Saint John Bosco
Saint John Bosco - Out of the Darkness It was the year 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte had just been defeated, but his iron grip on the Piedmontese area of northern Italy could still be felt. He had bled the country of all its natural resources. The people were left to their own devices to survive, or starve. Dead bodies were found strewn all over the countryside each morning, having starved to death the night before. It was hard times for the common people, who had nothing to do with the political upheavals of the day. But they were the victims. They looked for a place to begin again.Masses of migrants descended on the big city of Turin, Italy. They had deserted their farms, fresh air, and the fragrances of the land, in exchange for the sweat and stench of close quarters in these newlyfound slums, all in the hopes of a new life. But some were still holding on to the lives, their families had lived for centuries in the little hamlets, the rolling hills of northern Italy. One of these villages, Becchi, was to be the birthplace of one of the most powerful men in our Church - Saint John Bosco. On the day after the Feast of the Assumption in 1815, our Lady gave us a gift, in the birth of John Melchior Bosco, in this unknown place, which is still not on the map of Italy today.Saint John Bosco was born of strong peasant stock, Francis and Margaret. Theirs was a large household to feed. Francis’ invalid mother, as well as a son by his first wife, plus John and his brother Joseph, created a major financial burden on the young couple. The fruits of their land were not enough to take care of the family, so Francis worked at other jobs to bring extra income into the house. It was while he worked for a landowner that he contracted pneumonia and died. John was barely two years old. John always remembered his mother’s words, although he could not remember his father: “You have no father, Johnny.”With the father and main breadwinner gone, many families would have fallen apart, but not the family of Margaret Bosco. She had been given special graces by the Lord, to hold onto and provide for her family’s welfare and growth. She used them. She took care of her bedridden mother-in-law, a step-son, and her own two children. She had the greatest influence on Don Bosco. While he has been given the honor of being among the Communion of Saints, his mother has to be right there next to him, sharing the glory.Penny has always shared her amazement at how much scripture her mother knew, although she never went to High School. She was always quoting scripture. The same would apply to Margaret Bosco. She could not read or write, yet she taught her children their Faith. A natural question might be, “Yes, but how much could she have taught them?” The response would be to point to the fruits of her teaching, Don Bosco. Case closed! There has been an ongoing dispute about the value of absorbing huge amounts of information, compared with the simple, uncluttered teachings of our ancestors. Francis of Assisi distrusted books and learning. Don Bosco, on the other hand, was a great proponent of learning. We have to believe that a great deal has to do with faith. Where is the information coming from, and how does it glorify God? Margaret Bosco was very clear on that point. Whatever she taught her children was to point them towards God.The children were not spoiled in any way. It would have been impossible. Hers was a monumental task. There was no place for frills in their lives. Margaret believed that she was training her children for the difficult world they lived in. They all worked hard. Simple proverbs like “Idleness is the devil’s workshop” guided her in every step of their upbringing. They ate little. They put up with all the hardships imaginable. But they became strong, physically and spiritually. Saint John Bosco began working at four years old. The whole family pitched in with the housework. It was good training for the life John would live as a religious. We can’t help but think, Our Lady had a direct hand in raising John. Saint John Bosco book, dvd and cd link Ebook available $4.95 Download ebook  Flavio Insinna gives a winning performance as John (Don) Bosco, the great priest and educator of youth from the tough streets of Turin, Italy. Beautifully filmed in Italy, this epic movie dramatizes the many challenges that Don Bosco had to overcome from his childhood through founding his religious order, the Salesians, for helping educate boys. Growing up without a father gave him compassion for the many orphans that he cared for, while he faced persecution from both secular society and the Church as he fought to build a place to house and educate the homeless, outcast youth of Turin. His deep faith, creative imagination and profound charity shine through in this wonderful film. Also stars Charles Dance (Gosford Park) and popular Italian singer and actress Lina Sastri. This DVD contains the following language options: Italian with English or Spanish subtitles, or English dubbed track. This movie is Not Rated. Includes a 16 page collector's booklet. This is a Region 1 DVD (playable ONLY in Bermuda, Canada, the Cayman Islands, United States and U.S. territories) ' ' For information on hosting a movie night in your parish or school click here. '
Illustrated A Vision book containing the enthralling story of the great modern apostle of youth, Saint John Bosco, and his best-loved pupil who became a saint, Dominic Savio. Blessed with tremendous natural and supernatural gifts, including a wonderful sense of humor, Saint John Bosco overcame overwhelming obstacles to help deprived children find a better life. Juggler, magician, acrobat, tailor, teacher and writer--John Bosco became all of these in his efforts to lead boys and girls to God. A prayer was the price of admission to his shows; a friendly contest to match skill or strength was his answer to the hoodlums who laughed at him. As a priest he was known as Don Bosco and built churches and schools. Don Bosco's schools were cheerful places where the school spirit ran high. This story of Saint John Bosco and his pupil, Saint Dominic Savio, will appeal to the young readers of today. Cover art by Chris Pelicano ' Visit our other sites: New! CommentsHave your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below. |
