Today, January 31, is the feast day of St. John Bosco. He is known for fouding an organization dedicated to serving the poor youth of Italy. He was like a father to them, and so they called him Don Bosco, basically Father Bosco (Don means Father in Italian). (Video below, links at the end of this post.)
Video: To Hell and Back
“[A]s in Matthew’s Gospel where the process of Joseph being instructed by angels during dreams is described it is clear that Don Bosco’s experiences were more than the sort of dreams most of us have when asleep.”
“Try to picture yourselves with me on the seashore, or, better still, on an outlying cliff with no other land in sight. The vast expanse of water is covered with a formidable array of ships in battle formation, prows fitted with sharp spear-like beaks capable of breaking through any defence. All are heavily armed with cannons, incendiary bombs, and firearms of all sorts – even books – and are heading toward one stately ship, mightier than them all. As they try to close in, they try to ram it, set it afire, and cripple it as much as possible.”
From an article at Donal Anthony Foley’s site.
Read more of this article at Donal Anthony Foley’s site.
Video: Mother Angelica Live Classics – 2012-01-31 – Dreams of St John Bosco
“When tempted, invoke your Angel. He is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him: He trembles and flees at the sight of your Guardian Angel.”
Words of St. Don Bosco. I found this quote in various places attributed to Don Bosco. I don’t know where he said it, but from all I’ve read about him, it sounds like him. If I find an actual attribution, I’ll update this post.
Thanks for reading, I hope you’re enjoying your visit. Until next time, whoever and wherever you are, may the Lord bless you and keep you, and may His peace be always with you.
Notes and Links
- Article at Donal Anthony Foley’s site. Donal Anthony Foley on Twitter
- Video, To Hell and Back, the vision of Saint John Bosco, film clip, Mary’s Dowry Productions.
- Video: Mother Angelica Live Classics – 2012-01-31 – Dreams of St John Bosco
- Images: The Dream of the Two Columns, the Dream of the Barque of Peter.
- Amazon affiliate links to the book, Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco: From St. John Bosco’s Biographical Memoirs, below.
Kindle (Wish I’d known this before I got the paperback.)
Full Disclosure: Some links on my site are marked as affiliate links. That means that if you purchase a product using those links, or any product after clicking through those links (or my general Amazon link), I may earn a small commission (at no cost to you) that will help pay for this site, my book habit, or treats for Miss Lucy Dawg. We thank you in advance. God bless!
Catholic Heart and Mind 