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don bosco's madonna presents
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Profoundly
Don Bosco
human
holy
Profoundly
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educated
man
To look to the heavens
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Summers, dawns, middays, sunsets and even the
white clouds revealed the profound splendour of
the firmament among the green hills and pasture
lands. Late in the evening after a hard days
work, they made their long way home and after
having partaken of a meagre supper by
candlelight, Margaret went outdoors with her
little brood. There she sat them down to breathe
the fresh evening air, to look up at the sky, and
there they beheld the silent beauty that God had
spread over millions of years above their heads
and before their eyes. She said How good God has
been to us! John saw these beautiful and serene
sights. There
before them another person was
present God
himself. A great and
invisible person. A person in
whom
this mother had unlimited trust and unbounded
confidence. A person who was so near that she
could say God is here..
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educated
man
awareness of the poor
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But for Margaret, God was not only in heaven. He
was present in the poor, the sick, in those in
need of help. On winter evenings when the fields
were convered with snow, a knock was heard at the
door of the little house, it was some wandering
beggar. Margaret, please dont make me walk any
further, I have just come up from Morialdo My
feet are like two blocks of ice, For the love of
God, let me put my feet close to the fire.
Margaret invited the poor beggar to come in and
then said to Johnny Will you heat up bowl of
broth? She saw the sandals of the beggar Those
are in pieces, and I cant repair them. I will
wrap your feet in two bands of cloth. Then you
can sleep in the barn. Tomorrow you will feel
better.
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educated
man
Meeting the Lord
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His First Confession When I was still very
little, I was taught my first prayers. And when I
was old enough to join my brothers I was made to
kneel with them in the morning and the evening
and recite my prayers together a
third part of the Rosary. I remember that she
prepared me for my First Confession. She
accompanied me to church, and she confessed
before me, she spoke to
the confessor about me, and after
that she helped me with my
thanksgiving. She continued to help me until she
was sure that I was
confident enough
to make my confession alone.
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The First Communion When I was eleven years old
I was sent to make my First Communion During
Lent, my mother took me thrice for confession.
She said to me John, God is giving you a great
gift. Try to prepare yourself well, make your
confession sincerely. Ask the Lord for his pardon
and promise him that you will try to be good
On the day of the first Communion, my mother
said these words to me several times My son,
for you, this is a great day. I am sure that the
Lord has become the master of your heart. Promise
him that you will try to be good all your life.
Henceforth, try to go to communion often, but do
not go if you have sin on your conscience. Always
make your confession sincerely. Try always to be
obedient. Go willingly to Catechism and listen to
the Word of God. But, for the love of God, stay
away from bad company as you would the plague.
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Gods juggler
because the God of joy meets youngsters
man
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In fair weather things changed, everything came
alive. On feast days, the boys from the nearby
houses and the neighbouring villages came looking
for me. I gave them a performance of a few tricks
that I had learned. On market days I would go to
watch the charlatans and the acrobats. I
attentively watched their tricks, and their feats
of dexterity. When I returned home I tried and
re-tried them till even I was able to perform
them. They were all the imaginable stunts, I
tumbled, walked on ropes and risked many other
feats. The spectators found it difficult to
believe me, at eleven years I was doing slight of
hand, deadly leaps, walking on my hands, jumping
and dancing on the tightrope like a professional
acrobat. Every feast day afternoon there was a
performance. I would do deadly leaps, walk on my
hands, and perform stunts upside down. After that
I would do some slight-of-hand tricks. I would
swallow some coins and retrieve them from the tip
of the nose of a spectator. I multiplied coloured
pellets and eggs, I changed water into wine, I
killed a chicken and then brought it back to life
to the delight of all.. Finally I would dance on
the tight rope and after twisting and turning I
would throw up my legs and land back on my
feet. After all this I would be very tired. I
closed the performance with the recitation of a
brief prayer and everyone returned home.
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meeting trials
man
learning how to live
At the Moglia farm as a helper
At Chieri under the staircase and many jobs
Not all friends are good
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far from home
to make friends
Those who tried to get me to take part in their
nasty pranks at school were frustrated. Then they
approached me from another angle. They asked me
to lend them my homework or to help them in their
translations. The teacher came to hear of it and
severely reproached me. That charity of yours is
fake he said, because you encourage idleness. I
absolutely forbid you to do that again. I
sought a better way to help them. I explained to
them what they did not understand. I helped them
overcome their greatest difficulties. In that way
I earned their gratitude and the affection of my
companions. They began coming to look for me in
my free time. They listened to my stories and
then without any reason. They started to come to
look for me during the leisure time for the
assignment, then to listen to my stories and for
no reason at all, the boys from Morialdo and
Castelnuovo. We formed a group and called it the
Cheerful Society
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with a question
according to the will of God
It was the end of my year of humanities. Even for
me, it was time to think seriously what I wanted
to do with the rest of my life. The dream that I
had at Becchi was constantly in my mind, or
rather it seemed to renew itself several times,
and it became clearer and clearer. If I wanted to
believe in that dream then I had to think of
becoming a priest. I also had a certain
inclination to become one. But I didnt want to
believe in dreams. Then there was my way of life,
I had developed certain habits but I totally
lacked the virtues that were necessary to become
a priest. All this made me very uncertain. I had
a difficult choice to make. How I wished that I
had a spiritual director to help me in those
moments. He would have been a real treasure for
me, but I missed that treasure.
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educator
holy
Profondly
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Give me souls
take away the rest
holy
Profoundly
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everyday
holy
Profoundly
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in joy
holy
Profoundly
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in joy
We make sanctity consist
in being very cheerful
holy
Profoundly
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with the Eucharist
holy
Profoundly
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One day it happened that he had missed his
breakfast, his classes and the lunch. No one knew
where he was. He was not in the study, not even
in bed. When the Rector (it was Don Bosco though
he did not name himself) was informed, he
suspected and it was true he was in church. It
had happened at other times too. The rector
entered the church, he went behind the altar and
saw him there still as a stone. He had one foot
on another, a hand on the large lectern and the
other on his breast. His gaze was fixed on the
tabernacle. He didnt move an eyelid. Don Bosco
called but he didnt answer. When he shook him
then Dominic looked up and said Oh, is the Mass
over? already . See said the Rector, showing
him the watch, It is already two in the
afternoon.
Dominic asked For pardon
for this but the
Rector sent him for lunch,
telling him If someone
asks you say
I sent you on an errand and
I gave you
the permission.
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at pardoning
holy
Profoundly
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guided by Mary
I will give you a teacher under her guidance you
will be wise but without her all wisdom will
become ignorance
holy
Profoundly
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O Mary, virgin most powerful You are the great
and illustrious guide of the Church O Mary help
of Christians terrible as an army in battle
array You give us the sun to overcome every
shadow You help us in all the struggles and
challenges of life You defend us against the
onslaughts of the enemy At the hour of death you
welcome us to Paradise
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in a total gift
holy
Profoundly
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in a total gift
I thank you for the prayers you said for my
recovery. I am convinced that God has granted me
my life for you, therefore I promise you that I
will dedicate all my life for you right up to my
last breath
for you I study, for you I work, for you I live,
for you I am ready even to give my life
holy
Profoundly
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in a total gift
In the 1887 professor Combal, of the university
of Montpellier was called to bedside of Don
Bosco. The doctor examined the patient carefully.
You, said the physician, are worn out with
too much work. Your life is like a threadbare
garment because of working on holidays and
ordinary days. You can still go on, but that
would mean putting the coat back into the
cupboard. Your main medicine would be absolute
rest. And that is the only remedy, that I am
unable to take, said the servant of God with a
smile.
holy
Profoundly
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Shrine of Don Bosco's Madonna