TUESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME JANUARY 31, 2023 MEMORIAL ST JOHN BOSCO
- Olivia M. Bannan
- Jan 31, 2023
- 2 min read
Reading I
REFLECTION
" rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith."
Blessed Margaret Bosco was the widowed mother of St John Bosco or Don Bosco as he preferred to be called. The beginning and end of the day was God. She seldom punished and in her teachings emphasized to St John Bosco, "God always sees you, even when I do not".
St John Bosco was very responsive to his mother's teachings and helped her in her charitable works. During his whole life John Bosco was inspired and guided by vivid dreams. One of his dreams was when he was nine and he was in a large yard with a lot of rowdy boys and he began striking them. A shining figure in white appeared next to him and said, " Not with blows, but with gentleness and charity, you must take care of them and win their hearts. Teach them the beauty of virtue and the ugliness of sin."
In the dream, Jesus gave His Mother to St John Bosco. And that was to be his work--to teach the beauty of goodness and the ugliness of sin. One way he found to teach was by way of acrobatics and juggling. He invited children to a performance of tightrope and juggling, but it all began and ended with prayer. And in between while entertaining them he preached based on the past Sunday sermon.
At the age of 14 he had a strong desire to be a priest. He was educated through the efforts of the local priest and his uncle. He likewise was advised by Father Don Cafasso (St John Cafasso) to seek the secular priesthood. He was ordained a priest in 1841 and he worked in the education of young boys. His theory was one of prevention, rejecting corporal punishment and placing students in surroundings removed the likelihood of sin. The kindly goodness apostolate of the Gentle Doctor of the Church, St Francis de Sales, inspired St John Bosco. He named his new order the Salesians after St Francis de Sales, establishing schools for boys and girls.
St John Bosco or Don Bosco died of complications of a fever on January 31, 1888.
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