On the occasion of the Retreats and Life Seminars that we have been carrying out, in order to maintain communion among all, several WhatsApp groups emerged in which we share events, as an agenda, and reflections for the good of those of us who read. We could say that, cyclically, we write every two or three weeks. Today, Saint John Bosco’s Day, one of the girls from Barcelona, wrote these words that she wanted to share with everyone.
Today is Saint John Bosco and, reading a little about his life, I have come across four teachings that he preached and that I think we should all apply to our lives.
- Loving Mary is loving Jesus: the name of our group is already called that (To Jesus through Mary) and Saint John Bosco always looked for her, not in vain the Virgin of the Salesians is Mary’s Help of Christians. She, whom she chooses as her help at all times, and to whom she turns in any need. But her great love and devotion to Her never distanced him from Jesus, but rather he brought her closer and closer to the Lord. Amid this devotion to the Virgin, Saint John Bosco teaches us to have Mary as our mother, because by turning to Her, we are never left without an answer. She is the mother of all Christians, therefore, in the figure of Saint John Bosco, we can learn that a sincere, pure, and upright Marian devotion can be an effective remedy for our deviations and a welcoming protection in the face of tribulations.
- Teach with Passion: Saint John Bosco was one of those teachers who taught with such passion that his own life became a school. For this reason he is considered the patron saint of teachers, his testimony invites us to fight with passion in our daily tasks. In addition to knowing how to give our lives for that vocation that has been entrusted to us and that, through it, many will obtain holiness. How good that on this day when we celebrate the memory of this saint, we can think for a moment with how much passion we are living and working every moment for our personal vocation.
- Be Always a good friend: As a good Christian, Saint John Bosco was an excellent friend to everyone, children, young people and adults. But especially those most vulnerable and, particularly, those that society had designated as rebels. He teaches us that, with true friendship, that which springs from a heart full of true Christian love, those who need it most can be saved. This is why on this day I want to invite you to recover with a call, message, or with a gesture of affection, those friendships from which for whatever reason you have been distancing yourself. Saint John Bosco was a great friend of Saint Francis de Sales, guide and friend also of Saint Dominic Savio. Think about this moment: What friendships bring you closer to Jesus?
- Fall madly in love with the Eucharist: As a priest and, mainly, as a Christian, Saint John Bosco was a lover of the Eucharist and a great disseminated of Eucharistic piety. He discovered that in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and in the Eucharistic celebration, he could find the necessary strength to undertake the daily struggle of his mission. Saint John Bosco was a man with a scent of holiness, both for his evangelizing work and for his spiritual and personal life. May he intercede for us before God so that we can walk towards holiness every day.
I would invite you all to reflect on these four points and see how they are in our lives, how do we love Mary?, with what passion do we live our work/vocation?, are we those friends who bring Jesus closer to others? What if we are really in love with the Eucharist, and we try to get as close as we can? Have a happy day!
