28th April 2018: Second Day: *PRUDENCE*
Dear St. Dominic, before doing anything important you used to ask yourself, “How will this help my eternal salvation?” Oh, teach me the virtue of PRUDENCE that I may live my life as a child of God, not of earth: that I may always look upwards to my eternal home not to the world and its passing foolishness. When the devil tempts me with sinful joys of the passing moment, help me to reject them in preference to the joys of eternity. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be,
St Dominic Savio, Pray for us.
*Practice*: Take some time to think about your vocation in life and pray for strength to do God’s Holy Will.
🙏🙏🙏
Second day
“And he went down with Mary and Joseph to Nazareth, and was obedient to them… And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man (Lk 2, 51-52).
Good Stuff
Don Bosco was a priest born in Becchi of Castelnuovo, who had gone to Turin, to the district of Valdocco, to open an oratory and a school for poor boys. Many of the boys, at those workshops opened by Don Bosco, learned a trade and were able to find decent jobs in life. But some of the better boys, because of their poverty, were unable to attend school. They studied for free at the school of Don Bosco, some became priests.
Dominic Savio’s teacher, who was Don Bosco’s seminary companion, went and spoke to him about Dominic Savio requesting that he be accepted in his school. Don Bosco replied: “I am coming to Becchi in October. Let me see if he’s able to study.”
October 2, 1854. The first meeting took place in the little courtyard in front of Don Bosco’s brother’s house at Becchi in Castelnuovo.
Don Bosco was so impressed that he noted down the incident in every detail as if he were still seeing it. The language is that of the 1800’s, but the scene so alive, it seems as if it had just taken place.
“It was the first Monday in October and bright morning. I saw the young lad accompanied by his father approaching me for a chat. As I looked at him I saw that his face was cheerful, full of smiles but respectful.
- ‘Who are you?’ I asked, ‘where do you come from?
- ‘I am Dominic Savio, my teacher Fr Cugliero has spoken to you about me and we come from Mondonio.’
So I called him aside to find out what studies he had done, what type of life was he living and very soon we completely trusted each other. He trusted me and I, him.
I realised that the youngster I met was a soul filled with the spirit of the Lord and I was not a little surprised to see the grace of God already working in one at such a tender age.
After a somewhat prolonged conversation, before I called his father, this is precisely what he told me:
- Well, what do you think? Will you take me with you to Turin to study?
- (Keeping in mind that his mother a seamstress)
Don Bosco said with a smile:
- Oh, I think there’s good stuff in you.
- And what can you use this material for?
- To make a nice garment as a gift for the Lord.
- So, I’m the material, you’re the tailor; take me with you and make of me a nice garment for the Lord.
- I’m afraid that because of your frailty you won’t be able to study.
- Don’t worry about that; the Lord who has looked after my health and welfare so far will do so even in the future.
- But when you’ve finished studying Latin what are you going to do?
- If the Lord permits me, I would love to be a priest.
- Well, now I want to try and find out if you have the capacity for study. Take this booklet. (Don Bosco always had in his pocket some interesting booklet to give to the better youngsters he met). Study this page today and come to recite it to me tomorrow.
Having said that, I allowed the boy to go and join the other youngsters. Then I began talking to his father. We had spent no more than eight minutes when Dominic returned all smiles and said:
- If you wish, I can recite this page just now.
I took the booklet and to my surprise he not only knew the page literally but he had understood well the meaning of what he had read.
- I said, ‘Well done, you have anticipated your lesson and I shall anticipate my answer. Yes, I will take you to Turin and from then on you will be one of my dear boys. Till then, pray that God may help you to do his holy will.
Not knowing how to better express his happiness he took my hand and kissed it several times and finally said”
- I hope you never have to complain about my behaviour.”
Whenever he recalled that meeting, Don Bosco was always impressed by the words of the boy who wanted to be “a nice garment to be presented to the Lord.”
Time for Reflection:
Youngsters are like fabric out of which beautiful dresses or ordinary ones can be made. I was a fifth grade teacher and I fondly remember that in the benches in front of me there was a boy who became a priest and a great missionary in India and another who had committed a serious crime and is now in prison. Occasionally he writes me very painful and angry letters. They were both the same fabric, but one was worked into a fine dress through much effort and in the company of good friends and he became a great garment.
The other did not resist the temptations of life, got herded with the bad friends and ended up destroyed, like an ill fitting garment and threadbare.
You too are like fabric. Your will-power, your commitment and the friends you choose will determine if you become a good garment or an ill-fitting dress for the Lord.
A Moment of Prayer
Saint Dominic Savio, through your good will and the help of your parents and Don Bosco, you grew in age, wisdom and grace like Jesus. Help me too to choose good friends and become a good Christian, well-cut.
No comments:
Post a Comment