding those that could disgust him "." Thus they will be able to savor the beauty and sweetness of the Christian life.
The "giving oneself" to God takes the form of a movement of affective and effective charity that polarizes the whole being, in a baptismal process of detachment of the heart from sin, of loving commitment to virtue, of unitive tension, which does not alienate the boy from his world, indeed he plunges it into daily life, duties and human relationships: everything is presented in the perspective of the primacy of divine love, of the heart freed from sin that deforms, saddens and mortifies, and the virtuous tension that liberates, perfects and satisfies.
5 Ibid., P. 11 (OE II, 191).
6 G. Bosco, Regulations for the houses of the Society of St. Francis de Sales, Turin, Salesian Typography 1877, p. 63 (OE XXIX, 159).
7 [Bosco G.,] The young man provided ... (1847), p. 11 (OE II, 191).
Don Bosco insists on the "ease" of his spiritual proposal and illustrates the means to maintain himself in this positive and fruitful tension that "perseverance" and good will make very effective. Meditation, listening to the word of God, daily prayers, Marian devotion, ejaculations, brief visits to the Sacrament and the correct fervent sacramental practice are food for charity and a source of grace. Sincerity and docile confidence with superiors is a guarantee of a happy success. Fidelity in the fulfillment of duty, the fruitful occupation of time, the exercise of relational virtues and the service of charity are the field to be cultivated fruitfully. The "custody" of the senses, sobriety, the practice of mortification in small things, the flight of idleness,
It should not be forgotten that the context of his speech is that of a community of life made up of loving and available educators, of open and collaborative young people, in a vision of Christian education functional to integral growth and perfective tension towards the full realization of one's own vocation in time and in eternity. On this horizon the fundamental spiritual attitude of the young person is "prompt, respectful, cheerful" obedience, 8 which Don Bosco proposes as an active and loving collaboration in the formative proposals in overcoming himself.
Don Bosco's vision is profoundly optimistic: the commitment of young people, their operative fervor are made fruitful by sanctifying grace; the battle against evil, assumed with determination, is destined to secure victory, for the strength of faith, for the effective patronage of Mary; the wounds, even serious ones, reported in the assaults of evil are restored by the saving power of the blood of Christ; holiness and virtue easily blossom in the hearts of those young people who generously give themselves to God's love and trust in their formators.
The second part is characterized by a selection of texts addressed to the people, to committed Catholics, to Salesian Cooperators and also to diocesan clergy, in which one can grasp the spirit that according to Don Bosco must animate a good Christian, immersed in the world but consistent with his faith, active in ecclesial participation and in charitable and social activity.
8 G. Bosco, Regulations for houses, p. 76 (OE XXIX, 172).
The devout Catholicism of the nineteenth century is characterized by a particular spiritual and operational fervor, united to the very lively sense of its vocation in the Church and in society, which drives it to evangelical witness, to militancy and to works of charity. It was a fertile ground on which sprouted an impressed series of pastoral, educational and social initiatives, lay associations, religious foundations, missionary works, beyond the threshold of the twentieth century, thanks to the spiritual animation of a culturally prepared, generously consecrated clergy to his mission, enterprising and creative, totalitarian in correspondence to his vocation.
Don Bosco's works benefited greatly from this climate. A group of zealous ecclesiastics and generous lay people, belonging to all social classes, polarized by the saint's charity, generously lent their work from the first moments of the Oratory, without ever abandoning it, to the point of becoming an integral and strategically irreplaceable part of the his family. Awareness of their mission made them eager for a more ardent interior life, for non-occasional cooperation with the Salesian mission.
Don Bosco did not cease to nourish this spirit of active charity in a missionary and salvific function, not only through animation and the organization of cooperation, but also through spiritual care. The texts collected here show us his commitment to promoting an integral, devoted and active vision of the Christian life: to the merciful and tender love of God, to his limitless charity, one responds with living faith, with unlimited hope, with ardent charity and with Christ's active imitation and conformation to Him. Supported by the grace of the sacraments, united with God in prayer "by means of holy thoughts and devoted sentiments", 9 detached from the flattery of the world and striving towards holiness in the exercise of virtues,
This strong and active vision also emerges in correspondence, in the advice given to lay friends and priests. According to Don Bosco, the Catholic is the leaven of society in the fabric of everyday life: it witnesses to faith, works actively in charity, gives itself generously and without fear, promotes piety, strives for the Christian education of youth, spreads the good press , cares for vocations, supports missionary action.
9 G. Bosco, The Catholic provided for the practices of piety with similar instructions according to the need of the times, Turin, Tip. of the Oratory of S. Frane. of Sales 1868, p. 1 (OE XIX, 9).
10 G. Bosco, Salesian Cooperators, or a practical way to benefit good society and civil society, San Pier d'Arena, Tipografia and Libreria di S. Vincenzo de 'Paoli 1877, pp. 4, 27 (OE XXVIII, 342, 365).
The third part contains essential texts to understand the vision that Don Bosco had of Salesian consecration. From the writing To the Salesian associates (reported here in its most "boschiana" part), from the central chapters of the primitive Constitutions and from the selection of circular letters, correspondences, lectures and "dreams", the reader will be able to ascertain what was the spiritual temperament and moral of the religious and of the religious wanted by Don Bosco; what a robust, demanding and totalitarian conception he had of consecration and of the spirit that must animate the Salesian vocation. The concrete repercussions on the personal and community experience of this vision are such as to set up a model so radical and austere as to leave us stunned: an obedience without limits, very generous; an essential, ascetic, yet joyful lifestyle; an impressive industriousness according to the community mission; a charity without boundaries; a loving and tender relationality, very affectionate, combined with a strictly supervised and defended chastity; a continued exercise of God's presence and loving dialogue with him; an absolute fidelity to the smallest prescriptions of the Rules, especially in the practices of piety; an ability to adapt to everything up to the extreme sacrifice; a very ardent apostolic tension. an absolute fidelity to the smallest prescriptions of the Rules, especially in the practices of piety; an ability to adapt to everything up to the extreme sacrifice; a very ardent apostolic tension. an absolute fidelity to the smallest prescriptions of the Rules, especially in the practices of piety; an ability to adapt to everything up to the extreme sacrifice; a very ardent apostolic tension.
Don Bosco cannot think of his consecrated persons except in the horizon of the absolute primacy of God and in the evangelical perspective of a radical detachment, of a surrender without second thoughts in the following of Christ obedient, poor and chaste for the divine service and the salvation of souls.
The fourth part contains the heart of what in the Salesian tradition is called "spiritual testament". It is an autograph notebook, entitled "Memories from 1841 to 1884-5-6 for the sacrament Gio. Bosco to his Salesian sons", "in which the saint, at different times, especially during the last years of his life, wrote exhortations and memories for disciples, friends, benefactors and Cooperators: it is a spiritual document of great interest, because it expresses a sort of synthetic vision on the vocation and the Salesian mission,
11 Critical edition by F. Morro (Rome, LAS 1985).
together with the indication of aspects considered relevant for a dynamic fidelity: 1) the resolution to remain firm in the vocation until death; 2) the importance of the exact observance of the Constitutions; 3) the escape of triumphalism, recalling that every success derives from trust in Providence and prayer; 4) the inseparable link between Salesian mission and Marian devotion and the duty to nourish and spread this devotion; 5) the special care of vocations by forming young people to the desire "to consecrate themselves to the Lord in youth" and to detachment from the world and its flattery; 12 6) the fundamental role of the Salesian director as the model and soul of each work and its function mainly formative; 7) the care of fraternal charity; 8) the escape from "comfort" and "comfort" as a mortal danger for the survival of the Congregation; 9) the privileged attention to the "poorest children, the most unsafe of society"; 10) the wise administration of homes and substances; 11) the primacy of work for the salvation of souls; 12) the sense of gratitude for benefactors, Cooperators and collaborators: without their charity nothing could have been done, with their collaboration and with their support the Salesian work will be able to continue safely in history.
* * *
In conclusion, what can be deduced from this selection of Donboschian texts, alongside more famous works such as the Memories of the Oratory and the Lives of Domenico Savio, Michele Magone and Francesco Besucco? In the first place it is evident that Don Bosco is not a spiritual "author" in the manner of Teresa of Avila or of Francis de Sales: he is a pastor, a guide, a youth soul educator who is anxious to save, instruct, involve and guide to Christian practice and virtuous life. We can also identify the favorite spiritual authors, the books from which he draws, the spirituality lines he feeds on. However, beyond the materiality of the contents and the substance of the teachings, beyond the exhortations and religious frameworks of reference, it is possible to clearly perceive in these writings a connotative note that everyone goes through and that is the specific spiritual sensitivity of Don Bosco, are his very personal visions, his peculiar spirit. This unmistakable voice gives his teaching a specific, unique trait; makes him a true "teacher" of spiritual life, as a formator of saints and initiator of a spiritual tradition, of a true school of spirituality for young people, for lay people actively involved in the Salesian mission, for consecrated men and women radically engaged with him in the following Christ.
12 F. MOTTO (ed.), Memoirs from 11841 to 1884-5-6, p. 40.
In the selection of materials we preferred the critical editions of Don Bosco's writings, when they exist, and the original printed texts (reproduced in anastatic edition in G. Bosco, Opere edite. First series: Books and pamphlets, 37 vol., Rome, LAS 1876-1877 = 0E). For the lectures, the "good nights" and the tales of dreams we used the autograph manuscripts of Don Bosco or the notes of listeners, kept in the ASC, indicating in a note the archival position and the reference to the biographical Memoirs.
In transcribing the documents, considering the purposes and recipients of this publication (which is not a critical issue), we have adopted the following criteria:
a) adaptation of punctuation and accentuations according to current use;
b) uniform use of capital letters in common names;
c) dissolution of the obsolete truncated forms of articulated prepositions in the plural masculine (a ': ai; co': with i; from ': dai; de': dei; ne ': nei; pe': for i; que ': those ; between: between); as well as pel: for the; nol: not it;
d) dissolution of abbreviations and abbreviations (GC: Jesus Christ; B. V: Blessed Virgin; M SS .: Most Holy Mary; SS: Most Holy Sacrament; etc.);
e) transcription according to the current use of proper names, common names and verbs that in the original have a nineteenth-century form;
g) we left unchanged the truncated finals, the nineteenth-century terms and expressions that characterize Don Bosco's writing, the numerous verbal voices of the imperfect indicative with the pronominal suffix;
f) transcription in the current use of the outgoing words in the singular with the descending diphthong 'I', which in the plural have a double ending - ii according to ancient usage (witnesses; wishes; own; principles; studies ...).
ASC = Central Salesian Archive (Rome)
E (c) = Epistolario of S. Giovanni Bosco, edited by Eugenio CERTA, vol. 3-4 [1876-1888], Turin, International Publishing Company 1958-1959.
E (m) = G. Bosco, Epistolario. Introduction, critical texts and notes by Francesco MOTTO, vol. 1-5 [1835-1877], Rome, LAS, 1991-2012.
13 Add to add; cover to cover; devoted to divoto / a; request / ask for a request / request; God for God; etc. for etc .; building for building; Giovanni per Gioanni; i for them; encourage to encourage; entirely for entirely; wonder / wonder for wonder / wonder; offer to bid; children for parishes; parish / parish priest for parochia / paroco; daily for cotidiano; Saturday for Saturday; scorpire to discover; sacrifice for sacrifice; though for though; add to add; office for office.
MB = GB LEMOYNE, Biographical Memoirs of Don Giovanni Bosco ...; then: Biographical Memoirs of the Venerable Servant of God Don Giovanni Bosco ..., vol. 1-9, S. Benigno Canavese-Turin, Salesian Printing School-Publishing Salesian Library 1898-1917; G. LEMOYNE - A. AMADEI, Biographical Memoirs of Saint John Bosco, vol. 10, Turin, SEI 1939; AND CERTA, Biographical Memoirs of Blessed John Bosco ..., vol. 11-15, Turin, SEI 1930-1934; ID., Biographical Memoirs of Saint John Bosco, vol. 16-19, Turin, SEI 1935-1939.
ms = manuscript.
OE = G. Bosco, Published works. First series: Books and pamphlets, 37 vol., Rome, LAS 1976-1977.
ASC A0000205: Cronachetta [1877-1878], Quad. V, ms by Giulio Barberis.
-, A0000301: Conferences and dreams [1876], Quad. I, ms by Giacomo Gresino.
-, A0000302: Discoursesetti di D. Bosco [1876], Quad. II, ms of Emanuele Dompé.
-, A0000309: Small locutions of the very R.do don Giovanni Bosco [1876], Quad.IX, ms by Francesco Ghigliotto.
-, A0000310: Discourses of D. Bosco 1876/1877, Quad. X, ms by Giacomo Gresino.
-, A0000408: Conferences and sermons of D. Bosco 1875/1876, Quad. XIX, ms by Giulio Barberis.
-, A0000409: Preaches D. Bosco - Exercises Lanzo 1876, Quad. XX, ms by Giulio Barberis.
-, A000303: Conferences [1877-1878], Quad. III, ms by Giacomo Gresino.
-, A0040601: Memory of some facts 1858-1861, ms of Giovanni Bonetti.
-, A0040604: Annali III [1862/1863], ms of Giovanni Bonetti.
-, A0040605: Chronicle of the year 1864. Preaches, ms of Giovanni Bonetti.
-, A0080302: Chronicle of the Oratory 1862, ms. by Francesco Provera.
-, A0250202: Conference by D. Bosco [1873], anonymous ms.
-, A2300201: Compagnia di S. Luigi. Regulation [1847], ms allografo with autograph corrections of Don Bosco.
-, A2300202: Compagnia del SS. Sacrament [1857], ms of Giovanni Bosco.
-, A452: Compagnia dell'Immacolata [1856], ms by Giuseppe Bongioanni with autograph notes by Don Bosco.
Bosco G., The young man provided for the practice of his duties in the exercises of Christian piety for the recitation of the office of the Blessed Virgin and of the principal vespers of the year with the addition of a choice of sacred praises, etc., Turin, Typography Paravia e Comp. 1847 (0E II, 183-532).
-, Exercise of devotion to the mercy of God, Turin, Typography Eredi Botta 1847 (0E II, 73-181).
-, The key to paradise in the hands of the Catholic who practices the duties of a good Christian, Turin, Tip. Paravia and Comp. 1856 (OE VIII, 1-194).
-, The month of May consecrated to Maria SS. Immaculate for the use of the people, Turin, Tip. GB Paravia and Company 1858 (OE X, 295-486).
-, The Catholic provided for the practices of piety with similar instructions according to the need of the times, Turin, Tip. of the Oratory of S. Frane. of Sales 1868 (OE XIX, 1-777).
-, Association of devotees of Mary Help of Christians canonically erected in the church dedicated to her in Turin. With historical information on this title, Turin, Tip. dell'Orat. of S. Frane. of Sales 1869 (OE XXI, 339-434).
-, Salesian Cooperators, that is a practical way to benefit good society and civil society, San Pier d'Arena, Tipografia and Libreria di S. Vincenzo de 'Paoli 1877 (OE XXVIII, 339-379).
-, Inauguration of the Patronage of St. Peter in Nice a Mare. Purpose of the same ... with appendix on the preventive system in the education of youth, Turin, Typography and Salesian Library 1877 (OE XXVIII, 380-448).
-, Regulations of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for the Exteriors, Turin, Salesian Typography 1877 (OE XXIX, 33-93);
-, Regulations for the houses of the Society of St. Francis of Sales, Turin, Salesian Typography 1877 (OE XXIX, 97-196).
-, Rules or Constitutions of the Society of St. Francis de Sales according to the decree of approval of April 3, 1874, Turin, Typography of the Oratory 1877 (OE XXIX, 201-288).
-, Rules or Constitutions for the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians aggregated to the Salesian Society, Turin, Typography and Salesian Library 1878 (OE XXX, 291356).
-, The young man provided for the practice of his duties in the exercises of Christian piety ..., Turin, Typography and Salesian Library 1880, pp. 75-77 (Instruction on the choice of the state).
Bosco G., To the Salesian members, in P. BRAIDO, Datti di sales religious life in the writing "To the Salesian Members" of Don Bosco of 1877/1885. Introduction and critical texts, "Salesian Historical Researches" 14 (1995) 112-151.
-, Constitutions of the Society of St. Francis de Sales [1858] -1875. Critical texts by F. Motto, Rome, LAS 1982.
-, Constitutions for the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (1872-1885), critical texts edited by Sr. Cecilia Romero FMA, Rome, LAS 1983, pp. 255-286.
-, Epistolario. Introduction, critical texts and notes by Francesco Motto, vol. 1-5 [1835-1877], Rome, LAS, 1991-2012.
-, Epistolario di S. Giovanni Bosco, edited by Eugenio Ceria, vol. 3-4 [1876-1888], Turin, International Publishing Company 1958-1959.
MOTTO F. (ed.), Memories from 1841 to 1884-5-6 for the sac. Gio. Bosco to his Salesian sons. (Spiritual Testament), Rome, LAS 1985.
-, Three letters to the Salesians in America, in P. BRAIDO (ed.), Don Bosco educator. Writings and testimonies, Rome, LAS 1997, pp. 451-452.
ROMERO C., The dreams of Don Bosco. Critical Edition. Presentation of P. Stella, Leumann (Turin), Elle Di Ci 1978.
Cronistoria, edited by Giselda Capetti, vol. 4-5, Rome, FMA Institute 1978.
Circular letters of Don Bosco and Fr Rua and others of their writings to the Salesians, Turin, Salesian Typography 1896.
______________________
The first part is divided into 6 sections:
1. Spiritual Perspectives in the Young Provided (pp. 19-31).
2. Rule of Christian life for young people (pp. 32-39).
3. Associations and spiritual friendships (pp. 40-45).
4. Practical guidelines in the letters to young people (pp. 46-51).
5. Preaching and good-night speeches (pp. 52-76).
6. Spiritual teachings through the story of dreams (pp. 77-88).
The Younger providedis one of the most fortunate books of St. John Bosco. First published in 1847.1 when the Oratory, definitively transferred to Valdocco in the Pinardi house, began to develop its physiognomy of educational and pastoral ministry, had over a hundred editions during the life of the saint and continued to be reprinted and translated until the mid-twentieth century. It is not a simple manual of prayers and devout practices. But it intends to offer young people "a Christian way of life, which is both happy and content", a proposal for spiritual life and youthful holiness. In short, we find all the characteristic contents of the Oratorian formative model, a system that was practiced, substantially unchanged in the following decades with success, "because the
Here we reproduce some instructions that provide the essential lines of this spirituality, characterized by the total and joyful delivery of oneself to the Lord, with affectionate impetus, in the concreteness of daily life.
To the youth3
There are two main deceptions with which the devil usually removes young people from virtue. The first is to make them think that serving the Lord is a life of melancholy and far from fun and pleasure. Not so, dear young people. I want to teach you a method of Christian life, which is both cheerful and happy at the same time, pointing out to you what the real fun and true pleasures are, so that you can say with the holy prophet David: let us serve the Lord in holy joy: serve Domino in laetitia.4 This is precisely the purpose of this booklet, to serve the Lord and always be cheerful.
The other deception is the hope of a long life with the convenience of converting into old age and at the point of death. Mind you, my children, many were deceived in this manner. Who makes sure we get old? The purpose would be to negotiate with death that awaits us up to that time, but life and death are in the hands of the Lord, who can dispose of them as he pleases. May God grant you long life, hear what he tells you: that path which a son holds in his youth, continues in old age until death.
1 [G. Bosco], the young man provided for the practice of his duties of the exercises of Christian piety for the recitation of the office of the Blessed Virgin and of the principal vespers of the year with the addition of a choice of sacred praises, etc., Turin, Typography Paravia and Comp. 1847 (OE II, 183-532).
2 P. BRAIDO, Don Bosco priest of young people in the century of liberties. Third corrected and retouched edition, Rome, LAS 2009, vol. I, p. 233.
3 [Bosco G.,] The young man provided ... (1847), pp. 5-8 (OE II, 185-188).
4 Salt 100, 2.
Adolescenti iuxta viam suam etiam cum senuerit non recedet ab ea.5 And it means: if we begin a good life now that we are young, we will be good in the advanced years, good our death and the beginning of an eternal happiness. On the contrary, if the vices take possession of us in our youth, mostly they will continue in every age of ours until death. Excessive down payment of an unhappy eternity. In order that this misfortune does not happen to you, I present to you a method of living that is short and easy, but sufficient for you to become the consolation of your relatives, the honor of the fatherland, good citizens on earth to one day be fortunate inhabitants of heaven. [...]
My dear ones, I love you all from my heart, and it is enough that you are young for me to love you very much, and I can assure you that you will find books by people far more virtuous and more learned than me, but you can hardly find anyone more than me love you in Jesus Christ and want your true happiness more. May the Lord be with you and make it so that by practicing these few suggestions you may come to the salvation of your soul, and thus increase the glory of God, the sole purpose of this compilation.
Live happy, and the Lord be with you.
Very affectionate in Jesus Christ Sac. Bosco Giovanni
Lift up your eyes, my children, and observe what exists in heaven and in earth. The sun, the moon, the stars, the air, the water, the fire are all things that once did not exist. But there is a God, who with his omnipotence drew them from nothing and created them, which is why he is named Creator. This God who always was and will always last after having created all the things that are contained in heaven and earth, gave existence to man, which of all visible creatures is the most perfect. So our eyes, feet, mouth, tongue, ears, hands are all gifts of the Lord.
Man is distinguished from all other animals especially because he is equipped with a soul, which thinks, reasons and knows what is good and what is bad. This soul does not die with the body, but when it is brought to the sepulcher, it will go to start another life that will never end. If he did well, he will always be blessed with God in heaven, which is a place where all goods are enjoyed; if he acted badly he will be punished with a terrible punishment in hell, where he will suffer forever every sort of punishment.
5 The young man will no longer stray from the road on which he has set himself, not even as an old man (Pr 22, 6).
6 [Bosco G.,] The young man provided.,. (1847), pp. 9-19 (OE II, 189-199).
But watch, my children, that you are all created for heaven and God feels great sorrow when he is forced to send someone to hell. Oh! how much the Lord loves you, and wants you to do good deeds to make you share in his glory in heaven.
Persuaded, dear children, that we are all created for heaven, we must direct all our actions to this end. Especially the great love that God brings you must move towards this. For though he loves all men as a work of his hands, yet he bears a special affection for the young, forming his delights in them: Deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum.7 Therefore you are the delight and love of that God who he created you. He loves you because you still have time to do many good works; loves you because you are in a simple age, humble, innocent and in general not yet become unhappy prey of the infernal enemy.
Similar signs of special benevolence also gave the Savior for children. He says that all the benefits done to children are considered to be done to him himself. " It threatens terribly those who give you scandal with words or deeds. Here are his words: "If any one would scandalize one of these little children who believe in me, it would be better for him if he placed a millstone around his neck and was thrown into the depths of the sea". 9 He liked that the children followed him, called them to him, kissed them and gave them his blessing. "
Given that the Lord loves you so much in the age in which you find yourself, what must not be your firm intention to correspond to it, by trying to do all those things that may please him, avoiding those that could disgust him?
There are two places in the other life that are prepared for us. Hell for the bad, where all evil is suffered. A paradise for the good ones where all the goods are enjoyed. But the Lord makes you know that if you begin to be good in youth, you will be good in the rest of life, which will be crowned with a happiness of glory. On the contrary the bad life begun in youth too easily will be such until death and will inevitably lead you to hell.
7 My delight is to be among the sons of man (Ps 8, 31). Don Bosco interprets "sons of man" which in Jewish usage means "humanity" - in the specific sense of "young boys".
8 Cf Mt 18, 5.
9 Mt 18, 6.
10 Cf Mc 10, 13-16.
Therefore if you see men advanced in the years given to the vice of drunkenness, of play, of blasphemy, you can mostly say: these vices began in youth: Adolescens juxta viam suam, etiam cum senuerit non recedet ab ea (Pr 22, 6) . "Ah, son, says God, remember your Creator in the time of your youth; 2 elsewhere does he bless that man who from his adolescence will have begun to keep his commandments?" This truth was known by the saints, and especially by S. Rosa of Lima and by S. Luigi Gonzaga, who, having started fervently serving the Lord for five years, did not find taste in adults if not for the things they concerned with God, and so they became great saints, the same we say of the son of Tobit, who was still very obedient even very young
But (some will say) if we begin at the present to serve the Lord, we become melancholy. It is not true, the one who serves the devil will be melancholy, who in any case strives to be happy, yet he will always have the heart that cries, saying to him: you are unhappy because you are the enemy of God. ? Who is more lepid and more cheerful than St. Philip Neri? Nevertheless their life was a continuous practice of every virtue. Courage then, my dear ones, give yourselves in time to virtue and I assure you that you will always have a cheerful and happy heart and you will know how sweet it is to serve the Lord.
Since a tender plant, though placed in good soil in a garden, nevertheless takes a bad turn and ends badly, if it is not cultivated and to say so guided up to a certain thickness, so you, my dear children, will surely bend to evil if you do not leave yourself bend to those who care to direct you. You have this guide in the person of your parents, to whom you must obey exactly. Honor your father and your mother and will you have a long life on earth, says the Lord? But what does this honor consist of? It consists of obedience, respect and assistance. In obedience, and therefore when they command you something, do it promptly without showing you backwards, and beware of being of such, who shrug their shoulders, their heads fall and, what is worse, insolences respond.
11 The young man, once he has taken his way, even as an old man, will turn away from it.
12 Qo 12, 1.
13 Cf Lam 3, 27.
14 C Tb 5, 1-4; 14, 12-15.
15 It's 20, 12.
Our Savior, however omnipotent to teach us to obey, was in all submissive to the Blessed Virgin and to Saint Joseph, exercising the humble trade of craftsman? To obey his heavenly Father, did he die spasm on the cross? '
You must also bring great respect to your father and mother. Therefore, always beware of undertaking anything without their permission, nor showing impatience in their presence or discovering their defects. St. Louis did not undertake anything without a license and since there were no others he asked his servants. The young Luigi Comollo was one day forced to stay away from his parents more than they had given him permission. But when he came home crying, he humbly asked for forgiveness of his unwillingness to commit.
They must also provide assistance to our parents in their needs, both for those domestic services of which you are capable and much more by handing them every money, gift, stuff that can come into your hands and make that use that you will suggest. Pray to God morning and evening for them, so that they may grant all spiritual and temporal good.
What I say about your parents is understood by each of your ecclesiastical or secular superiors, as well as your teachers, from whom you will likewise receive with humility and respect all the teachings, the advice, the corrections, taking for granted that everything is it is for your greater advantage and that the obedience given to your superiors is the same as if it were given to Jesus Christ, to Mary Most Holy and to St. Louis.
I recommend two things with all my heart. The first is that you are sincere with your majors, not covering your faults with fictions, much less denying them. Always tell the truth frankly; for the lies beyond the offense of God make us sons of the devil, prince of lies, and make the truth known, and you will be reputed to be deceitful, dishonored to your superiors and to your companions. Secondly, that the advice and warnings of your superiors should be the rule of your life and of your work. Blessed are you if you do so; your days will be happy; your every action will always be well ordered and of common edification. Therefore I conclude with telling you: give me an obedient son and he will be holy. On the contrary it will be devoid of any virtue. [...]
In addition to the usual morning and evening prayers, I also urge you to spend some time reading any book that deals with spiritual things, such as the book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ, the Philothea of St. Francis de Sales, Apparatus to the death of S "Alfonso, Jesus in the heart of the young man?"
16 Cf Lc 2, 51.
17 Cf Fil 2, 8.
18 The Imitation of Christ, the Philothea or introduction to the devout life of St. Francis de Sales and the Apparatus at the death of St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori were very widespread works at the time of Don Bosco and continue to be published today (especially the first two); Jesus at the heart of the young man was a libretto by the canon Giuseppe Zama Mellini (1788-1838), written in the form of a loving conversation between Jesus and the reader.
If you read a few lines of the aforementioned books, the advantage you will bring to your soul will be enormous. It would then double the merit ahead God if what you read would tell others or you would read in their presence, especially in the presence of those who cannot read.
Since then our body without food becomes sick and dies, the same happens to our soul if we do not give it its food. Nourishment and food of our soul is the word of God, that is, the sermons, the explanation of the Gospel and the catechism. Therefore, take great care to take you to the church in due time, paying the utmost attention to it and making sure that you apply the things you do for your state. However, it is very important for you to intervene in catechism; nor is it worth saying: I am already promoted to absolute communion, since even then your soul needs food, just as its body needs it; and if you deprive your soul of this nourishment you put yourself at risk of very serious damage.
I recommend that you make every possible effort to intervene in your parishes for the fulfillment of these duties of yours, since your parish priest is especially destined by God to take care of your soul. Beware also of that deceit of the devil when he suggests to you: this he does for my companion Peter, that suits Paul. No, dear ones, the preacher speaks to you and intends to apply to you all the truths that he exposes. On the other hand, what does not serve to correct you will serve to preserve you from some sin.
Hearing the sermon you try to keep it in mind throughout the day and especially in the evening before going to bed, stop a little to reflect on the things heard. If you do so, it will be a big advantage for your soul.
A great support for you, my children, is devotion to the most holy Mary. Listen to how she invites you: Si quis est parvulus veniat ad me.2 ° Whoever is a child come to me. She assures you that if you will be his devotees as well as fill you with blessings in this world, you will have heaven in the other life. Qui elucidant me vitam aeternam habebunt.21 Be therefore intimately convinced that all the graces you will ask this good mother will be granted to you, provided that you do not implore what is to your detriment.
19 [Bosco G.,] The young man provided ... (1847), pp. 51-54 (OE II, 231-234).
20pr 9, 4.
21 Those who honor me will have eternal life. Citation from the Vulgate (Eccl 24, 31; Sir 24, 22) of a verse that current versions of the Bible do not include.
Three graces in a particular way you will have to ask her without hesitation, which are absolutely necessary to everyone, but especially to you who are in a young age. The first is to never commit a mortal sin in your life. This grace I want you to claim at any cost from Mary's intercession, because every grace would be little without it.
Do you know what you want to fall into a mortal sin? It means giving up being children of God to make us children of satanasso. It means losing that beauty that makes us beautiful as angels in the eyes of God and become deformed before him like demons. It means losing all the merits already acquired for eternal life; it means to remain suspended by a very thin thread over the mouth of hell; it means to hugely insult an infinite goodness, which is the greatest evil that can be imagined. Ah! yes, for many graces, that I will get you, Mary would get you little by not getting you the one of never, ever falling into a mortal sin. This grace you must implore morning and evening and in all your exercises of piety.
The second grace that you will have to ask is to preserve the holy and precious virtue of purity. If you keep such a beautiful virtue, you will have the greatest resemblance with the angels of heaven, and your guardian angel will keep you for brothers, so that he will enjoy your company very much. [...]
Thus the necessity of the third grace is born, which will also help you very much to preserve the virtue of purity and it is precisely that of fleeing from bad companions. Happy are you, my dear children, if you flee the company of the wicked! By doing this you will be sure to walk the path of paradise; otherwise you run a very serious risk of getting lost forever. Therefore when you hear companions uttering blasphemies, despising things of religion, or trying to distance yourself from things of the Church, worse still say words also little contrary to the virtue of modesty, like the plague flee them, keeping for sure that the purer your looks will be , your discourses, just as Mary will be pleased with you and greater graces she will obtain from her Son and our Redeemer Jesus Christ.
These are the three graces more than any other necessary for your age and sufficient to make you keep that path from an early age, which will make you men honored in old age, a sure pledge of an eternal glory, which Mary will undoubtedly procure for her devotees. What homage will you offer to Mary to obtain the graces mentioned? Few things are enough. Who can recite his rosary, but never forget every day to recite three Hail and three Gloria Patri with the prayer: Dear Mother Virgin Mary, let me save my soul.
Dear children, if you do not learn from young people to confess well, you run the risk of never learning it again in your life, and as a consequence of never confessing properly with your grave damage and perhaps at the risk of your eternal salvation. First of all, I would like you to be convinced that whatever fault you have on your conscience, you will be forgiven in your confession, as long as you approach with due dispositions.
The first of these consists in examining one's conscience, that is to say recalling your actions to find out which ones were good and which were sinful. Begin by praying to the Lord to enlighten you by saying: My Lord Jesus Christ, Redeemer of my soul, I throw myself at your feet pleading for mercy from me. Enlighten me with your grace, so that I now know my sins as you will make them known to me when you present me to your judgment. Do, oh my God, that you detest them with true sorrow and the pardon for the infinite merits of the very precious blood of Jesus Christ scattered for me on the cross ensues. Holy Virgin, Saint Luigi Gonzaga, pray for me so that I may make a good confession.
Examine yourself if you speak badly of things of religion; if you blasphemed, you named the name of God in vain; if you listened to the holy mass on holidays and by being involved in works of piety, or rather you occupied yourself in forbidden jobs. Examine yourself if you disobey your relatives, superiors or teachers, or give them some insolent answers; if you were scandalous in church or out of church, especially with obscene speeches or bad advice; if you stole something at home or away from home. Note that you can also steal by not taking the time in those things that are commanded to you. If you said, listened, did, allowed, or even thought anything against honesty. But I must warn you about the examination that it is not enough to simply expose sin, but you must say the number of times you committed this or that sin. For example: saying is not enough, I disobeyed my relatives, but we must add, I disobeyed two or three times, that is the precise or approximate number of the disobedience committed. The same as you say about other sins.
These are the main things you need to examine yourself about. But they are still not enough to make a good confession, you must also get excited at a real pain by seriously reflecting that sin is a great evil. Sin opens hell under your feet. What a great evil, oh fright! Paradise closes you: what a great loss! It makes you enemies of God and slaves of demons.
22 [Bosco G.,] The young man provided ... (1847), pp. 93-98 (OE II, 273-278).
Your every sin caused acute pain to the loving heart of Jesus, who suffered scourges, thorns, wounds, blood and the cross for you; and you made him disgusted, scorned and rude. Sin is an offense done to your God who is so good and lovable for himself, who created you, keeps your life. The health, the air you breathe, the bread you eat are all gifts that God gave you. He preserved it from continuous misfortunes and from the inferno itself more and more well deserved. And to his many benefits you corresponded with the most monstrous ingratitude, using these to offend him.
At the sight of the great evil that you did sinning you must have a great sorrow, or rather regret having offended God more than if any misfortune occurred, any punishment on the part of your parents or others.
This sorrow must lead you to the resolution, that is, to make a promise that you will never again want to offend God for the future. For example: you said bad words, you were disobedient, now that your confession is valid you must make a promise to the Lord that you no longer want to commit such sins even at the cost of suffering any evil.
After these reflexes make an act of contrition and approach the confessor with all humility, and if it were your turn to wait, do not dissipate with speeches or smiles as you look here and there, but be recollected waiting for time.
I must warn you never to silence any sin in confession. Before you sin, the devil tells you that there is no great evil in that action; then he does all he can to make you ashamed of it, so that you may make it a sacrilegious confession. Therefore do not be afraid of the confessor, he rejoices when he hears you confide to him what you did. In any case, be assured that the priest cannot say to you the things you confessed and cannot be used even if it were a matter of avoiding death. Courage therefore, first confess that sin which is more painful to you.
Then approaching the confessor you will make the sign of the holy cross saying: "Bless me, oh father, because I sinned". Then you will tell him the time that you did not confess and you will manifest to him the state of your conscience by exposing the number and the species of your sins. When the accusation is over, listen to what he tells you, and while he gives you absolution, think that this is the moment when the virtue of the blood of Jesus Christ is poured into your soul. So make an act of repentance from your heart. Once the confession is over, retreat to the side to thank the Lord for the benefit he has given you.
After confession. Renew wholeheartedly the purpose already made in the confession, with promising the Lord to want to practice all the means suggested by the confessor to never again fall into sin by doing these three resolutions: 1) To want to bring you to church with great devotion; 2nd Lend prompt obedience to your parents and to all other superiors; 3 ° To be greatly animated to fulfill the duties of your state and to work for the greater glory of God and for the salvation of your soul. Then say this devotedly
Prayer - How many graces I owe you, O my God, for the mercy you used to forgive me all my sins! You come back to love me and you will love me more and more if I am faithful in serving you. Oh! yes, I really want to amend. I promise to avoid all the things that could again make me fall into sin. I will never forget that you are everywhere and you see and know all that I do and think. Help me and give me rather the death that I return to offend you. Mary, my mother, do not let my good Jesus be disgusted with sin by the future. My guardian angel, my holy lawyers, help me and keep me always.
Before coming to receive the adorable body of Jesus Christ, you must reflect on whether you have the proper dispositions in your heart. Know therefore that that son who, after having sinned, does not want to amend himself, that is to say, wants to offend the Lord again, is not worthy to approach the table of the Savior and, communicating, instead of enriching himself with thanks, becomes more guilty and worthy greater punishment.
On the contrary, if you are amended, go well to receive the food of the angels and you will greatly enjoy Jesus Christ. He himself when he was on this earth although he invited everyone to follow him, yet he showed a special benevolence to the pious and innocent children, saying: "Let these little ones come to me and do not prevent them"; 24 and gave them the blessing. Therefore listen to his loving invitation and go not only to receive his blessing, but himself in person.
My Lord Jesus Christ, I believe with living faith that you are really present in the Blessed Sacrament with your body and blood, with your soul and divinity. Lord, I adore you in this sacrament and I recognize you as my creator, redeemer, sovereign, master, supreme and my only good.
Lord, I am not worthy that you enter the poor dwelling of my soul, but say only one word and my soul will be saved. Lord, I detest all my sins that make me unworthy to receive you in my heart and I propose by your grace to no longer commit them for the future, to avoid their opportunities and make them penitence.
23 [Bosco G.,] The young man provided (1847), pp. 98-103 (OE II, 278-283).
24 MC 10, 14.
Lord, I hope that by giving you everything to me in this divine sacrament I will use mercy and you will grant me all the graces necessary for my eternal health. Lord, you are infinitely lovable, you are my father, my redeemer, my God, therefore I love you with all my heart above all things and for your sake I love my neighbor as I love myself and I forgive them all those who offended me.
Lord, I ardently desire that you come into my soul, so that I will never separate you from you again, but always remain with me your divine grace.
In the meantime, O Immaculate Virgin, for the love you brought to the baby Jesus, let me receive him worthily; and when I approach the altar to receive the holy host, I will suppose to receive it from your very hands accompanied by all the choirs of the angels, who in heaven bless and praise him. My guardian angel, S. Luigi Gonzaga, my special protectors, pray to the Lord for me and obtain for me the grace to make a holy communion. Omnes sancti et sanctae Dei, intercedite pro nobis.25
Here, stop to consider who you are to receive. He is Jesus Christ, God of infinite grandeur and majesty, God of goodness and mercy, who comes to you miserable creature, poor sinner; and he comes to make your father, your brother, friend and spouse of your soul. He wants to be your doctor, teacher and food. Oh goodness! oh love! oh infinite mercy!
My God, creator and redeemer of my soul, I adore you with the deepest respect and the most profound reverence. Oh how great was your goodness! A majesty so pure, so holy and infinite to come in person to visit such a miserable creature, a handful of earth, an ungrateful sinner. My dear and good Jesus, I thank you for such a great favor, I praise you, I bless you within myself. Powers of my soul, feelings of my body rejoice in the presence of your God. It is not a single heart, or my good Jesus, to love you, praise you and thank you for many benefits and particularly for having given your food for my soul for your body, your blood,] 'your soul and your divinity.
Ah, may I have the hearts of the seraphim of heaven, so that my soul never burned ever with love for my God, who deigned to elect my poor soul for his habitation, to his delight! Ah dear Jesus, how sweet and precious is this visit of yours, this house of yours, this union of yours!
25 All of you, saints and saints of God, intercede for us.
I am not worthy of such great favor, I do not even know what to offer you in thanks; but leaning on your infinite merits I offer you these very merits. I thank you with all my heart and I protest that for the future you will always be my hope, my comfort, you only my wealth, my pleasure, the rest of my soul, you only my good, the possession, the darling of my heart. I would also like only to be able to give you all the praise and glory that the saints give you in heaven; and since I cannot do so much, I offer you everything myself; I offer you this will, so that I do not want other things than those you like; I offer you my hands, my feet, my eyes, my tongue, my mouth, my mind, my heart, I offer everything to you, keep you all these feelings of mine, so that every thought,
Virgin Most Holy, dear mother of my Jesus, Saint Luigi Gonzaga, my guardian angel, obtain this grace for me, for my relatives, for my companions, friends and enemies, and especially for those who are present in this church.
O Virgin Mary I, in faith of being yours, consecrate to you all my life the eyes, the ears, the tongue, the heart and all of myself. I want to be all yours, and you defend me as yours. Jesus, Joseph and Mary, with my heart I give you my soul. Jesus, Joseph and Mary assist me in the last agony. Jesus, Joseph and Mary, breathe my soul in peace with you.
In his eternal counsels God has destined a condition of life and relative graces for each one. As in every other circumstance, the Christian must also in this, which is very capital, seek the divine will, imitating Jesus Christ who protested that he had come to do the will of the eternal Father. Therefore very important, young man, to ascertain this step for not engaged in obligations, to which the Lord did not elect you.
To some soul that God wanted to favor in a singular way, he manifested in an extraordinary way the state to which he called it. You don't expect so much; but be comforted with the assurance that the Lord will direct you on the right path in the usual ways to his providence, provided that you do not neglect the opportune means for a prudent determination.
One of these is to pass the childhood and youth illibare, or to repair with a sincere penance the years ungracefully spent in sin.
26 G. Bosco, The young man provided for the practice of his duties in the exercises of Christian piety ..., Turin, Typography and Salesian Library 1880, pp. 75-77; this instruction on the choice of the state was inserted only in the present edition of the Provided Youth.
Another means is humble and persevering prayer. It will be of benefit to you to repeat with Saint Paul: Lord, what do you want me to do? 27 Or with Samuel: Speak, oh Lord, that your servant is listening to you.28 Or with the psalmist: Teach me to do your will, because you are my God. 29 Or other similar affectionate aspiration.
When you have to come to the resolution, turn to God with more special and frequent prayers, address prayers to the holy Mass for this purpose; apply some communion for this purpose. You can also practice some novena, some triduum, some abstinence, visit some famous sanctuary. Also refer to Mary, who is the mother of good counsel, to Saint Joseph her husband, most faithful to the divine commandments, to the guardian angel and to all the holy lawyers. It would be a very good thing, if possible, to preface the spiritual exercises or some days of retreat.
Propose to follow the wishes of God whatever may happen to you, and despite the disapproval of those who judge according to the views of the century.
If the parents or other authoritative people want to send you away from the path to which God invites you, remember that this is the case of putting into practice the great warning of obeying God and not men. Don't forget, no respect and love due to opponents; always answer and treat them with humility and meekness, but without compromising the supreme interest of your soul. Ask your opinion about your behavior to observe and trust those who can. Consult the God-fearing and wise people, especially the confessor, declaring the case and your dispositions with full sincerity.
27 C il testo della Translation: "Lord, what do you want me to do?" (At 9, 6).
28 1 Sani 3, 10.
29 Ps 143, 10.
Don Bosco's Memoirs refer to the compilation of an Oratory Regulation from the first year of the installation of the work in Valdocco.1 The archival documentation attests to the work of finishing the text in the following years. Starting from 1854, with the transformation of the "annexed house" into a boarding school for students and artisans, equipped with schools and internal laboratories, a second Regulation is added, adapted to the nature and specific mission of these educational communities. The enrichment of the text continues, especially after the opening of new works outside Turin. Finally the two regulations are printed in 1877.2 From the reading of the text it is clear that it does not only deal with a set of rules functional to the good progress of the works and to the definition of roles and tasks. At the heart of these documents Don Bosco places some substantial indications that reveal the predominantly formative intentionality of his works and configure them as true "educational and pastoral projects". Here we transcribe the chapters which show the spiritual nature of the program of Christian life which he proposes to young people.
Contegno outside the Oratory 1
1. Remember, young people, that the sanctification of the holidays brings you the blessing of the Lord on all the occupations of the week; but there are still other things that you must practice, other things that you must flee even outside the Oratory.
2. Procure every day that you never omit morning and evening prayers, do a few minutes of meditation or at least some spiritual reading, listen to the holy mass, if your occupations allow it. Do not pass before church, cross, or devout image without discovering your head.
3. Avoid any obscene or contrary discourse, because St. Paul tells us that bad talk is the ruin of good morals. "
4. You must keep everyone away from daytime and night-time theaters at all times, escape the taverns, cafes, playgrounds, and other such dangerous places.
5. Do not cultivate the friendship of those who have been dismissed from the Oratory and who speak ill of your superiors or who try to distance you from your duties; especially those who give you advice to steal in your home or elsewhere. [...]
1 Cf G. Bosco, Memoirs of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales from 1815 to 1855. Introductory essay and historical notes by A. Giraudo, Rome, LAS 2011, pp. 169-170.
2 G. Bosco, Regulations of the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for the Exteriors, Turin, Salesian Typography 1877 (OE XXIX, 33-93); ID., Regulations for the houses of the Society of St. Francis of Sales, Turin, Salesian Typography 1877 (OE XXIX, 97-196).
3 G. Bosco, Regulations of the Oratory, pp. 34-35 (OE XXIX, 64-65).
4 Cf I Cor 15, 33.
1. Believe me, my young people, that the two strongest supports to support you and to walk on the road to heaven are the sacraments of confession and communion. Therefore, consider as a great enemy of your soul anyone who tries to distance you from these two practices of our holy religion.
2. Between us there is no command to approach these holy sacraments; and this to let everyone approach you freely for love and never for fear. This was very advantageous, as we see many intervening every fifteen or eight days, and some of them, in the midst of their daily occupations, do their communion exemplary even every day. Communion only had to be done daily by early Christians; the Catholic Church in the Tridentine Council inculcates that every Christian when he goes to hear the Holy Mass make Holy Communion.
3. However, I advise all the youth of the Oratory to do what the catechism of the diocese says, that is: it is good to go to confession every fortnight or once a month. St. Philip Neri, that great friend of the youth, advised his spiritual sons to go to confession every eight days, and communicate even more often according to the advice of the confessor.
4. It is recommended that everyone, especially the adults, attend the holy sacraments in the church of the Oratory to set a good example for their companions; because a young man who approaches confession and communion with true devotion and recollection sometimes makes a greater impression on the soul of others, who would not do a long sermon.
5. The ordinary confessors are the director of the Oratory, the spiritual director and the prefect. In the solemnities other confessors will also be invited to public comfort.
6. Although it is not a sin to change confessor, however, I advise you to choose a stable one, because of the soul is what a gardener does around a plant, a doctor around a sick person. In case of illness then the ordinary confessor knows very easily the state of our soul.
7. On the day you choose to approach the holy sacraments, when you arrive at the Oratory, do not stay in the courtyard for recreation, but go quickly to the chapel, prepare yourself according to the rules explained in the sacred instructions and as indicated in the Provided Youth and in other books of pity. If you have to wait, do it with patience and penance for your sins. But never do fights to prevent others from preceding you or to pass yourself in front of others.
8. The confessor is the friend of your soul and therefore I recommend that you have full confidence in him. Also tell your confessor every secrecy of the heart and be convinced that he cannot reveal the least thing heard in confession. In fact he can't even think about it. In matters of grave importance, as it would be in the election of your state, always consult the confessor. The Lord says that he who listens to the voice of the confessor listens to God himself. Here vos audit me audit.6
5 G. Bosco, Regulations of the Oratory, pp. 36-39 (OE XXIX, 66-69).
9. Once the confession is over, retreat to the side, and with the same recollection you give thanks. If you have the consent of the confessor, prepare yourself for holy communion.
10. After communion, take at least a quarter of an hour to give thanks; it would be a very serious irreverence if a few minutes after receiving the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ one would go out of church or start laughing and chatting, and spit or look here and there for the church.
11. Make sure that from one confession to the other you consider the warnings given by the confessor, trying to put them into practice.
12. Another thing concerns communion and it is: thanksgiving done, always ask God for this grace, that is, to be able to receive the holy viaticum before your death with the proper dispositions.
1. Remember, young people, that we are created to love and serve God our creator, and that nothing would benefit us all science and all the riches of the world without fear of God.8 From our holy fear depends all our temporal and eternal good .
2. The prayer, the holy sacraments and the word of God will benefit the keeping of God.
3. Prayer should be frequent and fervent but never unwillingly and with the disturbance of companions; it is better not to pray than to pray badly. First of all, in the morning, as soon as you wake up, you make the sign of the holy cross and raise your mind to God with some prayerful prayer.
4. Elect yourself a stable confessor, open to him every secrecy of your heart every eight or fifteen days or at least once a month, as the Roman Catechism says; once a month, everyone will have a good death, preparing himself with some little sermon or other mercy.
6 Whoever hears you listens to me (Lk 10, 16).
7 G. Bosco, Regulations for houses, pp. 63-64 (OE XXIX, 159-160).
8 Cf Pr 15, 16.
5. Assist devoutly in Holy Mass and do not forget to do every day or to listen to a little spiritual reading.
6. Listen carefully to the sermons and other moral instructions. Take care not to sleep, cough or make any other noise during the same. Never go away from sermons without bringing with you a few maxims to practice during your occupations and attach great importance to studying religion and catechism.
7. Give yourselves as a young person to virtue, because waiting to give oneself to God in old age is putting oneself in the most serious danger of going eternally lost. The virtues that form the most beautiful ornament of a young Christian are: modesty, humility, obedience and charity.
8. Have a special devotion to the Most Holy Sacrament, to the Blessed Virgin, to St. Francis de Sales, to St. Louis Gonzaga, to St. Joseph who are the special protectors of every house.
9. Never embrace any new devotion except with the permission of your confessor and remember what he said s. Filippo Neri to his children: Do not take on too many devotions, but be persevering in those you have taken.
1. Man, my young people, was born to work. Adam was placed in the earthly paradise so that he could cultivate it. "" The apostle Saint Paul says: he is unworthy to eat who does not want to work;
2. Work means the fulfillment of the duties of one's state, whether of study, art or profession.
3. Through work you can make yourself worthy of society; of religion and do your soul good, especially if you offer your daily occupations to God.
4. Among your occupations you always prefer those that are commanded by your superiors or prescribed by obedience, keeping firm that you never omit any obligation of yours to undertake things not commanded.
5. If you know anything, give glory to God, who is the author of every good, but do not be unsurpassed, because pride is a worm that eats and makes you lose the merit of all your good works.
6. Remember that your age is the spring of life. Whoever does not get used to work in time of youth, for the most part will always be an armchair until old age, with dishonor of the homeland and relatives and perhaps with irreparable damage to one's own soul.
9 G. Bosco, Regulations for houses, pp. 68-69 (OE XXIX, 164-165).
10 Cf Gen 2, 15.
11 2 Ts 3, 10.
7. Whoever is forced to work and does not work steals God and his superiors. The idlers at the end of life will experience great remorse for lost time.
8. Always start work, study and school with the Actiones, "and with the Hail Mary, end with the Agimus." Tell her these little prayers well, so that the Lord wants it to guide your work and your studies, and you may profit from the indulgences granted by the supreme pontiffs to those who perform these practices of piety.
9. In the morning before starting work, at noon and in the evening, finish your occupations, say the Angelus Domini, adding the De profundis in the evening for the souls of the faithful dead, always say so while kneeling, except on Saturdays evening and Sunday, when you tell them standing up. The Regina coeli is said in Easter time standing up. "
Support towards superiors 15
1. The foundation of every virtue in a young person is obedience to his superiors. Obedience generates and preserves all the other virtues, and if this is necessary for all, it is so in a special way for youth. Therefore, if you want to acquire virtue, begin with obedience to your superiors, submitting to them without any opposition whatsoever as you would do to God.
2. Here are the words of St. Paul concerning obedience; obey those who are proposed to you for your guidance and direction and be submissive to them: because they will have to give account of your souls to God. Obey not by force but willingly, so that your superiors may perform their duties with joy and not with tears and sighs. "
3. Persuade yourselves that your superiors strongly feel the grave obligation that binds them to promote your advantage in the best way and that in alerting you, commanding you, correcting you they have nothing in mind but your good.
12 Actiones: beginning of a prayer taken from the Gregorian Sacramentary: "Actiones nostras, quaesumus Domine, aspirando praeveni et adiuvando prosequere, ut cuncta our operatio a te semper incipiat et per te coepta finiatur" (Inspire our actions, Lord, and accompany them with your help, so that every activity of ours has its beginning in you and its fulfillment in you).
13 discussing the beginning of the gods one preghiera recited al termine del lavoro Oh the past: "We thank you, Almighty God, for all your benefits. You live and reign forever" (Ti rendiamo grazie, o Dio powerful, per tutti i QUATTRO beneficiaries. Tu che living out of the net secoli secoli. Amen).
14 Angelus Domini: beginning of the Marian prayer that in the Catholic tradition is recited three times a day, at dawn, at noon and at sunset. Regina coeli: Marian antiphon which, in the Easter season, replaces the Angelus: "Regina coeli, laetare, alleluia I Quia, quem meruisti to bring, alleluia Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia" (Queen of heaven cheered, alleluia, the one you deserved to bring [in the womb], alleluia, alleluia has risen, as he had predicted, pray to the Lord for us, allelulia "). De profundis (From the depths): beginning of Ps 129, according to the edition of the Vulgate, which is used mainly in the suffrages for the dead.
15 G. Bosco, Regulations for houses, pp. 75-77 (OE XXIX, 171-173).
16 Cf Eb 13, 17.
4. Those who never let themselves be seen by their superiors hurt, rather they hide or flee when they arrive. Remember the example of chicks. Those who are closer to the mother hen usually receive a special treat from it. Thus those who usually approach superiors always have some particular advice or advice.
5. Give them too those external demonstrations of reverence that are well deserved, by greeting them respectfully when you meet them, keeping your head uncovered in their presence.
6. Let your obedience be ready, respectful and cheerful to their every command, making no observations to exempt you from what they command. Obey, although the thing commanded is not to your taste.
7. Open your hearts to them freely by considering in them a father who longs for your happiness,
8. Listen to their corrections with gratitude and if necessary, humbly receive the punishment of your faults, without showing either hatred or contempt towards them.
9. Flee the company of those who, while their superiors consume the labors for you, censure their dispositions; this would be a sign of maximum ingratitude.
10. When you are questioned by a superior about the conduct of some of your companions, answer in the way that things are known to you, especially when it comes to preventing or remedying some evil. Silence in these circumstances would harm that companion and offend God.
1. Honor and love your companions as many brothers and study to build one another with a good example.
2. Love each other mutually, "as the Lord says, but beware of scandal." 9 He who gives scandal with words, speeches, actions, is not a friend, is a murderer of the soul.
3. If you can give yourself some services and give you some good advice, do it willingly. In your recreation you welcome any companion without distinction in your conversation and give part of your play with pleasant manners.
17 G. Bosco, Regulations for houses, pp. 77-78 (OE XXIX, 173-174).
18 Gv 13, 34.
19 Cf Rm 14, 13.
Take care never to discuss the faults of your companions, unless you are questioned by your superior. In this case, be careful not to overdo what you say.
4. We must recognize every good and every evil from God, so beware of mocking your companions for their bodily or spiritual defects. What you are today mocking in others, it may be that tomorrow the Lord will allow it to happen to you.
5. True charity commands us to patiently bear the faults of others and forgive easily when someone offends us, 2nd but we must never insult others, especially those who are inferior to us.
6. Pride is supremely to be avoided, the proud is hateful in God's eyes and despicable before men.21
1. By modesty we mean a decent and regulated way of speaking, of treating and walking. This virtue, or young people, is one of the most beautiful ornaments of your age, and must appear in all your actions, in your every speech.
2. The body and clothing must be clean, the face constantly serene and cheerful, without moving the shoulders or the body slightly here and there, except that some honest reason requires it.
3. I recommend modesty in your eyes, they are the windows through which the devil leads sin into the heart. Going is moderate, not too quickly, except that necessity demands otherwise; the hands when they are not occupied are kept in a decent state and at night as far as they can be held in front of the chest.
4. Never put your hands on others or ever play with each other by holding each other's hands, nor ever walk arm in arm or clinging to the necks of your companions, as the people of the square sometimes do.
5. When you speak, be modest, never using expressions that can offend charity and decency: at your state, at your age, it is better to accept a veracious silence than to promote discourses that generally reveal boldness and talkiness in you.
6. Do not criticize the actions of others or boast of your merits or any virtues. Always accept with indifference the blame and the praise, humbling yourself towards God, when some reproach is made to you.
7. Avoid any action, movement or word that they know to be rude, study to amend the defects of temperament in time and make an effort to form a gentle nature that is constantly regulated according to the principles of Christian modesty.
20 Cf I Cor 13, 4-7.
21 Cf Sir 10, 7.
22 G. Bosco, Regulations for houses, pp. 78-80 (OE XXIX, 174-176).
8. It is also part of modesty the way of containing oneself at table, thinking that food is given to us, not as a brute, only to satisfy the taste, but rather to keep the body healthy and vigorous, as a material instrument to be used to procure the happiness of the soul.
9. Before and after the food you do the usual acts of religion and during the refection try to feed the spirit, waiting in silence for that little bit of reading that is done there.
10. It is not permissible to eat or drink if not those things that are supplied by the establishment, those that receive fruit, edible or soft drinks of any kind, must deliver them to the superior, who will arrange for it to be used moderately.
11. It is strongly recommended that you never spoil the slightest part of soup, bread or dish. Let us not forget the example of the Savior who commanded his apostles to gather the crumbs of bread, so that they would not be lost: Colligite fragmenta ne pereant. "Whoever willfully spoiled some sort of food is severely punished and must greatly fear that the Lord will make him die of hunger. [...]
Although everyone must flee from any sin, yet there are three evils which you must especially avoid because they are more disastrous to the youth. These are: 1 ° blasphemy, and to name the holy name of God in vain; 2 ° dishonesty; 3rd theft. Believe me, my children, one of these sins is enough to pull the curses of the sky above the house. On the contrary, by keeping away these evils we have the most justified reasons to hope for the heavenly blessings above us and over our entire community.
Whoever observes these rules is from the blessed Lord. Every Sunday in the evening or on another day of the week, the prefect or his deputy will read some article of these rules with a short and similar moral reflection.
23 Collect the leftover pieces so that nothing is lost. Citation from the Vulgate: "Colligite quae superavemnt fragmenta, ne pereant" (Jn 6, 12).
24 G. Bosco, Regulations for houses, p. 89 (OE XXIX, 185).
The Christian education of youth, in popular works of marked missionary character, such as the festive oratories of the Turin suburbs, requires gradual paths, adapted to the pace of each one. The Young Man provided offers a complete but essential proposal, suitable for everyone. On it, Don Bosco, through the sacrament of penance, the personal formative conversation and the suggestion of devout elective practices, engages more demanding personalized paths for those young people capable of greater commitment. Moreover, mindful of fruitful youth experiences, such as the Società dell'Allegria, promotes among the children of the festive Oratory and the students of the houses the organization of religious companies and free associations of friends with a more marked educational and apostolic purpose, in which an integral Christian life is fostered, all aimed at virtuous tension and oriented towards acting as a ferment in the youth community. In these spiritual cenacles the best Salesian vocations were forged. The foundation of the Company of San Luigi Gonzaga in the festive oratory of Valdocco (12 April 1847) testifies to the transition to a more organic training project for "poor and abandoned" children, aimed at "giving excitement to piety with some stable and uniform practice ", inviting the members to" give a good example in church and outside the church; avoid bad speeches and attend the holy sacraments ". ' The Compagnia dell'Immacolata, founded on the initiative of Domenico Savio and his friends in June 1856.2 represents a further evolution of Don Bosco's spiritual program aimed at proposing to young students journeys of youthful holiness and cultivating vocations to the apostolic and religious life. The ever clearer awareness of the centrality of the Eucharist will lead to the establishment of the Company of the Blessed Sacrament (1858). Later, other associations will arise, such as the Compagnia di San Giuseppe (1859), aimed at nourishing the spiritual life among artisans and young workers and promoting lay Salesian vocations.
The purpose of this Company is to engage young people in practicing the main virtues that were brighter in this saint. Therefore everyone before enrolling will have a month of trial to carefully consider the conditions and not go ahead if you don't feel like fulfilling them.
1. Since St. Louis Gonzaga was a model of good example, so all those who want to be inscribed in his Society must avoid all that can cause scandal and try to set a good example in every place, but especially in the church.
1 G. Bosco, Memoirs of the Oratory, p. 170.
2 G. Bosco, Lives of young people. The biographies of Domenico Savio, Michele Magone and Francesco Be-juice. Introductory essay and historical notes by A. Giraudo, Rome, LAS 2012, pp. 78-81.
3 ASCs A230020I: Compagnia di S. Luigi. Regulation, ms allografo with autograph corrections of Don Bosco (cf MB III, 216-220).
When St. Louis went to church, people ran to observe their modesty and recollection.
2. Every fifteen days approach the holy sacraments of penance and communion, and even more frequently especially in the major solemnities of the Church. Because these are the weapons for which you will certainly bring victory against the devil. St. Louis, still a young man, approached these sacraments every eight days and became a little older more often. Who, however, for just reason could not sometimes fulfill this condition, may ask the superior in exchange for some other practice of virtue.
3. Escape the bad companions like the plague and be careful not to make obscene speeches. St. Louis not only avoided such discourses, but no one dared to utter words that were slightly obscene in his presence.
4. Use high charity with your companions easily forgiving any offense. It was enough to do an injury to St. Louis to become a friend to him.
5. Great commitment to good order in the Oratory, animating others in virtue and being enrolled in the Society. St. Louis for the good of his neighbor went to serve the plague victims which was the cause of his death.
6. When a confrere finds himself sick, each one will take care to pray for him, and also help him in temporal matters in the possible way.
7. Show great love for work and the fulfillment of one's duties by giving exact obedience to all superior persons.
We Rocchietti Giuseppe, Marcellino Luigi, Bonetti Giovanni, Vaschetti Francesco, Durando Celestino, Momo Giuseppe, Savio Domenico, Bongioanni Giuseppe, Rua Michele, Cagliero Giovanni, to assure us in life and in death the patronage of the blessed Virgin Immaculately concetta, to dedicate ourselves entirely to his holy service, on the 8th of June [1856], with all the holy sacraments and resolute to profess a constant and devotion to his mother, we protest before her altar and our spiritual director to want to imitate as much as we can and as far as our forces will allow Luigi Comollo. So we force ourselves:
1. To strictly observe the house rules;
2. To build companions by admonishing them charitably and by exciting them to good with words, but much more by good example;
3. To deal strictly with time.
4 ASC A452: Compagnia dell'Immacolata, ms by Giuseppe Bongioanni with autograph notes by Don Bosco (cf MB V, 479-483).
It will be our care to inform our lives about what we oblige ourselves to fulfill: and therefore we place this regulation under the eyes of our spiritual director in order to be pleased to grant him his approval.
Charity establishes us in perfection, but only with obedience and chastity can we acquire this state that brings us closer to God.
1. As a primary rule, therefore, we will adopt a perfect obedience to our superiors, to whom we submit with unlimited confidence.
2. The fulfillment of one's duties is our first and special occupation, and this takes precedence over those religious practices which we are not obliged to observe.
3. A mutual charity will unite our souls, it will make us love our brothers indiscriminately, and we will gently admonish them when they show they need a correction.
4. We will endeavor to choose a half-hour in the week to call each other, and after invoking the Holy Spirit, having made a short spiritual reading, we will discuss the progress of the Society in devotion and in virtues, the doubts will be dissolved, those faults will be purged. that our weakness could have committed but not openly reproaching the conduct of anyone except when too much guilty indifference has diminished in him the zeal of obedience and fervor.
5. Separately, however, we will admonish without any regard for those defects of which we must amend.
6. We will try to avoid any disagreement between us by enduring harassment and studying to use mutual services among us.
7. No practice of prayer is fixed, since the time that remains after having done our duty, will be consecrated to that purpose which will seem most useful to our soul and this for fear that, due to the excessive number of them, it will not be threatened the fulfillment of those that each one has already borne due to lack of time, especially since the true devotion does not already consist in lengthy vocal prayers, but rather in the purity of the heart and in the total sacrifice of our will. But let us admit these few practices: attendance at the holy sacraments the more often we will be allowed to approach them. We trust that the greater the use we make of a healthy means, the more we will be driven to persevere in the enterprise and the greater our strength [we will] to overcome every obstacle.
8. Holy communion should consecrate every Sunday, feasts of precept, those dedicated to the patron saints of the Oratory and all the solemnities of Mary Most Holy.
9. In the course of the week we will endeavor to constantly approach us on Thursday, unless we are diverted from some serious occupation.
10. At the frequency of the holy sacraments we add the holy rosary, of which we strongly recommend the recitation, without however determining it as a daily obligation.
11. Every day we will recommend our society to Mary, asking her to obtain for us the grace of perseverance, the virtues necessary for the exact observance of these rules and her patronage.
12. Every Saturday we will try to do some mortification or prayer or other practice in honor of Mary.
13. We will take care of building the next one. We will therefore use particular modesty in prayer, reading, divine offices, study and school. We will guard the holy word of God with the utmost jealousy and will return to it the meditated truth. We will avoid any minimum loss of time to ensure our minds of the temptations that are usually assailed by idleness; and therefore:
14. After having satisfied the obligations incumbent on each of us we will consecrate the hours left in useful occupations, as in devout and instructive readings or in prayer.
15. Recreation is tolerated, indeed desired, after food and when the mind, notably tired of study, cannot do without relief, when also the company of superiors or civilization held you back so as not to sin of inurbanity.
16. We will endeavor to show our superiors whatever is of some significance between us, so as to guarantee our actions by subjecting them to their judgment.
17. We will also make great savings on those permits that are granted by the kindness of our superiors, since one of the main aims we have set ourselves is certainly the exact observance of the rules of the house, too often offended by the abuse of such permits.
18. In the study we will observe strict silence, removing any pretext it was to make us talk, scream or go out. For the execution of this rule we recommend maximum caution and patience.
19. We accept from our superiors what will be destined to our food, without being part of the companions or accepting what could be offered to us, unless harm is returned to anyone.
20. We will refrain from complaining about food and will try to divert others from doing so, whatever the taste.
21. Whoever desires to be part of this society will first have to purge the conscience of the confessional court and eat at the Eucharistic table; then give a wise account of his conduct with a week of novitiate; read these rules carefully and promise to God, to Mary Most Holy Immaculate and to her spiritual director the exact observance.
22. On the day of his admission the brothers will approach the table of the angels, praying to his divine Majesty to grant the neophyte the virtue of perseverance and obedience, the love of God and of Mary our mother.
23. Society is placed under the auspices of the Immaculate Conception, of which we derive the title and we will have pious medal. A sincere, filial, unlimited trust in Mary, a singular tenderness towards her, a constant devotion will make us superior to every obstacle, tenacious in resolutions, rigid towards us, loving with our neighbor and exact in everything. We also advise the brothers to write the holy names of Jesus and Mary, first in the heart and mind, then on the books and above all the objects that can fall under our eyes. [...]
And Maria? Bless our efforts because the inspiration to give life to this pious society was all his. Arrest our hopes, grant our vows and we, covered by his mantle, strengthened by his patronage, we will challenge the procelles of this treacherous sea, we will overcome the assaults of the infernal enemy, we will be the edification of our companions, the consolation of superiors, affectionate and delight her offspring.
And if God will grant us grace and life to serve him in the priestly ministry, we will do all we can to do it with the utmost zeal and mistrusting our forces, boundlessly confident in the divine help, we can hope that after a happy passage from this valley of tears, comforted by the Mary's presence in that last hour we will safely reach that eternal leader that God can give to those who serve him in spirit and in truth.
Here are the main articles of this Company's regulation:
1. The main purpose of this Company is to promote adoration of the Blessed Eucharist and to compensate Jesus Christ for the outrages that he receives in this very sacrament from infidels and heretics and bad Christians.
2. To this end the confreres will endeavor to share their communions so that there can be daily communion. Each confrere, with the permission of the confessor, will take care to communicate each day on public holidays and once a week.
3. It will lend itself with special readiness to all the functions directed to the worship of the Most Holy Eucharist, as it would be to serve Holy Mass, attend the blessing of the Venerable, accompany the Viaticum when it is brought to the sick, visit the Blessed Sacrament when it is exposed in the forties hours.
5 ASC A2300202: Compagnia del SS. Sacramento, ms of Giovanni Bosco (cf G. Bosco, Biographical reference to the young Magone Michele, student of the Oratory of S. Francesco di Sales, Turin, Tip. GB Paravia and Comp. 1861, pp. 69-70).
4. Each member tries to learn how to serve the Holy Mass well by doing all the ceremonies exactly and devoutly and distinctly uttering the words that occur in this sublime ministry.
5. A spiritual conference will be held per week, to which everyone will take care to intervene and invite others to come there also on time.
6. In conferences we will deal with things that directly concern worship towards the Blessed Sacrament, as it would encourage to communicate to each other with the greatest concentration, instruct and assist those who make their first communion, help to prepare and thank those who needed it. , spreading books, images, leaflets that tend to this purpose.
7. After the conference a spiritual foil will be drawn to be implemented during the week.
The abundant correspondence of Don Bosco is a reflection of his multiform activity as a man of action. We do not find in it letters of spiritual direction articulated like those of St. Francis de Sales. Don Bosco is concrete and hasty, even when he mentions spiritual matters, which he prefers to deal more extensively in personal dialogue. Despite the concealment, however, when necessary he knows how to focus, in a few strokes, on the nodal points of Christian life in an operational function. Among the many letters, we have chosen some, addressed to boys and young people, who best represent his spiritual proposal.
S. Ignazio near Lanzo, 25 July 1860
My beloved son,
The letter you wrote to me really pleased me. With it you show that you have understood what my soul is towards you. Yes, my dear, I love you wholeheartedly, and my love for you tends to do all I can to make you progress in study and piety and guide you on the path to heaven. Recall the many warnings I gave you in various circumstances; be cheerful, but your cheerfulness is as true as that of a conscience that is free from sin. Study to become very rich, but rich in virtue, and the greatest wealth is the holy fear of God. Flee from the bad, be a friend to the good; put yourself in the hands of your master archpriest and follow the advice and all will be well.
Greet your relatives for me; pray to the Lord for me, and while God keeps you far from me I beg you to keep yours always until you will be with us again, while I am with paternal affection
Aff.mo
Sac. Bosco Gio.
Calliano, 10 October 1860
Dearest Garino,
I received your letter with pleasure and enjoy your firm will to make you good to become an excellent ecclesiastic. For my part I will do all I can; but I need something from you too. About what?
1 E (m) I, pp. 500-501.
2 E(m) I, p. 144.
An unlimited confidence in everything that concerns the good of your soul. I need to make you a hunter of souls, but for the fear that you will remain chased by others, I propose you only to model yourself for your companions in doing good. Moreover it will always be a great fortune for you when you can promote some good or prevent some evil among your companions.
Love me as I love you in the Lord, pray for me too that I am of your heart
Aff.mo
Sac. Bosco Gio.
Turin, 8 September 1861
Dear Emanuele,
While you enjoy the campaign with the good Stanislaus I come in the company of maman to pay you a visit with this ticket, which I must write to you.
My purpose is to get you a good project; listen then. The age, the study you go through seem sufficient to be admitted to Holy Communion. I would therefore like the first Easter to be for you that great day of your holy communion. What do you say, dear Emanuele? Try to talk about it with your parents and you will hear their opinion. But I would like you to begin to prepare yourself and therefore to be particularly exemplary in practicing:
1st exact obedience to your parents and your other superiors, without ever opposing any command.
2nd Punctuality in the fulfillment of your duties, especially those of school, without ever having you scolded to fulfill them.
3rd Make great esteem for all things of devotion. Therefore to do the sign of the holy cross well, to pray knees with composed attitude, to assist with exemplarity to the things of church.
I would very much like you to answer me about the proposals I made to you. Please greet Azeglia and Stanislao for me. Be all happy in the Lord. God bless you all; pray for me; you especially, my dear Emmanuel, honor me with your good conduct and believe me always yours
Dear friend Sac. Bosco Gio.
3 E (m) I, pp. 459-460.
Turin, July 20 [1864]
Precious young Pelazza Annetta,
1 ° Obedience is the sure way for you to reach heaven.
2nd To put into practice the thought that the mind has occupied for some time (you have not told me this, but you seem to see it in your mind: make yourself religious) put yourself entirely in the hands of your superior saints.
3rd When you need something, go and ask Jesus for the sacrament and Mary Immaculate and you will always be heard.
God bless you and grant us all to walk the way of salvation of the soul.
Pray for me who am in Jesus Christ
Humble servant Sac. Gio. Bosco
Turin, 1 June 1866
Dear Gregorio Garofoli,
I was pleased to receive your letter and I gave your news to the young people who took part in the Tortona caravan. They had real pleasure and give me the pleasant job of thanking you and greeting you. Certainly I would like to stay a little longer talking to you, but the things I would like to tell you cannot be confided to paper. If you like to pay me a visit in the next holidays I will tell you how much I would like to write to you.
As a friend of your soul I can not unless I give you some basic memories and are three fff I mean:
1st Escape from idleness.
2nd Escape of comrades who make bad speeches or give bad advice.
3rd Attends confession and communion with fervor and fruit.
Please greet your two brothers, Emanuele Callori and the other Piedmontese, so long as you recognize me. God bless you and keep you in his holy grace, pray for me that you are
Most affectionate in the Lord Sac. Bosco Gio.
4 E (m) II, p. 60.
5 E (m) II, p. 252.
Rome, 20 January 1874
Dearest Don Lazzero and my dear artisans,
Although I have written a letter to all my beloved children of the Oratory, yet being the artisans as the pupil of my eye, and more having asked for a special blessing from the holy father for them, so I believe they please you by satisfying my heart with a letter.
I do not need to tell you that I bring you much affection, I have given you clear proofs. Then you love me, I don't need you to say it, because you've constantly shown it to me. But what is our mutual affection above what is founded? Above the bag? Not above mine, because I spend it on you; not above yours, because, do not be offended, you have none. So my affection is based on my desire to save your souls that were all redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and you love me because I try to lead you on the path of eternal salvation. Therefore the good of our souls is the foundation of our affection.
But, my dear children, does each of us really hold a conduct that tends to save the soul or rather to lose it?
If our divine Savior at this time called us to his divine court to be judged would he find us all prepared? Proposed and unfulfilled proposals; data scandals and not repaired; speeches that taught evil to others are things around which we must be afraid of being scolded.
However, while Jesus Christ could rightly make us these reproaches, I am convinced that not a few would present themselves with a clear conscience and with the accounts of the soul well adjusted, and this is my consolation. However, my dear friends, take courage; I will not cease praying for you, working for you, thinking for you and you helping me with your good will.
Put into practice the words of St. Paul that I translate here: Encourage the young men to be sober, 'nor ever forget that it is established for everyone to die, and that after death we will all have to present ourselves in the court of Jesus.' He who does not suffer with Jesus Christ on earth cannot be crowned with glory in heaven. Flee from sin as your greatest enemy, and flee from the source of sins, that is, the evil discourses that are the ruin of morals.1 ° Give a good example to one another in works and speeches, "etc. etc.
6 E (m) IV, p. 208.
7 Cf I Tt 2, 6.
8 Cf 2 Cor 5, 10.
9 Cf 2 Tm 2, 5.
10 Cf 1 Cor 15, 33.
11 Cf I Ts 5, 11.
Don Lazzero will tell you the rest. Meanwhile, my dear ones, I commend myself to your charity, that you pray in a special way for me, and those of the Society of Saint Joseph, who are the most fervent, make a holy communion for me.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ always be with us and help us to persevere in good until death. Amen.
Your most affectionate friend Sac. G. Bosco
Turin, 26 September 1878
Dearest in Jesus Christ,
Your frankness in writing shows your good will and invites me to speak with full confidence. God is great, God is merciful. Sometimes we don't think of him, but he thinks of us and seeing us flee far away he gives us a smear on his shoulders and stops us and makes us go back to him. It's not true? May the Lord be blessed in all things and his decrees adored. If your health then allows us to resume our studies, I will not be alien to advising you to go on even to the priesthood. If you loved life withdrawn in common and wanted to come with me, I would count you among my dear and beloved children.
Meanwhile, prayer, work, mortification, with frequent confession and communion, will make you winner against that ancient enemy of your soul. Other things cannot be left to the card. Goodbye, dear, God bless you. Pray for me that I will always be you in Jesus Christ
Dear friend Sac. Gio. Bosco
Turin, 17 June 1879 My dear children,
Before now I would have liked to reply to some letters written by your dear professor and several of you. Not being able to do this to each one in particular, I write a letter for all of them, reserving the right to speak to each one privately at the next feast of St. Louis.
12 E (c) 3, p. 390.
13 E (c) III, pp. 476-477.
You therefore believe that in this world men must walk the path of heaven in one of the two states: ecclesiastical or secular. For the secular state, everyone must choose those studies, those jobs, those professions that allow him to fulfill the duties of a good Christian and that are to his parents' liking. For the ecclesiastical state then the norms established by our Divine Savior must be followed: to renounce the comforts, the glory of the world, the pleasures of the earth to give oneself to the service of God, and so it is better to ensure the joys of heaven, who will have no more end.
In making this choice, each one listens to the opinion of his confessor and then regardless of superiors or inferiors, relatives or friends, he solves what facilitates his way to salvation and comforts him to the point of death. That young man who enters the ecclesiastical state with this intention has moral certainty of doing much good for his own soul and for the soul of his neighbor.
In the ecclesiastical state there are also many branches that must all start from one point and tend to the same center which is God. Priest in the century, priest in religion, priest in foreign missions are the three fields in which the evangelical workers are called to work and to promote the glory of God. Everyone can choose what is most dear to him, best suited to his physical and moral strength, taking advice from a pious, learned and prudent person.
At this point I should release many difficulties that refer to the world, that would like all the youth to serve him, while God would like it all for himself. However, I will verbally try to answer or better explain the difficulties that can occur to everyone in taking some of these important deliberations.
The basis of a young boy's happy life is frequent communion and reading the prayer to Mary Most Holy every Saturday on the choice of the state, as described in the Provved Young Man.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ always be with you all and grant you the precious gift of perseverance in goodness. I will recommend you to the Lord every day and you also pray for me that I will always be there in Jesus Christ
Dear friend Sac. Gio. Bosco
In Don Bosco's educational system, preaching is of particular importance, whether related to the liturgical context (the homily) or catechetical context (the instructions on Sunday afternoon), or the informal and family context, such as speeches to young people before evening rest (the "good nights"). The texts reported here are transcripts from notes taken at the time of the words of the holy educator. Not all the individual words of Don Bosco refer to the letter, but they certainly contain the substance of the discourse. The material kept in the archive is vast: we have chosen some speeches that offer an idea of Don Bosco's favorite themes and his way of expressing himself. Biographical memories amply exploit these materials, correcting the language and integrating, when they exist, the various versions.
Sunday 17 October 1858
The month of October comes from the Church consecrated largely to Mary Most Holy. The first Sunday of this month is consecrated to Our Lady of the Rosary in memory of the innumerable graces obtained, of the wonderful prodigies for her intercession, to establish a memory that is always alive in the hearts of the faithful of so many favors that Mary most holy invoked with that title shared with the his devotees. On the second Sunday we celebrate the virgin motherhood to remind Christians that Mary is our mother, that we are all her dear children. The third Sunday that is today is celebrated her purity, which is that virtue that made her so great with God, is that virtue that made her the most beautiful creature that ever came out of the hands of the Lord.
Since it is already two Sundays that you hear yourself narrating the glories of the virgin Mary, this evening instead of speaking to you of Mary most holy, I want to talk to you about this beautiful virtue, by showing you how much esteem they made of it, not the Gentiles, whom they too honored with great veneration of those who guarded this virtue, but rather I want you to show what esteem it has made of God himself. Oh how I would consider myself happy if on this evening I could insinuate into your tender [hearts] the love of this angelic virtue! Be careful, and I will begin.
What is the virtue of purity? The theologians say that purity means a hatred, a loathing of everything that is against the sixth commandment. So that any person, each in his state, can retain the virtue of purity.
1 ASC A0040601: Memory of some facts 1858-1861, ms of Giovanni Bonetti, pp. 1-7 (cf. MB VI, 62-66).
This purity is so grateful to God, that if at any time he severely punished the vice that is contrary to it, he rewarded those who preserved it at the cost of the most stupendous wonders. Already from the earliest times of the world, in which men, although they had not yet greatly multiplied, had already broken the path to disorder, to corruption, as the Scripture says: omnis caro corruperat viam suam, 2 God rewarded purity. Enoch, who among all was the only one [who] had kept his pure heart to God, was believed by God to be unworthy of being among that so vicious people, and he therefore sent two of his angels, who removed Enoch from the consortium of men, ' transporting it to a place, from where it was then introduced into the sky by Jesus Christ after his death.
Let's go further. Already in great numbers, as men multiplied on earth, forgetting their Creator, they had given themselves to carnal pleasures, they had immersed themselves in the most vituperative vices, in the vice of dishonesty, of impurity. Indignant God of such iniquity established to smash the human lineage with a universal flood. But he saves from the universal extermination Noah with his wife and three of his sons with their wives.4 But why so much preference to them? Because they preserved the beautiful and inestimable virtue of purity.
We come later. There were after the flood the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah given all sorts of dishonesty. He determined God to exterminate them no longer with a flood of water, but with a flood of fire. But what did he do first? He turned his eyes on those unhappy cities and saw that Lot and his wife had kept their purity. He immediately sends an angel to tell him to flee, that God wanted to incinerate all those people. As soon as you leave the city, a sea of fire with horrible rumbles of thunder and lightning falls upon those miserable cities, and in a dwelling with them all deepened them. Lot and his wife were saved from the fire, but his wife, out of curiosity, did not escape the indignation of God, since having the angel forbidden to look back when they had felt the chastisement of God to fall upon those inhabitants, Lot's wife at the hearing so many noises that all hell seemed to have raged there, he could not keep himself from turning back; and behold, in the same instant a stone statue remained. ' So if God had it from the common slaughter saved for his purity, he nevertheless wanted to punish the immodestity of his eyes, to show us that we must keep our eyes modest, not appease all our curiosity, otherwise we will remain victim, not only in the body as it was of Sara, but also of the soul, being the eyes two doors for which almost always the demon enters.
2 Every man had perverted his conduct (Gen 6:12).
3 Cf Gen 5, 22.24.
4 Cf Gen 6, 1-7, 13.
5Cf Gen 19, 12-26.
Let us go forward. Carry your thoughts in Egypt, and there you will see a young man, who for not wanting to consent to an infamous dishonest action to which the shameless mistress wanted to force him, suffered a thousand punishments and even imprisonment. " But what? Will he allow God to perish Joseph? No, wait and you will see him going out of prison and in an instant get on the throne of Egypt; you will see that he alone with his counsels saves not only Egypt, but Judea, Syria, Mesopotamia and a thousand other nations from death. ' But whence so much glory? you will call me. From God, who wanted to reward Joseph's heroic act of not having listened to the flattery and wanted to [reward] his love for the beautiful virtue of purity,
I would not finish it any more if I wanted to bring back all the similar facts and of a Judith, for whose purity God saved Betulia from a whole army, of a chaste Susanna exalted to the heavens, and of a Savior Ester of the whole Jewish nation. But why did God work so many miracles in favor of them? For their purity. Yes, the virtue of purity is so beautiful, so grateful to God, who at all times and in all circumstances never left those who possessed it without protection.
Let us go ahead, for this is not enough. The longed-for time that the longed-for by the people had come, the Salvator of the world. But who was she from whom to be born wanted the son of God, the Creator of the universe? May God turn his eyes on all the daughters of Zion and one finds that he falls in love with him. But who is she? It is Mary Most Holy. The Savior of the world was born of this woman, not by the work of man, but by the work of the Holy Spirit, wanting God to work a prodigy never operated and which will never work again. But why so many privileges? To compensate, to reward the purity of Mary who was the purest, the most chaste of all creatures.
What do you think was the reason that our divine Savior had so much love to be with children, to embrace them, if not because these had not yet lost the beautiful virtue of purity? They wanted the apostles to expel them, because they filled their ears with noise, but the divine Savior, taking them back, they commanded them to let them come to him, sinite can come to me; 8 telling them that they would not return to the kingdom of heaven if they had not become simple, pure and chaste like those little boys. 9 The divine Savior raised up a child and a girl, ") but why? Because, they interpret the holy Fathers, they had not lost their purity.
6 Cf Gen 39, 7-20.
7 Cf Gen 41, 39-57.
8 Let the boys come to me; quotation adapted from the Vulgate: "Sinite parvulos come to me" (Mk 10, 14).
9 Mt 18, 3.
10 Mt 9, 24-25; Lc 7, 11-15.
Why did Jesus Christ show so much predilection towards St. John? Do you want to go to Mount Tabor for his transfiguration? he wants St. John with him. "He wants to go fishing with his Apostles? Well, he prefers to go on the boat of St. John. He goes to the Garden of Gethsemane, but he wants John with him" Confitto on the cross, John turns and he says to him: "Here is your mother here; woman here is your son ".13 But as to John from Jesus his mother is entrusted, the greatest creature who has come out of the hands of God, and who will never come out like him again? But why so much preference? Why, dear young people, John more than all the other apostles had preserved the beautiful virtue of virginity, of purity. He allowed John to rest his head on the divine chest, "why? Because Giovanni has kept, because John possessed the beautiful virtue of purity. If Jesus loved all his apostles with particular love, John was loved by him more than anyone else; so that others already believed that John did not have to die, because Jesus had told Peter: and if I wanted him to live until I come, to you what does it matter? In fact, St. John was the one who more than all the other apostles he lived. It was to him that Jesus Christ made in spirit to see the glory that those who have in this world preserved the beautiful virtue of purity enjoy in heaven. He left written in his Apocalypse that, having entered the last heaven, he saw a crowd of souls dressed in white, with a gold girdle and they carried a palm in their hand.'6 These souls made a continuous crown of the Lamb divine and followed him wherever he went. They sang such a beautiful hymn, so sweet that he, unable to stand them in such harmony, had remained outside himself and addressed the angel who accompanied him and said to him: "Who are these who surround the Lamb and who sing a hymn yes nice that all the other blesseds can't sing? " Then the angel said to him: "These are those souls who have preserved the beautiful virtue of purity, sisti qui cum mulieribus non sunt conjugated". "
O fortunate souls that you have not yet lost the beautiful virtue of purity, deh! double your efforts to preserve it. You have such a beautiful treasure, so great that up to the angels envy you. You are, as our Redeemer Jesus Christ says, you are like angels.
And you who have already lost it for your misfortune, do not lose heart, do all you can to recover it.
11 Mt 17, 1-2.
12 Mt 26, 37.
13 Gv 19, 26-27.
14 Gv 13, 25.
15 Gen 21, 22.
16 Cf Ap 7, 9
17 These are those who do not have married; citation from the Vulgate: "Hi sunt qui cum mulieribus non sunt coinquinati" (Ap 14, 4).
It is true, you will no longer be a virgin, you will no longer have the good fortune of being of that crowd that in paradise have a place separate from the others, you will not be able to go [to] sing that hymn that only virgins can sing, but it does not matter , there is still a place for you in the sky so beautiful, so majestic that the thrones of the richest emperors, of the richest kings who have ever been and disappear on this earth, disappear. You will nevertheless still be surrounded by so much glory that neither human nor angelic language can explain. You can still enjoy that beautiful company of Jesus, of Mary, our good mother who anxiously awaits us there, of all the saints, of all the angels who are always ready to help us as long as we care to keep the beautiful virtue of purity.
Tuesday, March 14, 1876
I visited various houses in Liguria and saw that there is a lot to do. Yes, there is much good to do, and if all of you who listened to me were already ordained priests and true evangelical workers, you would all have to do good. [...]
Coming then to the sea coast, I could see this stormy. For about five days it was a storm at sea, but especially in one. I had already heard about it, but never saw it, but I can tell you that it surprised me. The waves came as high as our house, and running against each other, beating together produced a darker and louder noise than four cannons can make. A white foam then emerged from this collision and so high it went that if it were found between those waves that beat together a ship, it would have been thrown into the air and so high that the men who had been in it, would have had time to die for air. But no ship was there then. I was about three hundred meters far from the sea and often had to retire not to be wet. Observing this spectacle, I admired in this the power of God, who, when he wants, makes the sea calm and peaceful and that he can run on it. But with a single word he then sets it all in motion for a very large extension, so that it is horrified to see it. Then the deputies and the senators went to shout to the sea that it was still, eh it would be seen how much they can.
Looking at the sea I thought of the sinner who is constantly in a storm like the sea then. Conscience always pricks him and never has peace and tranquility. Now do some recreation, now he retires melancholy. The companions invite him to have fun, but he shrugs his shoulders and does not want to do it, because his heart reproaches him saying: "You are not a friend of God".
18 ASC A0000309: Small locutions of the very R.do don Giovanni Bosco, Quad. IX, 1876; ms by Francesco Ghigliotto, pp. 3-7 (cf MB XII, 131-132).
He goes to lunch and then tries to be happy, trying to chase away every thought that bites him, but in the meantime his heart says to him: "And if now, while you are eating, I die, you would be excluded from heaven and hell would be prepared" . He goes to bed at night and also tries to get rid of the fatal and just remorse of his conscience by saying: "Now I want to sleep quietly; at least I will be free from these tormenting thoughts". Indeed, on that evening he did not even recite the prayers, to repress more and more the remorse. But in the meantime he struggles in vain as his heart says to him: "And if you were to die this night, you would go to eternity in disgrace with God." In short, he has no peace and tranquility, but he is always in a storm.
These thoughts crossed my mind when I looked at the stormy sea. Good night.
Sunday 19 March 1876
One day the Divine Savior, walking through the countryside near the city of Samaria, turning his eyes around and over the plains and valleys, seeing that the harvest in each place was very copious, invited his apostles to recreate their view too to that laughing aspect of the countryside, but immediately they realized that in spite of the quantity of the harvest there was no one to collect the fodder. Then, certainly alluding to something much higher, he turned to the apostles and said to them: Messis quidem multa operarii autem pauci, it is indeed a lot the harvest to be collected, but see how few the workers are. time they made the Church and the peoples feel: the harvest is great, but few workers.
The divine Savior, and you understand him sufficiently, intended to talk about the Church and all the men of the world; the harvest to be made consists in the salvation of souls, for all souls must be gathered and brought into the barn of the Lord; oh how copious is this harvest; how many millions of men are on this earth! how much work would still be done to get everyone saved; but operarii autem pauci, the workers are few.
19 ASC A0000408: Conferences and sermons of D. Bosco 1875/1876, Quad. XIX, ins of Giulio Barberis, pp. 63-78 (MB XII, 625-631). Don Barberis introduced the text with this remark: "Conference held by Mr. D. Bosco on the evening of St. Joseph, March 19, 1876, after the prayers in the small church to all the professed, ascribed, aspirants and those who wish to become aspirants in the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales. All those who belonged and those who wish to belong to the Congregation had been invited to the conference in public, 203 were gathered among the adults and had a great effect ".
20 Mt 9, 37.
By workers who work in the vineyard of the Lord we mean all those who in some way contribute to the salvation of souls. And, notice well, that the workers here are not understood only, as some may believe, the priests, preachers and confessors, who certainly more purposefully are placed to work and more directly labor to gather the harvest, but they are not alone, nor would they suffice.
Workers are all those who in some way contribute to the salvation of souls; as workers in the field are not only those who harvest the wheat, but also all the others. Look in a field, this variety of workers. There are those who plow, those who quench the earth; others who hoe with the hoe; who with the rake or club breaks the clods and smoothes them; others throw the seed, others cover it; who then removes the bad grass, the tares, the chaff, the vetch; whoever weeds, who uproots, who cuts; others then water at the right time and press; others instead takes and makes handpieces and sheaves and beads, 21 and those who load on the cart and those who lead; he who stretches, who beats wheat; who separates the wheat from the straw; others take it away, purge it, sift it, put it in the bag, take it to the mill and here it is made into flour; then who buratta him, 22 who the he kneads, who strengthens it. You see my dear ones, how much variety of workers is required before the harvest can succeed in its purpose of giving us back to us, that is, the chosen bread of heaven.
As in the field, so in the Church, there is a need for all kinds of workers, but of all kinds; there is not one who can say: "Although I keep an irreproachable conduct, I will be good at nothing in working for the greater glory of God". No, let's not say so by anyone; everyone can somehow do something. The workers are few. Oh if we could have so many priests to send to every region of the earth, to every city, town, village, countryside and to convert the world. But many priests are impossible to have them; therefore there must be others; then how could priests be free in their ministry if they had no one who bakes their bread and food; if he had [ro] himself to make shoes and clothes? The priest needs to be assisted; and I believe I am not mistaken if I assert that all you are here, priests and students and craftsmen and assistants, all of you, you can all be true evangelical workers and do good in the Lord's vineyard. And how? In many ways.
For example, you can all pray. Certainly there is no one who cannot. Oh you see, therefore, you can all do the main part of which the divine Savior speaks in this place; for, after having said that there are few workers, he adds: "Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send the workers into his harvest", Rogate ergo dominum messis ut mittat operarios in messem suam.23
21 Boria, in the Piedmont dialect means Covonian cumulus (cf. C. ZALLI, Piedmontese Desionari, Italian, Latin and English, Carmagnola, Barbiè, vol 1, p.115).
22 Buratto is an archaic term for sifting. "Mt 9, 38.
Prayer does violence to the heart of God; God is in a certain way obliged to send them. Let us pray for our countries, let us pray for distant countries; let us pray for the needs of our families and our cities; and let us pray for those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry, superstition, heresy. Oh, we all pray with all my heart, we pray very much to the Lord of the harvest.
One thing that can also be done by everyone, and is of utmost utility and a true work in the vineyard of the Lord, is to set a good example. Oh how much good can be done in this way; good example with words encouraging others to do good, giving good warnings, good advice. Here is one who is in doubt of his vocation; there is another who is about to make a resolution that will always give him harm; well, if they are advised, comforted in good, how much they will not be able to take advantage of it! Many times it takes just one word to make sure that someone is or is on the right track. St. Paul told the faithful that they sought to be lucerna lucens et ardens. 24 If this light were to be seen in us! Let everyone stay edified by our words. But it is not enough: that there were also works. There was that inflamed charity that makes us keep everything in safe, as long as we can do good to our brothers; if there was just that perfect chastity that causes victory over all other vices; if there was just that meekness that attracts the hearts of others! Oh I believe that the whole world would remain attracted to our networks.
Another thing that everyone can do is the frequency in the things of religion, in the practices of piety, in taking part in all the things that can promote the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls. To speak well of the Church, of the ministers of religion, of the pope especially, of ecclesiastical dispositions. These are things that anyone can do from the greatest to the least of you; and between us here in the house, to speak well of superiors, of the Congregation, of the house, of preparations.
But that's not enough. One thing that everyone can do is to help eradicate the bad herbs, the zizania, the ryegrass, the bermuda grass, the vetch and any other grass that does nothing but harm; I want to say that when there is some scandal you cannot tolerate; but whoever is in the case of being able to remove it, take it away, and use every means to stop it; who cannot, is not neghittoso, but you speak to whom of reason and if it is not enough once, you speak two and three and more; but let the scandal be taken away.
All you can, hearing someone complain about table preparations, correct it; there will be those who wish to go out without permission or those who complain because they cannot go out, you can all animate it, encourage it, advise it to patience. A great thing is then weeding out the tares, that is, the scandal with speaking.
24 Lamp that burns and shines. The Gospel of John (5, 35) puts this expression on the lips of Jesus to describe St. John the Baptist.
It happens many times that there is some disorder in the house and the superiors do not know it and therefore cannot remedy it; it is absolutely essential that you talk about them, make them aware of evil; you are in contact with them while your superiors are away.
Fraternal correction is another way of extirpating tares. It happens and while one is here and while one is at home with one's parents in one's own country that our friends inadvertently in our presence hold talks not telling a young Christian; they write letters using non-Christian phrases and expressions that can arouse our anger or bad thoughts. Well? Respond to that man with beautiful ways: "See, you say so and so; but note that these words do not go well in a Christian's mouth. I know that you are my friend and you wrote this without noticing, but precisely because I are friends I believe that you will not be offended if I correct you in this and that ". Or: "Let me be forgiven, but I cannot accept those proposals that you give me that do not conform to the life a young Christian must have".
And yet too often it happens that with the parents themselves one must use this charity to instruct them, correct them, take them back. Use fortress, do this too; do it courageously, but in the same way you use all that charity, that loving kindness, that meekness that St. Francis de Sales would have used in our case. All these and a thousand others are ways that everyone, whether a priest, a cleric, a layman of any age or condition, can use in working in the vineyard of the Lord. You see therefore that around the evangelical Mass everyone can work in many and varied ways, only that each one be zealous of the honor of God and of the salvation of souls.
Now someone will ask: "But, Mr. D. Bosco, and what does she mean by this? What does she mean by telling us? For what reason did she manifest these things to us tonight?" Oh, my dear! that cry "operate them autem pauci" was not only felt in ancient times, in past centuries; but to us, in our times, he makes us feel more imperative than ever. The harvest is growing immeasurably from day to day at the Salesian Congregation, which I would almost say we no longer know where to begin or how to regulate ourselves in our work. This is why I would like to see you all and soon good workers in the vineyard of the Lord! Applications for colleges, houses, missions come in extraordinary numbers both from our countries here in Italy, from France, and from foreign regions. From Algeria, from Egypt, from Africa in Africa, from Arabia, from India, from China and from Japan in Asia; from Australia, from the Argentine republic, from Paraguay, from Gibraltar, and one can say from all over America, there are questions about opening new homes because everywhere there is such a scarcity of evangelical workers that frightens those who observe the good that could be done and that it must be left behind for lack of missionaries.
From the Argentine republic we then have its own heartbreaking news from D. Cagliero. Most of the time, when they go to confession, they don't ask themselves: how long has it been since you didn't confess, but they say: have you confessed already sometimes? And it is not uncommon to have men and women in their thirties or forties who have never confessed yet. And it is not that they hate church or confession, no; but this happens because they did not yet have comfort. And imagine how many, oh how many are at the point of death and would at least wish then to have a priest to confess their sins and have their absolution, but even that is not granted to them because they rarely find the priest who can satisfy them!
However, it is not my purpose to invite you to go to places so far away; this can be done by many and not by everyone, either because the need is also so urgent here, or because for various reasons not all those who feel called to the Salesian Congregation would be willing to go to such immense distances. But in view of so many needs, so much lack of evangelical workers, noting that all of you who in one way or another can work in the vineyard of the Lord, could I be quiet and not manifest to you the secret desire of my heart? Oh yes I would like to see you all soaring to work as so many apostles! To this tend all my thoughts, all my cares, all my labors. This is why his studies are accelerated, he gives every comfort so that we can quickly wear the ecclesiastical habit,
And could I, in view of so many pressing needs, be silent? And could I, while on all sides call us and it seems to be the voice of God that manifests itself through the mouths of so many, withdrawing? And, after the manifest signs of divine Providence that so many great things wants to work through the Salesians, [could I] remain silent and not try to increase the number of evangelical apostles?
Now I still have one thing to tell you and it's the most important. In the meantime that I invite all of you to be constant or to be enrolled in the Salesian Congregation, I do not want those who do not have a vocation to try to enter it. I see the great good we can do; I expose to you how great is the harvest that is before our eyes, how many cultivators need the Lord's vineyard so that those who feel an inner voice that tells them: you in the Congregation can more easily do the health of your soul and the health of the souls of others; know things as they are and have the convenience of being inscribed. While I intend that all the others follow their vocation. What I want and what I insist on is this, that wherever one is, is proper, as we read in the Gospel, "
25 A lamp that burns and shines (Jn 5:35).
I am not against a young man who wants to go to the seminary and become a priest in the century. What I want and on which I insist and I will insist as long as I have breath and voice is that he who becomes a cleric is a holy cleric; he who becomes a priest is a holy priest; it is that he who wants to participate in the inheritance of the Lord by embracing the ecclesiastical state, does not get caught up in secular things, but intends only to save souls. This I ask that all, but especially the ecclesiastic be the light that enlightens all those around him and does not obscure the deception of those who follow him.
But this light does not manifest itself only in words: come to the works. Each seeks to adorn the heart of that charity which gives life to save souls; which makes it possible not to look at any bodily interest when it comes to doing good, and to say with St. Paul that worldly interests and the things of this earth considered them as filthiness to make Jesus Christ profit from souls "Omnia arbitror ut stercora ut Christum lucrifaciam". "No one should let himself be dominated by the throat, by the intemperance that is the one that miserably leads to shipwreck so much youth and, let's face it, so many ecclesiastics. We need to know how to moderate and mortify especially in wine who desires to work with fruit that vineyard of the Lord, in whatever state he is.
A true evangelical worker, wherever he is, he is a willing participant in religious practices, promotes them, makes them solemn. If there is a novena they are happy with it; they do some special practice, they invite others to do it.
To be a true evangelical worker one must not waste time, but work: some on the one hand, some on the other; who among the studies, between the assistances and between the professorships; who among material things; who among the pulpits and confessionals; who between offices and prefectures. But keep in mind that time is precious and that those who lose it or do not strive to occupy it well, can never be a good evangelical worker.
Behold, my dear children, the things I have set out to you to become a good evangelical worker. Oh if these things were practiced by us exactly! [...]
But all these things are obtained only at the cost of great sacrifices, without having to suffer anything. Without great efforts one never gets to be able to do great things; we must show ourselves ready for everything.
Yes, let each one ascribe himself to the Salesian Congregation, but say: I want to put myself in this way with the sole reason of saving souls; understood that wanting to save others I want to save mine first. Can this not be achieved without sacrifice? Well, I am ready to make any sacrifice. I want to put myself in the following of Jesus Crucified; if he dies on the cross, suffering horrible pains, I who want to be his follower must show myself ready for any suffering, even if he were to die on the cross with him.
26 All these things I consider as garbage in order to gain Christ (Phil 3, 8),
On the other hand, look, in the Gospel I find written the blessed 27 and never, blessed are those who enjoy it. Is it then up to you to suffer something? Blessed are I, so I can more closely follow the footsteps of the divine Redeemer. The enjoyers of this world enjoy for a moment and then of their enjoyments they will have very little, indeed nothing and worse than nothing for eternity. On the other hand the troubled suffer from something, but this will not last long and every suffering will be changed into a precious gem up there in heaven that will console them for all the centuries.
I end with that saying of St. Paul, "Vos delectat magnitudo praemiorum; non vos deterreat magnitudo laborum": do you delight in the thought of the great reward of paradise? Don't be scared if you have to suffer something on this earth.28
Friday 27 October 1876
The novena of the saints goes on and I always wait for someone to become a saint, or at least make miracles: it could be that there is someone, but I haven't noticed yet. At the time of Savio Domenico, of Besucco, of Magone these novenas were made with more commitment; there was not the slightest thing on which one could wish for more. I'm not saying that now they hurt themselves, no, that there are good ones; but there is no longer that impetus. I don't know what comes from now that this is no longer the case. Perhaps on my part, that I no longer speak to my young people, that I no longer understand myself; or on their part, who no longer want to understand me; or even from both. In any case, I no longer see that universal fervor as in those times I told you, in which there were sixty or seventy young people and there were sixty or seventy communions in the morning. But there it's still time. I say this because, in this way, everything in a moment with a match makes you put the fire in a haystack and a great fire, a nice bonfire, arises. This can be done by each of us. Everyone thinks of paradise, where those who have brothers, sisters, friends and companions, superiors or inferiors, who enjoy the reward of their virtue. They were flesh and bones like us; and we are out of dangers, we have the convenience of practicing religion, the convenience of fixing things of our own conscience: if they became saints, why can't we too? - But, he says, it takes God's grace! Everyone thinks of paradise, where those who have brothers, sisters, friends and companions, superiors or inferiors, who enjoy the reward of their virtue. They were flesh and bones like us; and we are out of dangers, we have the convenience of practicing religion, the convenience of fixing things of our own conscience: if they became saints, why can't we too? - But, he says, it takes God's grace! Everyone thinks of paradise, where those who have brothers, sisters, friends and companions, superiors or inferiors, who enjoy the reward of their virtue. They were flesh and bones like us; and we are out of dangers, we have the convenience of practicing religion, the convenience of fixing things of our own conscience: if they became saints, why can't we too? - But, he says, it takes God's grace!
27 Cf Mt 5,4.
28 The text is not from St. Paul, but is taken from the homily) (XXVII of St. Gregory the Great on the Gospels: "Si delectat mentem magnitudo praemiorum, non deterreat certamen laborum" (If the mind is attracted by the magnitude of the prizes do not leave it be afraid of the battle's efforts).
29 ASC A0000310: Discourses of D. Bosco, Quad. X, 1876/1877; ms by Giacomo Gresino, pp. 4-6 (cf MB XII, 557).
The grace of God, I assure you that the Lord gives it to you. - What are we missing? We lack a little good will. And if you do not have the good will, if you cannot put it by you, ask the Lord for it, ask it with a request [insistence], that he will put it there. And if your prayers were not enough, turn to the saints, who at this time are willing to do everything for us, and especially to the most holy Mary: may they ask for an ardent divine love, a constant love for you; and the Lord, if he does not grant it to you, will not be able to deny it to so many saints. Good night.
Sunday 29 October 1876
Today there was a departure for Rome, not yet definitively to go to America, no, but to establish a small college in a village near Rome called Albano, in the same place where Alba was once Lunga. Then three or four days later there will be another small departure to establish another small college in Ariccia; then another to establish a link to Trinity. Meanwhile we pray for those who are traveling from tonight perhaps until tomorrow at two in the afternoon. Now we are in the novena of the Saints and we must remember not to give up any of these days, we pray for those who will have to go to America, and even the priests recommend them in their mass. This time they will start at 24, I don't know if all at once, but the time difference will be either a week or more than two weeks, but the number of the army for this will not have to decrease. Now that the older ones are leaving, the other little ones should grow up and do their jobs. The loaves, which are made here under the protection of Mary Help of Christians, should be made [there] to grow one meter at a time and thus make you all great at once. But we trust in Divine Providence and I hope that with the help of the Lord we will gradually make ourselves. Meanwhile, I feel that tomorrow at night, perhaps at half past five, as they told me, there will be a conference for those of the Congregation, and I say it here in public for everyone to know. Meanwhile let us always keep ourselves with the Lord, who is the one who guides our every action; and let us turn so that he does not then have to reproach us on the day of judgment in which he will come to judge us. Good evening.
30 ASC A0000302: Discoursesetti di D. Bosco, Quad. II, 1876; ms of Emanuele Dompé, pp. 7-9 (cf. MB XII, 557-558).
Thursday 2 November 1876
The regular schedule starts tomorrow. Some were already beginning to complain: too much recreation, too many walks, little study. Tomorrow at least the regular schedule will begin and everyone will be satisfied. But it's not enough that you start the schedule, you also need to study; therefore starting from tomorrow put all the effort possible to escape idleness. If you knew how precious time is! The wise say that time is a treasure, so whoever loses a minute of time loses a part of this treasure. We must therefore put ourselves at the beginning, so that at the end of the year we do not have to complain about lost time. But true wisdom comes only from the Lord: Initium sapientiae est timor Domini. "Therefore we must first adjust our conscience well. Sapientia non introit in animam malevolentem, 33 this was written in a sign hanging in the study, I don't know if there is still, if it is no longer there, D. Durando will have another attacked. And here I am always of the same opinion that I usually give at the beginning of the year: frequent confession and frequent communion.
Quanto alla frequente confessione, i santi padri dicono chi ogni settimana, chi ogni quindici giorni o una volta al mese. Sant'Ambrogio e sant'Agostino vanno d'accordo nel dirci: ogni otto giorni. Io per me vi do nessun consiglio speciale, solo [che] andiate dal confessore quando la coscienza vi duole di qualche cosa. Alcuno può stare dieci giorni senza offendere il Signore, altri quindici ed altri anche venti. Ma alcuno può solamente stare tre o quattro giorni e poi cade subito in peccato; costui si accosti più frequentemente, a meno che siano inezie da nulla.
As for frequent communion, I do not want to prescribe time, but I want to tell you a little story. First I want to look at the clock if it's not too late yet: it's only nine and eight minutes. These are facts that are told in five minutes. There was one such man who used to go and confess to St. Vincent de Paul. He didn't like frequenting this confessor because he ordered him to frequent communion. He then thought of changing his advice and going to another confessor and told him: "I used to go to Father Vincenzo, but he ordered me communion too often, so I came to her to receive his advice". This father unraveled and said to him: "My son, start from the little: you will go every eight days, then every 15, then you can go once a month".
31 ASC A0000302: Discoursesetti di D. Bosco, Quad. II, 1876; ms of Emanuele Dompé, pp. 18-21 (MB XII, 565-567).
32 Quote from the Vulgate (Eccli 1, 16): "The principle of wisdom is to fear the Lord" (Sir 1, 12).
33 Citazione a sense of contratta dalla Version "into a malicious soul not enter, and body are intimately" (Wisdom 1, 4) La Sapienza it enters into un'anima il male che opera not away on a body Schiavo del sin.
The poor man followed this advice and in a short time passed from communion only more to confession, from confession to theaters and dances, etc. Then goodbye confession, goodbye communion: he began to lead a licentious life. But after some time had passed, he was no longer happy as before, his conscience was reproaching him with his faults, he returned to S. Vincenzo and said to him: "I see that leaving holy communion I also leave pity and become worse; from now on future I want to follow his advice, and to approach the Holy Communion frequently ". I recommend the same thing to you, practice it to preserve your conscience without pain if you want to acquire that true wisdom of the Lord. Good night.
Sunday 20 May 1877
We are on the feast of Pentecost and in the novena of Mary Most Holy Help of Christians. In these days, not one, but many per day, graces are obtained from Mary Most Holy, whether one comes here to ask for them and obtains oneself, or the relationships that we have from afar with amazing graces obtained from Mary Help of Christians.
And truly the Church makes us know this power and kindness of Mary with that psalm that begins: Si caeli quaeris ianuas, Mariae nomee invokes, if you seek the doors of heaven, invoke the name of Mary. If it is enough to invoke the name of Mary to enter paradise, it must be said that she is powerful. And precisely the Church in another place represents her by herself alone as an army ordered to battle. And although the literal meaning of the words means the external enemies of the Church, however, the spirit of the Church also took them out of consideration for our particular enemies.
I therefore recommend to you, how much I know and can, that you have always carved in the mind and in the heart and that you always invoke the name of Maria, in this way: Maria Auxilium Christianorum, now pro me. It is a prayer not so long, but one that was very effective. So when you want to get some spiritual grace, and by spiritual grace you can understand liberation from temptations, from afflictions of spirit, from lack of fervor, etc., if any of you want to free yourself from some temptation or buy some great virtues, you don't have to do nothing but invoke Mary. These and other spiritual graces are those that are obtained in greater quantities and are those that are not known and that do greater good among souls.
34 ASC A000303: Conferences, Quads III, 1877-1878; ms by Giacomo Gresino, pp. 4-10 (cf MB XIII, 409-411).
And most of those who are here, without whom I name them, confessed to me that if they could be freed from some temptation it is for Mary Help of Christians.
Many then, to whom I had recommended this prayer, Maria Auxilium Christianorum, now pro nobis, confessed to me that they had felt the effects. And of the hundred and a thousand of those who are here or who have been furious, of ours and of foreigners, to whom I have recommended myself that if they were not answered with this prayer they would say to me, so far there was no one who told me so. There was no one who came to say that he had not been heard, but then questioned he confessed to me that he had indeed intended to pray, but that he had not. Then it is no longer the holy Virgin who does not answer, but it is he who does not want to be heard. Because prayer must be made insistently, with perseverance, with faith, with the intention of being fulfilled.
I want you all to do this test and to have it done also to all your relatives and friends, telling them either by letter or at this upcoming feast of Mary Help of Christians, coming to see you or otherwise, that Don Bosco tells them that if have some spiritual grace to obtain the Madonna pray in this form: Maria Auxilium Christianorum, ora pro nobis; and if they are not answered they will give me great pleasure in letting me know. And if I come to know that one has not obtained any spiritual grace from Mary, I will immediately write a letter to St. Bernard who was mistaken in saying: "Remember, most profound Virgin Mary, who was never heard in the world, who from you have rejected or forsaken any one who begs your favors. " Be assured that I will not have to write a letter to St. Bernard. You laugh about sending a letter to St. Bernard. And do we not know where St. Bernard is? "There is difficulty in the posts," D. Rua was heard to say. Oh, to write to the saints we have a faster expedient than the cars, that the steam, than the telegraph. Because the telegraph, although it goes so instantaneously, nevertheless it takes some time; but I, as I speak to you now, go up with my thoughts, over the stars, before the throne of St. Bernard. And fear not that he will receive our letters and immediately, even if the bellboy was late. So do the test and if you are not heard we will not find it difficult to send a letter to St. Bernard. we to write to the saints have a faster expedient than the cars, that the steam, that the telegraph. Because the telegraph, although it goes so instantaneously, nevertheless it takes some time; but I, as I speak to you now, go up with my thoughts, over the stars, before the throne of St. Bernard. And fear not that he will receive our letters and immediately, even if the bellboy was late. So do the test and if you are not heard we will not find it difficult to send a letter to St. Bernard. we to write to the saints have a faster expedient than the cars, that the steam, that the telegraph. Because the telegraph, although it goes so instantaneously, nevertheless it takes some time; but I, as I speak to you now, go up with my thoughts, over the stars, before the throne of St. Bernard. And fear not that he will receive our letters and immediately, even if the bellboy was late. So do the test and if you are not heard we will not find it difficult to send a letter to St. Bernard. even if the bellboy was late. So do the test and if you are not heard we will not find it difficult to send a letter to St. Bernard. even if the bellboy was late. So do the test and if you are not heard we will not find it difficult to send a letter to St. Bernard.
For the purpose of this novena, which is still ongoing, I would like you to carve these words in your heart: Maria Auxilium Christianorum, now for me, and that you recite it to every danger, to every temptation, to every need and always; and that you also asked Mary Help of Christians for the grace to be able to invoke her in your needs. And then I promise you that the devil will go bankrupt. Do you know what it means that the devil will go bankrupt? It means that he will no longer have any power over us and will have to withdraw. Meanwhile, I commend all of you to the Lord and to Mary Help of Christians, to bless you and protect you, and good night.
you will be able to go once a month ". This poor man followed this advice and in a short time he passed from communion only more to confession, from confession to theaters and dances, etc. Then goodbye confession, goodbye communion: he gave himself to lead a licentious life . But after some time had passed, he was no longer happy as before, his conscience was reproaching him with his faults, he returned to St. Vincent and said to him: "I see that leaving holy communion I also leave pity and become worse; from now on I want to follow his advice, and to approach holy communion frequently ". I recommend the same thing to you, practice it to preserve your conscience without pain if you want to acquire that true wisdom of the Lord. Good night.
Sunday 20 May 1877
We are on the feast of Pentecost and in the novena of Mary Most Holy Help of Christians. In these days, not one, but many per day, graces are obtained from Mary Most Holy, whether one comes here to ask for them and obtains oneself, or the relationships that we have from afar with amazing graces obtained from Mary Help of Christians.
And truly the Church makes us know this power and kindness of Mary with that psalm that begins: Si caeli quaeris ianuas, Mariae nomen invokes, if you look for the doors of heaven, she invokes the name of Mary. If it is enough to invoke the name of Mary to enter paradise, it must be said that she is powerful. And precisely the Church in another place represents her by herself alone as an army ordered to battle. And although the literal meaning of the words means the external enemies of the Church, however, the spirit of the Church also took them out of consideration for our particular enemies.
I therefore recommend to you, how much I know and can, that you have always carved in the mind and in the heart and that you always invoke the name of Maria, in this way: Maria Auxilium Christianorum, now pro me. It is a prayer not so long, but one that was very effective. So when you want to get some spiritual grace, and by spiritual grace you can understand liberation from temptations, from afflictions of spirit, from lack of fervor, etc., if any of you want to free yourself from some temptation or buy some great virtues, you don't have to do nothing but invoke Mary. These and other spiritual graces are those that are obtained in greater quantities and are those that are not known and that do greater good among souls.
34 ASC A000303: Conferences, Quads III, 1877-1878; ms by Giacomo Gresino, pp. 4-10 (cf MB XIII, 409-411).
And most of those who are here, without whom I name them, confessed to me that if they could be freed from some temptation it is for Mary Help of Christians.
Many then, to whom I had recommended this prayer, Maria Auxilium Christianorum, now pro nobis, confessed to me that they had felt the effects. And of the hundred and a thousand of those who are here or who have been furious, of ours and of foreigners, to whom I have recommended myself that if they were not answered with this prayer they would say to me, so far there was no one who told me so.
There was no one who came to say that he had not been heard, but then questioned he confessed to me that he had indeed intended to pray, but that he had not. Then it is no longer the holy Virgin who does not answer, but it is he who does not want to be heard. Because prayer must be made insistently, with perseverance, with faith, with the intention of being fulfilled.
I want you all to do this test and to have it done also to all your relatives and friends, telling them either by letter or at this upcoming feast of Mary Help of Christians, coming to see you or otherwise, that Don Bosco tells them that if have some spiritual grace to obtain the Madonna pray in this form: Maria Auxilium Christianorum, ora pro nobis; and if they are not answered they will give me great pleasure in letting me know. And if I come to know that one has not obtained any spiritual grace from Mary, I will immediately write a letter to St. Bernard who was mistaken in saying: "Remember, most profound Virgin Mary, who was never heard in the world, who from you have rejected or forsaken any one who begs your favors. " Be assured that I will not have to write a letter to St. Bernard. You laugh about sending a letter to St. Bernard. And do we not know where St. Bernard is? "There is difficulty in the posts," D. Rua was heard to say. Oh, to write to the saints we have a faster expedient than the cars, that the steam, than the telegraph. Because the telegraph, although it goes so instantaneously, nevertheless it takes some time; but I, as I speak to you now, go up with my thoughts, over the stars, before the throne of St. Bernard. And fear not that he will receive our letters and immediately, even if the bellboy was late. So do the test and if you are not heard we will not find it difficult to send a letter to St. Bernard. we to write to the saints have a faster expedient than the cars, that the steam, that the telegraph. Because the telegraph, although it goes so instantaneously, nevertheless it takes some time; but I, as I speak to you now, go up with my thoughts, over the stars, before the throne of St. Bernard. And fear not that he will receive our letters and immediately, even if the bellboy was late. So do the test and if you are not heard we will not find it difficult to send a letter to St. Bernard. we to write to the saints have a faster expedient than the cars, that the steam, that the telegraph. Because the telegraph, although it goes so instantaneously, nevertheless it takes some time; but I, as I speak to you now, go up with my thoughts, over the stars, before the throne of St. Bernard. And fear not that he will receive our letters and immediately, even if the bellboy was late. So do the test and if you are not heard we will not find it difficult to send a letter to St. Bernard. even if the bellboy was late. So do the test and if you are not heard we will not find it difficult to send a letter to St. Bernard. even if the bellboy was late. So do the test and if you are not heard we will not find it difficult to send a letter to St. Bernard.
For the purpose of this novena, which is still ongoing, I would like you to carve these words in your heart: Maria Auxilium Christianorum, now for me, and that you recite it to every danger, to every temptation, to every need and always; and that you also asked Mary Help of Christians for the grace to be able to invoke her in your needs. And then I promise you that the devil will go bankrupt. Do you know what it means that the devil will go bankrupt? It means that he will no longer have any power over us and will have to withdraw. Meanwhile, I commend all of you to the Lord and to Mary Help of Christians, to bless you and protect you, and good night.
Tuesday 21 August 1877
Vacation time is approaching, both for students and artisans: some to rest their heads, others to rest their shoulders and arms; all for a holiday. And for these holidays I need to give you some advice. The advice I give you is only one and it is that you also set yourself free, that you also do disorders, but that in order to do this you withdraw into a place where God does not see you. Each will know what this place is or a house or bell tower or cellar. I believe that there will be no one so gonzo to believe themselves to find a place where the Lord cannot see it. And this thought of the presence of God must accompany us at all times, in every place and in every action. And who will still have the courage to commit something, that can offend the Lord, when he thinks that he whom he wants to offend can,
We must not then take the Lord as everything justice, believe, inflexible. No, indeed he is all mercy, goodness, love. And how he must fear him who offends him, so he must be happy who can say of himself: "I have nothing on my conscience". I say to him: go to sleep peacefully, let your happy recreations come alive, live happily. If he who is in harmony with God must lead a happy life, he who could not say that he is with a clear conscience must fear that God will not take away his time. Yesterday, for example, the deputy curate of Lanzo walked in the garden with his parish priest, who praised the sermon he had done; and he enjoyed it, because he had satisfied the listeners. When suddenly the priest saw himself missing from the side D. Oggero and looks and sees him there on the ground:
"D. Oggero, Don Oggero!" Not responding. He goes to shake him: "What is it? How are you?" He was already dead. It is not to be feared of this priest, who was of the Oratory and who was a holy person, but to say that one can die either walking or eating, sleeping and at any time. Similarly, some time ago he died in St. Nicolls, next to Fr Cagliero, a priest of the parish who was here, he passed to the Oratory and I remember it. I say about these two, but I could say of many and many who died suddenly and in every way. So tomorrow it could be that some of us were missing. Who died? Don Bosco. Oh, how are you? He is no longer. And what could happen to Don Bosco, it could also happen to each of you. And whoever is not prepared, think about making up for it, think about fixing his things.
35 Ibid ,, pp. 10-13 (cf. MB XIII, 427-429).
Friday 31 August 1877
I have good news to give you. Mondays begin the holidays. Do you like this news? I see some like it. And I am glad that you make the holidays. But I can tell you that many have asked to do them here. I am also happy with these, but I want them to do it willingly. There will also be time for them to play, to walk in abundance, but we will make the holidays more withdrawn and exposed to fewer dangers. The only thing I recommend, both to one and to the other, is the escape from idleness. I know that for some it will not seem so nice to go on vacation to work. Yet the term holidays does not mean to rest, as some believe, but to apply, to wait. So: vacare study, wait for the study; vacare agriculturae, apply to agriculture. But I want us to understand each other in terms. Escape the idleness means not being idle, it does not already mean working continuously in manual work, although this is not at all reprehensible, on the contrary I recommend it to you. And I remember that when I went on vacation, I took some leather and made some shoes and then gave them away. I took some cloth, some canvas, cut a pair of pants or underwear, and then sewed them and did what I wanted. Or I would stick around the wood and make chairs, benches. And at my house, even now there are some tables I made. Sometimes I went to cut the grass in the lawn, to direct the hay with the Virgil in my hand or another book. I do not want to offer these things for example, but it is only to show you in how many ways you can occupy the holiday time. does not already mean to work continuously in manual work, although this is not at all reprehensible, I recommend it to you. And I remember that when I went on vacation, I took some leather and made some shoes and then gave them away. I took some cloth, some canvas, cut a pair of pants or underwear, and then sewed them and did what I wanted. Or I would stick around the wood and make chairs, benches. And at my house, even now there are some tables I made. Sometimes I went to cut the grass in the lawn, to direct the hay with the Virgil in my hand or another book. I do not want to offer these things for example, but it is only to show you in how many ways you can occupy the holiday time. does not already mean to work continuously in manual work, although this is not at all reprehensible, I recommend it to you. And I remember that when I went on vacation, I took some leather and made some shoes and then gave them away. I took some cloth, some canvas, cut a pair of pants or underwear, and then sewed them and did what I wanted. Or I would stick around the wood and make chairs, benches. And at my house, even now there are some tables I made. Sometimes I went to cut the grass in the lawn, to direct the hay with the Virgil in my hand or another book. I do not want to offer these things for example, but it is only to show you in how many ways you can occupy the holiday time. And I remember that when I went on vacation, I took some leather and made some shoes and then gave them away. I took some cloth, some canvas, cut a pair of pants or underwear, and then sewed them and did what I wanted. Or I would stick around the wood and make chairs, benches. And at my house, even now there are some tables I made. Sometimes I went to cut the grass in the lawn, to direct the hay with the Virgil in my hand or another book. I do not want to offer these things for example, but it is only to show you in how many ways you can occupy the holiday time. And I remember that when I went on vacation, I took some leather and made some shoes and then gave them away. I took some cloth, some canvas, cut a pair of pants or underwear, and then sewed them and did what I wanted. Or I would stick around the wood and make chairs, benches. And at my house, even now there are some tables I made. Sometimes I went to cut the grass in the lawn, to direct the hay with the Virgil in my hand or another book. I do not want to offer these things for example, but it is only to show you in how many ways you can occupy the holiday time. Or I would stick around the wood and make chairs, benches. And at my house, even now there are some tables I made. Sometimes I went to cut the grass in the lawn, to direct the hay with the Virgil in my hand or another book. I do not want to offer these things for example, but it is only to show you in how many ways you can occupy the holiday time. Or I would stick around the wood and make chairs, benches. And at my house, even now there are some tables I made. Sometimes I went to cut the grass in the lawn, to direct the hay with the Virgil in my hand or another book. I do not want to offer these things for example, but it is only to show you in how many ways you can occupy the holiday time.
I therefore recommend that those who have vines eat the most ripe grapes when they go home; if peaches, figs, pears or apples were eaten, even the most mature. I recommend that you have a lot of fun: play with the bowls, the ball, the ball. And then everyone in the family will have special entertainment: you can even play cards, checkers, chess, etc. Take beautiful walks, I highly recommend it. And then everyone will still have a lot of time to read, to study to finish some treaties that have not been understood correctly.
So, always work and have fun? No, eat lunch at lunch time, do it at breakfast time, as well as dinner. Serve at the table, clear, serve bread too, as long as you are not idle. Rest in the evening too, and a little more in the morning, but beware of a kind of rest called daemonium meridianum. 37 And this is the meaning of rest after lunch: this is the time of the devil.
36 Ibid., Pp. 17-21 (cf MB XIII, 431-433).
37 The meridian demon. Citation from the Vulgate (Ps 90, 6). The Hebrew term ydgf: Id (devastator), rendered in Greek and Latin translation with daimonionldaemonium, means the force of evil that operates even in broad daylight. In patristic and ascetic use the daemonium meridianum came to indicate the sensual temptation during the afternoon "siesta".
If you let yourself be taken, the devil can sing victory. He walks around it and whistles in your ears. Oh, what bad talk comes back to me! Then he peeks into your eye. Oh, what a terrible picture presents itself to me! And these temptations stop there, and the other cannot disperse them and it will fall into the hands of the devil. Let us therefore beware of putting ourselves in bed after lunch. If need be, put yourself on a chair and doze a little there.
Oh what a chat! Let's reduce it to a few words: make beautiful holidays, but have never been idle; if you don't work, the devil works. Work by day; sleep at night.
I would still have other things to tell you, but I hope to tell you on Sunday before you leave. Tomorrow then and after tomorrow, which are the last days you stop with us, I want you all to come to me and I would have something to tell you all. I would still like you to notice what Don Bosco suggests to you to spend your holidays happily. Yes, it is because you spend the holidays happily giving you these warnings and if you do, you will experience and spend happy holidays. Good night.
Sunday 7 October 1877
I greet you all and so much more kindly, as that is the first time I see you after the holidays. It is true that not all of them have arrived yet, but I see that we are already in good numbers and if they set a table, we will hear from ourselves alone to honor ourselves.
Most of you are here to get ready to enter the gymnasium or to move to another upper class or to heal some wounds reported at the final exam, and all of these have to study. Then there are others who at the beginning of the year must repeat the examination of those treaties that they studied last year, and these also have to be studied in order to complete and repeat their treatises. In this issue all clerics are included indiscriminately.
And others who do not have a permanent job should always take a vacation? When there were no more books to read, neither in the bookstore nor in the library, or if they had all read them, then I would say to them: rest as well. But as long as there are books to read I will always tell you: read!
38 ASC A000303: Conferenze, Quad. III, 1877-1878, ms of Giacomo Gresino, pp. 21-24 (cf. MB XIII, 437-438).
Among these are those who came to pass into philosophy and I would advise them to read the treaty to be studied this year; and then they can read or study a book by Virgil, Orazio, Ovidio or a song by Dante or repeat those who have studied in the course of Latin. A book that I would advise everyone to read is the History of Italy, "and if one had read it five times, I would still read it. Because in these times all the stories are distorted: the enemies of the Church take the opportunity from history to being able to slander and discredit, narrating exaggerated or completely fake facts, in this story, instead, the facts are exposed in their historical integrity, in short, yes, but that gives the key to being able to study the history of Italy more detailed and the ecclesiastical history that is so united to it by affinity. I do not want to praise myself now, saying the merits of my story, but it is only because I see its great usefulness.
I now receive the news of the death of D. Cerruti's father. Tomorrow we will pray for his soul. And this is not the only news of death that I receive in these days. I knew he was not cured, and suddenly a famous actor died on stage and another who acted with him, seeing him fall, also died instantly. And the spectators who attended a comedy left struck by such grim tragedy. And this is not the only case, I would still have others. We mean, let us be prepared, that when death comes we can respond like Abraham when the Lord called him: Abraham, Abraham! Ecce, Domi-ne, adsum. "And meanwhile, good night.
Sunday 29 October 1877
The reason I gathered you all here is to greet you all together and to say a few words to you after your holidays. One of which is fresh and fresh, arrived now by D. Ronchail, and it was the opening of a new home in Cannes, a city not far from Nice. Soon others will open in other sites and we will continue to America. So they will open in La Navarre, in Tonon, in Marseille, in Bordeaux ...; next: in Bercellona etc. All along the coast, and then a 15-day consecutive steam trip to Rio de Janeiro. But I need you to come on good priests and good teachers.
The thing, however, that I wanted to tell you is that after a journey you always have your clothes smeared with mud or at least dusty.
39 G. Bosco, The history of Italy told to the youth by its first inhabitants up to our days, Turin, Typography Paravia and Company 1855 (in 1876 the 12th edition was printed).
40 Abraham, Abraham! Here I am, Lord, I am here. Meaningful quotation from the Vulgate: "Abraham! Abraham! At ille respondit: Adsum" (Gen 22, 1).
41 ASC A000303: Conferences, Quads III, 1877-1878, ms of Giacomo Gresino, pp. 24-26 (cf MB XIII, 438-440).
And so, although in these holidays there was no mud, some dust on clothing or some zacchera has been reported. More or less all of your holidays have been done and therefore we must think, as after returning from a trip, to clean up our clothes. Now there is precisely the opportunity in this feast of saints to make this magazine of one's own conscience; and in order for you to prepare well, it was decided to do a triduum with a small sermon in the evening. And you try to do what will be told in it. What I suggest in these days, dedicated by the Church to the souls of the dead, is to procure in every way to support them. Those who can make communion, do it. Then all pray and pray a lot, and indulgences especially that you buy, apply them to them, that this is the most beautiful way of supporting those souls. Use this love for them, especially those of your relatives, who, those who are nearer than those who are more remote, of the deceased relatives have all of them. And then these prayers, this good that you do to the souls of the purgatives, remains in reality a good done for you; it remains like food, which is given to the mouth that tastes it, but which actually fed the person who takes it.
I recommend you therefore that you spend these days well doing a magazine for your conscience and offering all the good you will do for the souls in purgatory; and so when we present ourselves to eternity we will find ourselves already prepared for the good, which will preserve us from the flames of purgatory and will open to us the gates of paradise. Good night.
Wednesday 28 November 1877
Here is that Don Bosco comes to greet you all together and to bring you good news. Tomorrow the novena of Mary Most Holy Immaculate begins. Among our young people there was always a devotion to Mary Immaculate. And in fact there is a company called the Immaculate, to which he gave the beginning Savio Dorinenico, as it is found in his life, together with the regulation that he with various companions be prescribed. Many of you belong to this company (but only those who shine in all the virtues).
I remember how at the beginning of the novena of the Immaculate Conception Savio Domenico proposed to pass it well; he came to me and wanted to make the general confession (he had not yet made it, as far as I know); and then he kept his clear conscience throughout the novena so much that he could communion every day. As is the ardent desire of the Church that all Christians, and I will add, that all the youngsters of the Oratory should regulate themselves [well] so that they may every morning participate in the Eucharistic table.
42 Ibid., Pp. 27-30 (cf MB XIII, 417-419).
And as a souvenir in this novena, what advice will I give you? Here are two things: accuracy and cleanliness. They are two words that rhyme together and that get along very well. Accuracy in the observance of all the families of the house, of all and without exception. Therefore, accuracy in going to church or study, accuracy in going to eat and going to sleep. Accuracy in everything. The other thing is cleanliness, not in polishing shoes, but in keeping conscience clear. It is also good to keep oneself clean as is proper, but if someone felt an itch here in the heart and looking at his confessions he saw that he always had the same things: the same lies, the same waste of time, the same faults, so that he found himself a series of sins and confessions, of confessions and sins; Well, he manifests these things and, if he believes it well, he also makes a review of his things either with a general confession or only on those points he believes necessary. There will be another who will also feel an itch in his heart and he will say: "But I am afraid of having hurt a confession and not being in a good condition; it is true that I had forgotten about that sin, but I had forgotten it on purpose ". And he too - and if they find one - talk to his manager about this thing and forgive himself entirely. Another will say: "I have been worried for some time, I fear I do not have my conscience in good condition". Well, let him confide in his spiritual father and, if he wishes, make also a general confession, for this is precisely an opportune time for this.
Always remember, always, but especially in this novena, accuracy and cleanliness. Be exact in everything and keep your conscience so clean that you can attend holy communion. How I remember that he made Savio Domenico so exemplary in the last novena of the Immaculate Conception, settling in everything worthy imitator of S. Luigi; worthy of a young man who at the age of seven and a half, making his first communion, proposed himself: death, but not sins. In doing so, we too, Mary Immaculate will have a favor for all of us and will be the one that will benefit our soul the most. Good night.
Sunday 2 June 1878
A word after about six months! See how much time without coming to give you good evening. But if I didn't come personally, my mind was always here among you. And when I was in Rome and when I was traveling or Nice or St. Pier d'Arena, I thought of you in the morning in the mass, but in the evening irresistibly my thought was carried among you.
43 Ibid, pp. 31-35 (cf MB XIII, 752-754).
Now, however, we have been here for some time and we hope not to leave it so soon. We are here to procure your spiritual and even temporal advantage.
But the thing that I came to tell you is that tomorrow evening the spiritual exercises for the students will begin, and immediately after for the artisans. All the things that I usually recommend during the exercises are reduced to just one: be careful and put into practice what one preaches or reads. And how to put it into practice? In all the sermons, in all the readings there is always something that does for us: now it will be of the poorly done examination or of the pain or of the missing resolution; now it will be forgotten councils of the confessor, etc. We think of what was, what is, what will be; if we have nothing to take back our past actions; if we now walk straight for the way Jesus Christ points out to us and what we must do for the future.
And therefore this is the most suitable time to think about one's vocation, because in solitude Deus loquitur, 44 and the spiritual exercises are precisely days of retreat and solitude. Even the artisans have to think about their vocation, because some have to ponder whether God has them stop to work here in the Congregation and be part of it or call them to do well elsewhere. All then need to cease for a few days from the usual occupations to apply themselves exclusively to the things of the soul.
Think that great graces are not received so often; and being able to do spiritual exercises is a great grace. How many last year they were here to hear and perhaps the same words have already passed on to the other life. I think everyone did the exercises last year well, but if they hadn't done them well would they still have the time? And who promises us that another year we [all] here will be able to do them again? I can't assure you. God alone who could tell us, on the contrary, tells us the opposite: Estote parati, quia qua hora non putatis filius hominis veniet; 45 and shows us with the experience that even when we are young we die. If this is the case, let us always be careful, that at whatever time death comes we can quietly present ourselves at the doors of eternity.
Therefore, now that we have comfort, we do these spiritual exercises well. And since the Lord tells us: Ante orationem praepara animam tuam, 46 so I say to you: before the spiritual exercises prepare your soul; that is, before starting them you have a desire to make a profit from it.
I also in these days, if I always look after you, in these days of the exercises I dedicate myself entirely entirely to your spiritual advantage.
44 God speaks in solitude. Reference to Os 2, 14: "I will draw her to me, I will lead her into the wilderness and I will speak to her heart".
45 Get ready, because the son of man will come in the hour you don't think (Le 12, 40).
46 Before making a supplication (or a vote) prepared (Sir 18, 23).
In the Mass I will always do a special prayer for this purpose, that the exercises go well - and what I say about myself I also intend to say it of those who are part of me and those who come for it. In these evenings I hope to be able to talk to you other times, and to avoid keeping you longer we can put an end to these few words with this beautiful conclusion: being able to do spiritual exercises is a great grace, which one does not always have; and therefore we must do them well; to do them well we will put into practice what we hear in sermons and readings; and then since all the favors come to us from heaven, I for my part and you for your part, we will pray to God to grant us the greatest possible fruit for our souls. Good night.
Tuesday 18 June 1878
In all these solemnities that there were or that there are still of the Madonna, of the Consolata, of S. Luigi and of S. Giovanni, of S. Pietro and others that you will be before the end of the year, a thing that would be of great It is important to make oneself deliberate about one's vocation. Some will have already meditated on it and only waited from week to week, day by day to decide definitively. Therefore in all the years I used to give a time for those who wanted to talk about this and this year too I am happy that the young people of the 5th and 4th years and also the others, who wanted to deliberate on their vocation, come to my room in any party after vespers.
However something in general can also be said here. When it is known that one is called to the ecclesiastical state, it is even more important to see whether it is better to throw oneself into the century or withdraw into some religion. Whoever wants to embrace the ecclesiastical state must have a righteous and holy purpose: that of saving his own soul. And will not help relatives? It is right and holy to help relatives; therefore you will be able to make you shopkeepers, shoemakers or whatever you want best and therefore help relatives and others and do what you like with your earnings. But a priest can not give them alms like any other, if they were at that point, but not further. In this regard the usual objection is always brought: "But many priests - such, such - have done this, bought that;
47 ASC A000303: Conferences, Quads III, 1877-1878, ms of Giacomo Gresino, pp. 35-40 (cf MB XIII, 807-808).
Whoever wants to give himself to the ministry of God does not take care of temporal shops; indeed, not only does he not deal with them, but does not imply if, Scripture says precisely, one does not get hung up, one does not get involved: not implicet se in negotiis. "The words are clear. And St. Aiiib-rógio or St. Gregory he says that what the priest possesses is the patrimony of the poor: he is not even his, you see, he is of the poor. His labors are for God, the means are of God and therefore also the gains must be of God and therefore of the poor. the priest must therefore tend to something other than to the health of souls: he wants, that is, a holy end.
What I can still tell you is that he, who does not feel called to the ecclesiastical state, does not even think of becoming a priest, he would get nothing good out of it. Whoever does not feel himself to preserve the virtue of chastity, is not made for the priesthood, turn to something else, since as a priest he would only hurt himself and others. I tell you these things because you have time to think and then do your things well. Good night.
48 Don't take care of business. Meaningful quotation from the Vulgate: "Nemo militans implicat se negotiis saecularibus" (2 Tim 2: 4): No one, when he performs military service, gets in the way of matters of common life.
When he teaches young people "Don Bosco does not venture into the construction of definitions, schemes and theoretical systems", but "prefers history, narration". He is an artist of narration and dramatization. In writings and speeches he knows how to use the narrative tool in a masterly way. Create evocative settings, reconstruct laced and lively dialogues, enhance metaphors, symbols and images of all kinds. Sensitive to the supernatural and to extraordinary facts, endowed with uncommon gifts, he knows how to enhance the story of dreams, which he finds particularly suited to imprinting his formative messages in the minds and hearts of young people. Dreams are interesting material to grasp more deeply the characteristics of Don Bosco's mentality and spiritual discourse, also because their contents are fully "coherent with the other forms of expression and communication of his thought - sermons, lectures, evening sermons, writings - exalting if anything the existential and emotional implications" .2 Here we present only a few, to give a idea of his unmistakable communicative style. Also in this case we transcribe directly from the original testimonies, referring to the revised version of the Biographical Memoirs.
Wednesday 20 August 1862
I want to tell you a dream of mine a few nights ago (it must be the night of the Feast of the Assumption of Mary Most Holy). I dreamed of finding myself with all the young people in Castelnuovo d'Asti at my brother's house. While everyone was recreation, one comes (no one knows who he was), calls me to go with him. Put me in the lawn next to the courtyard, and show me in the grass a snake of 7 to 8 meters long and of extraordinary size. I was horrified at this sight and wanted to run away.
- No, no, said that man, don't run away, come here and see.
"And how, I replied, do you want me to dare approach that beast?" Don't you know that he is capable of venturing on me and devouring me in an instant?
- Don't be afraid, it won't hurt you. Come with me.
- Ah, I am not so crazy to go and throw myself into such danger.
- Then, he continued, stop here. Then he went to get a rope and took it where I was and said:
- Take this rope by one end and hold it tightly in your hands, I will take the other and go to the opposite side and suspend it on the snake.
1 P. BRAIDO, Don Bosco priest of the young, vol. I, p. 379.
2 P. BRAIDO, Don Bosco priest of the young, vol. I, p. 381.
3 ASC A0080302: Cronaca dell'Oratorio 1862, ms. by Francesco Provera, pp. 1-6 (cf. MB VII, 238-239, 241-243).
- And then?
- And then we'll let him fall through his back.
- Ah! No, for heaven's sake! Because woe to us if we do this, he will jump on annoyed and tear us to pieces.
- No, no; let me do it.
- La la! I don't want to take this satisfaction that can cost me my life. And already I wanted to escape. He insisted again that I had nothing to fear, that no harm would have done to me. I agreed and stayed. Meanwhile he passed to the other side, he lifted the rope and then down on the snake's back. The snake makes a jump, turning its head back to bite, in what it had beaten, but instead of biting the rope it was tied. Then the man shouted:
- Keep tight, hold tight and do not let the rope escape. And he ran to a pear tree that was nearby and tied the rope to it. Then he ran to me and took the rope from my hand and went to tie it to the railing of a window in the house. In the meantime the snake was falling, struggling, giving down such blows on the ground that it tore the meat and blew up the pieces at a good distance. So he continued until he had life and died that he no longer had if not the fleshless skeleton.
When the snake was dead, that same untied the rope, picked it up in a bundle and then said:
- Be careful, eh! So he put it in a box, closed it and then opened it. We were all amazed. That rope was no longer in a bundle, but was arranged so that it formed the words Hail Mary.
- How are you doing? I said. That rope was placed in the box so loose and is now so neat.
- Here, he said: the serpent figures the devil and the rope the Hail Mary, or rather the rosary which is a continuation of Hail Mary, with which one can destroy all the demons of hell.
So far the first part. There is still another part, which is even more curious and interests everyone. But the hour is already late and we will differ in telling it tomorrow at night. In the meantime, let us take into consideration what that person said about the Hail Mary: let us devoutly recite it to every assault of temptation, sure of always being victorious. Good night.
Thursday 21 August 1862
Behind many of your instances I will tell the second part of the dream, if not all, at least as much as I can tell you. But first I must preface you with two conditions. The first is that no one writes or tells what I will tell you: talk to each other, laugh, do whatever you want, but between you.
So while we were talking about the rope, the snake and their meanings, I turn back and see young people gathering those pieces of snake meat and eating. I immediately shouted then:
- What are you doing? Crazy you are, don't you know that that meat is poisonous and would do you much harm?
- No, no, they said, it's so good. But meanwhile, when they had eaten no, they fell to the ground, swelled and remained as hard as stone. I didn't know how to give me peace, I cried to one, I shouted to the other; I slapped this, punched at it, trying to stop them from eating, but to no avail. Then another one would fall down and start eating.
Then I called the clerics to help and told them that they used every means because no one tasted that flesh, but without effect. (Questioned after privately regarding the clerics, he replied that indeed some of the same clerics began to eat and fell equally as the others). I was outside of myself, when I saw a large number of young people lying on the ground. I turned to that guy and said:
- But that tosa means that these young people see that this meat brings them death, but they want to eat it? He replied:
- Sai physical well-che does not perceive the things that are God's. 4
- But now there is no remedy to get these young people back?
- Yes there is.
- What would it be?
- There is nothing but the anvil and the hammer.
- The anvil and the hammer? What to do with such things?
- They must be subjected to their action.
- How, should I put them on an anvil and then beat them with a hammer? Then the other explained and said:
- Here, the hammer means the confession and the anvil the holy communion. These two means must be used.
I set to work and found this remedy so useful, but not for everyone. Many came back to life and recovered, but [for] some it was useless. These were the ones who didn't make good confessions.
Sunday 15 June 1876, solemnity of Corpus Domini
I thought I was in the middle of the courtyard, I started towards the exit door surrounded by my young people, some to say goodbye, some to tell me something, according to the usual. When I hear on the side of the strong artisans he shouts: "Ahi! Ahi!"; and I see that they rush away from here, passing many from the door of the back of the courtyard. And so even the students start screaming, crowding around me. Wanting to go forward to observe that it was never that so frightened my young men, they told me that I did not advance, that there was a monster that would have devoured me, and meanwhile they held me in the middle of their number.
While this way I was doubtful, there appeared a hideous monster that was approaching our time. That animal or devil it was, it was so ugly, disgusting, terrible, enormous that it does not exist in all the earth. It had some resemblance to the bear, but it was smaller in the back in proportion to the other limbs; he had very broad and thick shoulders and stomach, with an enormous head and a huge mouth from which two very long teeth protruded like swords.
All the frightened young men turned to me to give them some advice; but even I was not free from fear and I was not a little embarrassed. I therefore said to gather all of us here under the arcades and kneel asking for help from the Blessed Virgin. In a moment we were all on our knees praying with greater devotion of the usual Mary Help of Christians to free us from that monster, which in the meantime advanced slowly towards us, like someone trying to attack.
We were there for a few minutes, when, I don't know how or when, we all found ourselves in the refectory of the clerics, which was much larger and all lit up. And in the middle you could see the Madonna, which resembled the statue that is there at the head of the arcades or with that of the dome or that of the church, I no longer know well; but in any case, it was all radiant with very vivid rays, surrounded by blessed and angels, so that the refectory seemed like a paradise. To the fright the astonishment came, we were all turned and attentive to the Madonna, which seemed to have something to tell us; and in fact so he reassured us: "Do not be afraid, have faith; this is only a proof that my diem Son wants to do for you".
I then carefully observed those who made a crown to the Blessed Virgin and recognized Fr. Alasonatti, Fr Ruffino and Fr. Michele of the Christian Schools, my brother and others who were formerly members of our Congregation and are now in heaven.
5 ASC A0000301: Conferenze and sogni, Quad. I, 1876, ms of Giacomo Gresino, pp. 1-9 (cf. MB XII, 349-356),
When one of them says aloud: "Surgamus" .6 We were standing and we didn't know what he meant. But the same voice repeated louder: "Surgamus"; and we stop there being careful to see how the thing ended. And I was already asking for the explanation, when Our Lady began to say, in an admirably robust voice: "But you, being a priest, should understand this surgamus: when you celebrate the holy mass and say: Sursum corda, what do you mean? Do you mean to rise, or to raise the affections of the heart to God? ".
Then so I told my young people: "Let us therefore, as best we can, an act of love and repentance to God". And all thrown on the ground, softly, we prayed. A moment later we heard a "Surgite" again, and we were all on our feet. Then came from the Madonna such a harmonious voice that sang the hymn of Saint Paul: "Sumite scutum fidei", 7 so united, organized and melodious, that we were as in ecstasy, since in one voice we could hear all the notes from the most low to the highest, and it seemed that a hundred voices sang in one.
While we were ecstatic, listening to that concert, all of a sudden we were all up high for supernatural strength, and who was holding on to a nail, who at the frame of the vault. I then kept to the frame of a window, and I was astonished that we did not fall to the ground, where I saw an innumerable quantity of beasts of various species, but all ferocious, which ran around the refectory and seemed to us that at any moment there were with a jump, but they didn't try again.
While listening to that song of paradise, many graceful youngsters with wings flocked to the Madonna and approaching us placed on the heart of each of them a shield that was in the center of iron, near the iron circle a circle of silver, then more in out another diamond and finally a gold one. When we were all armed with this shield and ceased singing, we heard this voice: "Ad pugnam", 8 we saw those animals fidgeting more, throwing balls of lead at us, lightning bolts and more, but these things did not reach us or hit the our shields; and we all found ourselves unharmed after a long struggle. Then the Madonna was heard saying: "Haec est victoria vestra, fides vestra"; 9 and we all found ourselves on the ground, those animals having disappeared.
Immediately afterwards we heard heart-rending cries in the courtyard: it was our young men who seemed torn by those beasts. I wanted to get out of the refectory to see if I could somehow bring them relief. They didn't want to let me pass, for fear some bad accident didn't happen to me.
6 Let's stand up.
7 Take the shield of faith (Eph. 6, 15).
8 To the battle!
9 This is your victory, your faith. Citation in the sense of the Vulgate: "This is victory that vincit mundum, fides vestra" (1 Gv 5, 4).
I did not care for their fear and they replied: "I want to go and see what it is, at the cost of dying with them". I went out and saw a horrible torment: all those animals pursued our young, wounded them, tore them apart. But above all it was a terrible mess that the monster that first appeared: he wounded from both sides of the stomach, that is to say in the heart and in the right side which is in that aim, with those two teeth, and many lay on the ground, some dead, some wounded. When I appeared, the monster ran up to me, but he couldn't hurt me as much as some of those who followed me to the door, because we were defended by the shield.
I looked closely at those two swords of the monster, which so many of my young people made and I saw on the tip of one written Otium, of the other Gula. Then I understood what the thing was like, but not so as to be able to agree with me that my young men sinned of idleness, or of gluttony, since, it seems to me, they work or study in time and place, and in recreation they do not waste time; and concerning the throat, it seems to me that they have no guani to be intemperate.
and with temperance humility and chastity and other virtues will come to them. If they occupy their time completely, they will never fall into the temptation of the devil and will live and die as Christian saints ".
I thanked him for such a fine education and approached Brother Michael and the others I knew, to learn from them if what I saw and worked was a reality or a pure dream. But while I try to shake their hand, I remain as outside of me as I don't feel it. Seeing my amazement, one of these spoke to me: "You should know, and you have studied it, that we are pure spirits and to let ourselves be seen by mortals we must take a figure, until we are resurrected, because then we will take our body which will have the qualities of immortality ". Then I wanted to approach the Madonna, which seemed to have something to say to me, but when I found myself almost near, I heard a loud cry from outside, which woke me up.
Friday 22 December 1876
A plain similar to the sea when it is in perfect calm, but formed of brilliant crystals. The eye was lost in its vast surface.
Multitude of plants, herbs, flowers, vineyards, woods, flowers of every quality covered that surface. Wonderful avenues, magnificent buildings added ornament. They were all things resembling those of the earth, but of beauty, of inexpressible form.
Instrumental music that seemed to consist of thousands of various instruments, each of which made a different sound, higher or lower, but always with perfect agreement. The same applies to the items. There was an immense number of inhabitants who all enjoyed hearing and taking part in singing and playing. The more one was listening, the more the desire to listen grew and everyone became more and more anxious.
At a certain point all music ceased and then many listeners turned to me, that I was not above that marvelous surface, but there near a height of earth. I knew many of them. But the ones who came closest to me were Savio Domenico, D. Alasonatti, D. Chiala, D. Giulitto, whom I had thought about a lot in the past day. "They were at the distance that they could touch their hands. I was trembling, I didn't dare to speak. The others looked at me with a cheerful face as if they wanted to talk, but were silent.
Savio Domenico was dressed like this: a white dress woven with diamonds covered the person; a red band bordered in gold encircled the sides. His face was florid, luminous, as beautiful as an angel. From one hand he held a bouquet of flowers as a gift. I-Io noticed the lily, the rose, the violet, the sunflower, the perpetua, the ear of wheat, gentian flower and others, but with an intertwining and indescribable beauty.
Savio with his free hand gave me a sign to listen and began to talk like this:
10 From an autograph manuscript of Don Bosco published in C. ROMERO, The dreams of Don Bosco. Critical Edition. Presentation of P. Stella, Leumann (Turin), Elle Di Ci 1978, pp. 40-44. It is a dream greatly valued in Salesian tradition. The Saint writes in simple language, not studied; while the version by GB Lemoyne (MB XII, 586-595) reports a more elaborate transcription, made after the oral story in the goodnight of December 22, 1876.
11 Vittorio Alasonatti (1812-1865); Cesare Chiala (1837-1876); Giuseppe Giulitto (1853-1876). Cf GB FRANCESIA, D. Vittorio Alasonatti first prefect of the Pious Salesian Society. Biographical notes, S. Benigno Canavese, Typography and Salesian Library 1893; G. BONETTI, A Salesian flower or short biography of D. Giuseppe Giulitto, Turin, Typography and Salesian Library 1878; the biographical profile of Cesare Chiala is in G. BARBERIS, The vade mecum of the Salesian ascribed. Teachings and advice exposed to the members of the Pious Society of St. Francis de Sales, S. Benigno Canavese, Salesian Printing School 1901, vol. I, pp. 126-128.
- Why do you fear here where everything must inspire courage?
- I fear for the place where I am and which I do not know; and I do not know that it is all this and these that I see.
- The land that you live now, if cultivated, will become a floor of precious stones in the sky. These are servants of the Lord, who had faith in him and now enjoy the fruit of their labors.
- But why do you speak only and not others?
- Because I am the most frequent and the oldest of those who are here.
- What does [say] this white robe that covers you?
Tacque Savio e gli altri if the core of the posero sing, and made the blood of the lamb, so they are before the throne
- Why this band?
D. Alasonatti D. chialis edaltri risposero singing Owned waist girt virgins, they follow the Lamb wherever he goes. "
- Is this garden the paradise you enjoy?
- Not at all. It is nothing but a material beauty, every mortal who sees a supernatural light would fall dead. Do you want to see a very small ray of supernatural light? Close your eyes and quickly open them again.
As soon as I opened my eyes I saw a light of which a very small ray like lightning came towards me, but so ardent that it made me give an involuntary cry as my eyes were torn. Shortly after, I opened my eyes and everything was as before. [...]
- But tell me what is the purpose of your visit, and before that tell me if I am awake or in sleep.
- Neither one nor the other. You are in the process of receiving strict orders from the Lord's side and woe to you if you do not work to execute them. Some things refer to the past, others to the present, many refer to the future. Regarding the past it is the lack of faith, too much timidity. See how many souls brought the Oratories to heaven and we see multitudes of them. It would be a hundred thousand more if I had had the faith alive as all the ministers of the King of kings must have.
- But you scare me too much: tell me something about the present.
- For the present, start here a bouquet of flowers and take it, and give them a gift to all your children of every age and condition, and assure them of the kingdom of heaven - but I don't understand its meaning.
12 le hanno reso candy thong garment net blood dell'Agnello through this tin davanti al seated di Dio. Citazione a sense dalla Standard: "These are [...] washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are blameless" (Rev 7: 14-15).
13 hanno avuta I fianchi Cinti, poiche tone vergini e seguono l'Agnello ovunque VA. A sense ampliata dalla quotation from James: "Dressed in white" (Rev 7, 9); "[... 1 virgins. These follow the Lamb wherever he goes (Rev 14: 4).
- I will give you a nod: the rose is charity; the violet humility; the lily the chastity; the sunflower obedience; perseverance persists; ivy mortification; the ear of corn the holy communion; the gentian penance. Each of these things is properly and for a long time explained, and you will give your finances a treasure that will lead them to an infinite prize.
—Add also something for the future.
- I no longer speak, but it is the merciful God who alone knows and expresses himself thus: In the next year you will be deprived of six and then of two other very dear people; but that they must be transplanted from the earth to the place of delight or to the paradise of the Increate.
A bright dawn will come from the four corners of the earth to the Salesian Congregation. Battles and triumphs, but his soldiers will grow a great deal if the leaders do not let the wheels of the chariot on which the Lord is seated mislead. The time is near when the good and the wicked will be astonished by the marvels that will soon take place, but it is all mercy and everyone will be comforted.
- What is the current status of my young people?
- You have to say about the children of God, who entrusted them to you and you will have to give an account of them at the time. Take these three sheets and above each you will see what is necessary.
I took those papers and above one was written the following: Note of those who at present are walking straight on the path to heaven. And I saw many names I knew and many that I did not know at all. The second note was entitled: Vulneratiu below and the number was also large; but not like the first. In the third one was this title: Lassati sumus in via iniquitatis.15
- The first two notes you can see them and their names can be seen by the spirits. Not so those of the third. Those who live in the sky, although they are very pure spirits, yet they feel an unbearable stench just by seeing them. If you want to know the names and see them turn the opposite note. I turned over the paper and in an instant I saw not the names, but the individuals in the most abhorrent act. A voice was heard like a thunder deafening my hearing: Execrabiles viae eorum coram Deo et coram omnibus viventibus.'6
At that moment I woke up to that noise. I look up, but everything had become obscure, nor did I see any more, and it was only then that I realized I was in bed, but so dejected and so troubled by that dream, that I could neither rest nor think of anything but that dream, that day and night still troubles my mind.
14 injured.
15 We abandoned ourselves to the ways of evil. Citation from the Vulgate (Sap 5, 7).
16 Abominable conduct before God and all the living.
Thursday 24 October 1878
I am happy to see again my army of armed contra diabolum. This expression, though Latin, is also understood by Cottini. And many things I would like to tell you being the first time I talk to you after the holidays, but for now I just want to tell you a dream. You know that dreams are made sleeping and that you should not believe them; but if there is no harm in not believing, sometimes there is no evil even to believe and may even use instruction, such as this one.
I was in Lanzo at the first set of exercises and slept, as I said, when I had this dream. I was in a place that I could not know where it was, but I was near a village, where there was a garden and a vast meadow near this garden. I was in the company of some friends who invited me to enter the garden. I go in and see a lot of lambs jumping, running, doing somersaults according to their custom. When a door opens in the lawn and those lambs run outside to graze. But many did not bother to go out, they stopped in the garden and went here and there grazing some grass and so they grazed, although there was no grass in that abundance that was out there where the greatest number ran .
"I want to see what these little lambs do outside." We go there and see them grazing peacefully; and here, almost immediately, the sky is darkened, lightning and thunder follow and a thunderstorm approaches. "What will become of these lambs if they take the storm? I was saying; let us withdraw them to safety". And I was calling them. Then I on one side, those other companions of mine, tried to push them towards the garden door, but they didn't want to know. Hunt from here, run away from there; eh, yes, they had better legs than us. And in the meantime he began to drip, then to rain and I was not made to welcome them. One or two entered the garden, but all the others, and they were in great quantity, continued to stay in the meadow. "Well, if they don't want to be worse for them, in the meantime we will withdraw".
There was a fountain on which it was written in large letters: Fons signatus, a sealed fountain. "It was covered. And here it opens, the water rises high, divides and forms a rainbow, but like a vault like this portico. Meanwhile the lightning was seen more frequent, the thunder followed noisier and the hail began to fall.
17 ASC A000303: Conferences, Quads III, 1877-1878. Ms di Giacomo Gresino, pp. 41-48 (cf MB XIII, 761-764).
18 Ct 4, 12: The two images, of closed garden and sealed fountain, which the Scriptures refer to the bride of the Canticle, are attributed by the Christian tradition to the Virgin Mary.
We with all the little lambs that were in the garden, we huddled under it and no water or hail entered. "But what is this? I used to ask friends, and what will be the poor guys outside?" "You'll see, they answered. Look at these lambs on your forehead, what do you find there?" I observed and saw that the name of a young man from the Oratory was written on the forehead of each of those animals. "What is this?" "You'll see you'll see".
Meanwhile, I could no longer restrain myself and wanted to go out and see what those poor lambs did that they had stopped outside. "I will collect those who were killed and send them to the Oratory", I thought. I took the rain too and saw those poor little animals fallen to the ground that moved their legs trying to come to the garden, but they could not walk. I opened the door, but their efforts were useless. The rain and the hail had so battered them and continued to mistreat them that pitied them. One was struck on the head, another on the cheek, this on one ear, the one on the leg, others elsewhere. Meanwhile the storm had stopped.
"Look, the one I had beside me tells me, on the forehead of these lambs." I observed and read on each front the name of a young man from the Oratory. "But, I said, I know the young man who has this name and does not seem to me a lamb."
"You'll see you'll see". Then a gold vase with a silver lid was presented to me, saying to me: "Touch the wounds of these little creatures with your hand dipped in this ointment and they will immediately heal." I start calling them: "Berr! Berr!" And they nothing, as if nothing had happened. I try to get close to one and it away. "He doesn't want it, worse for him!" I go to another and run away. And I repeated this game unnecessarily.
I reach an alfine one, who had poor eyes out of the orbit so battered, that it was a pity. I touched them with my hand and it healed and went into the garden. Many others no longer had repugnance and allowed themselves to be touched and healed, and entered the garden. But there were still many, and generally the most wounded, that it was not possible to approach them.
- If they don't want to heal, worse for them; but I don't know how I'll be able to get them back into the garden.
- Leave it, one of the friends who were with me told me, they will come, they will come.
- We'll see. I put the jar back where it was before and returned to the garden. You were all changed, and I read you at the entrance: Oratorio. As soon as he entered, behold, those lambs that did not want to come, sneak in and run to hide themselves here and there; and even then I could not approach anyone. There were also several who, not willingly receiving the ointment, converted for them into poison which instead of healing them exacerbated their wounds.
- Look, do you see that banner?
- Yes I see it. I used to read this word in large letters: Vacanze.
- Here, this is the effect of the holidays, he explained to me one who accompanied me, because I was already outside of me. Your young people go out with good will to graze, but then the storm comes, which are the temptations; then the rain, which are the assaults of the devil; therefore the hail falls and it is when they fall into guilt. Some still rejoice with the confession, but others either do not use it well or use no point. Keep it in mind and never tire of telling it to your young people that the holidays are a big storm for their souls.
I watched those lambs and saw in them some mortal wounds; I was trying to heal them, when, as I told you I slept, Don Scappini made a noise in the adjoining room, rising and waking me up.
This is the dream, and although it is a dream, it has a meaning that will not hurt those who believe in it. And I can also tell you that I noticed some names among those lambs of the dream and comparing them with the young, I saw that these were regulated precisely as it happened in the dream. Whatever the case, we must in this novena of saints correspond to the goodness of God who wants to use mercy and with a good confession to purge the wounds of our conscience. We must then all agree to fight the devil and with the help of God we will come out winners and go to receive the prize of victory in heaven.
