- Don Bosco as a Mystic, Prophet and Servant
While speaking about Don Bosco we need to understand
the times in which he lived. The spirit of the man was shaped by his life. His
life unfolded in nineteenth century Italy. An immediate knowing of what we have
of Don Bosco is that he was a priest of the streets, a leader of a group of
young people, and founder of the religious society. As most humans, he was a
man who went along with some, reacted with others and at times fought against them.
He spoke much and wrote much. His was a life which showcases the mystic,
prophet and servant dimensions coinciding and overlapping each and every
experience that he lived.
The
Daily Mystical Life of Don Bosco:
Don
Bosco was in no way absolutely satisfied with his mediocre life, he constantly
sought to do things even if it caused pain or put him in a terrible situation.
Because of his deep interior life he was able to stand up to any difficulty. He
believed in living a simple life: doing the seemingly insignificant things in
an extraordinary way. His constant belief in the divine providence made him
achieve things that others thought were impossible or unattainable. For him God
was present everywhere: in his morning rising, his everyday work, his smile,
his friendship for the sake of seeking help for his poor youngsters, in
everything. For him, God was the root and source of every meaning. In other
words, Don Bosco’s life of prayer, his life of union with God was mirrored in
his daily living.
Finally, it’s a call to each of us today to be mystics
to be firstly in union with God and then with our brothers and sisters. That
is, we are also simultaneously called to be prophets (who are ready to live
with each other with a fraternal bond of love) and servants (who are willing to
give one’s life for the cause of poor youngsters) in the world.
Don
Bosco the Prophet among his boys and people:
We
might have heard much about Don Bosco and his boys from many sources. What
strikes me particularly and what needs a mention here is his undying passion
and zeal to make his youngsters good Christians and honest citizens.
We notice Don Bosco’s fraternal love in the manner in
which he became all things to all his boys. Visiting prisons, gathering the
boys from the streets and making them feel one among themselves and with him
was his secret of fraternal life. Don Bosco reminds me here of the famous
citation that many use as part of their resource, family is not whose blood
you carry, but who love you and are ready to share their life with you. As a leader of the young and of the common
people, he tried to speak in such a way that his words would be understood by
farmers and working people, the rich and the poor alike. It was not only his
boys that felt his love but also the many people who came in contact with him.
This is so evident in the manner in which Don Bosco could reach out and do so
much to create a society which would eventually work for the young.
Servant of the young and with the young:
That you are young is enough for me to love you was not a slogan of lip-service for Don Bosco but it
was the feeling of his heart and, above all, a lived reality. As a young boy
John couldn’t receive all the time he wished to get for his studies, he had to
work to do a little study, he survived by leaving his own home and finding
shelter in someone else’s house.
This plight of Don Bosco’s childhood is so evident and
known to us. But Don Bosco didn’t want the same of his youngsters especially
those who were poor. He wanted them to enjoy their younger days, receive the
love of God through the sacraments and moments of prayer and in turn grow to
become lovers who change the world and build a better tomorrow for other young
people in the society.
No comments:
Post a Comment