DON BOSCO
Today we celebrate the memorial of Giovanni Melchior Bosco known to us as St. John Bosco. John's father died when he was only two years old, and so, as soon as he was old enough, he was out earning extra money for his family. Life was hard but not without fun and enjoyment as well. He loved going to circuses, carnivals and fairs, learning from the magicians and performers how to act, juggle and do tricks. He would stage a one-man show for the children of the village and afterwards he wold deliver the sermon he had heard at Mass earlier in the day. John Bosco was ordained priest in 1841, but before his ordination he had worked as a tailor, baker, shoemaker and carpenter. He had a remarkable talent and ability to work with young people and found places where they could meet, pray and play. He founded the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) in 1859 and the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians in 1872. He died in 1888 and was canonised in 1934 by Pope Pius XI.
John Bosco was blessed with practical and godly wisdom. He once instructed the young people in his care. He once instructed the young people in his care: "Fly from bad companions as from the bite of a poisonous sake. If you keep good companions, I can assure you that you will one day rejoice with the blessed in heaven; whereas if you keep company with those who are bad, you will become bad yourself, and you will be in danger of losing your soul."
Don Bosco was especially devoted to the Eucharist and encouraged everybody to receive Holy Communion. "Do you want Our Lord to give you many graces? Visit him often. Do you want him to give you few graces? Visit him seldom. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are powerful and indispensable means of overcoming the attacks of the devil. Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless against you."
Don Bosco cultivated a warm and kind approach to the young and saw that gentleness and affection were more winning than rough and harsh treatment. "This was the method", he said, that Jesus used with the apostles. He put up with their ignorance and roughness...He treated sinners with a kindness and affection that caused some to be shocked, others to be scandalised and still others to hope for God's mercy. And so he bade us to be gentle and humble of heart."
Since the time of Don Bosco times have changed and young people with them. Young people seek their own levels; young people select what is of value to them; children learn from people they trust and love. There were those things that made a difference in my development as a person, teacher and writer. No one had to tell me I loved the sound of music or the vice of my mother singing "Silent Night" as she prepared dinner one evening.
Children know what is around them. They know adults have power over them; they know cats have voices. Children also know very early that they will someday die. When a child feels the need to advance intellectually, he will just ahead and take that step. I believe our schools take too much credit for things that happen to children. Growing children do what grown-ups do. If parents smoke cigarettes their children will up smoking. If parents are readers there is a good chance that their children will read. Life imitates life. Our children look to us for any hints of themselves.
There are other things included in my philosophy of education. Somewhere there is a desire to teach children to distinguish between what is genuine and what is false. I know that we are born with different abilities and limitations, but I believe that we all have that unique something, a soul perhaps, that can be brought out by a teacher. We can help the young know the truth and choose the good. We can help them have confidence in themselves.
And we adults learn a lesson or two, also. When Jesus spoke about children, he told us that adult human beings need to recapture childhood. Children have the capacity for great faith, greatness and forgiveness. Many thousands of people, including children, died in the concentration camp in Ravensbrook during World War II. Near to the body of a child a prayer was found. "O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will, but also those of ill-will; but do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted on us. Remember the fruits we have bought, thanks to this suffering: our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of all this. And when they come to judgement, let all the fruits which we have borne be their forgiveness."
Don Bosco was especially devoted to the Eucharist and encouraged everybody to receive Holy Communion. "Do you want Our Lord to give you many graces? Visit him often. Do you want him to give you few graces? Visit him seldom. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are powerful and indispensable means of overcoming the attacks of the devil. Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless against you."
Don Bosco cultivated a warm and kind approach to the young and saw that gentleness and affection were more winning than rough and harsh treatment. "This was the method", he said, that Jesus used with the apostles. He put up with their ignorance and roughness...He treated sinners with a kindness and affection that caused some to be shocked, others to be scandalised and still others to hope for God's mercy. And so he bade us to be gentle and humble of heart."
Since the time of Don Bosco times have changed and young people with them. Young people seek their own levels; young people select what is of value to them; children learn from people they trust and love. There were those things that made a difference in my development as a person, teacher and writer. No one had to tell me I loved the sound of music or the vice of my mother singing "Silent Night" as she prepared dinner one evening.
Children know what is around them. They know adults have power over them; they know cats have voices. Children also know very early that they will someday die. When a child feels the need to advance intellectually, he will just ahead and take that step. I believe our schools take too much credit for things that happen to children. Growing children do what grown-ups do. If parents smoke cigarettes their children will up smoking. If parents are readers there is a good chance that their children will read. Life imitates life. Our children look to us for any hints of themselves.
There are other things included in my philosophy of education. Somewhere there is a desire to teach children to distinguish between what is genuine and what is false. I know that we are born with different abilities and limitations, but I believe that we all have that unique something, a soul perhaps, that can be brought out by a teacher. We can help the young know the truth and choose the good. We can help them have confidence in themselves.
And we adults learn a lesson or two, also. When Jesus spoke about children, he told us that adult human beings need to recapture childhood. Children have the capacity for great faith, greatness and forgiveness. Many thousands of people, including children, died in the concentration camp in Ravensbrook during World War II. Near to the body of a child a prayer was found. "O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will, but also those of ill-will; but do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted on us. Remember the fruits we have bought, thanks to this suffering: our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of all this. And when they come to judgement, let all the fruits which we have borne be their forgiveness."
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