Walter Nigg, Lutheran pastor, who was for many years professor of church history at the University of Zurich. He became interested in the life and history of the saints, he says, are the most precious treasure of the Church. He was particularly attracted by the Don Bosco who wanted to dedicate his office, seizing it in the most significant aspects, in which reflected the admiration and affection for a saint that defines one of the largest and original saints of the Church.
A saint of the modern age
For us there is no doubt that the true saint of modern Italy is Don Bosco. He is neither a fiction nor a perfect image. Today his statue stands in St. Peter's Basilica, along with other holy founders of religious orders is a place that suits him. However we would like it closer to us, we plan to tell him the ear, with ardor, what's gotten spoiled.
We believe it is in a special way the Holy in our time, because it is not wrapped up in medieval attire with severe dignity ... led a holy life without reading, so it is not necessary to prune the wild branches. His personality may be subjected to any critical analysis.
Holiness, in itself, is a charism, a gift that is given to man, thereby escapes any question about the cause and purpose ... The Saint is always an extraordinary man, never simply a righteous man. Before him we ask ourselves, making our own the words of Reinhold Schneider: "What would the world be without the Saints? Would still be standing? "
Each saint is tied to a particular word of God that we must identify clearly. For Don Bosco this word is perhaps the poverty that forced him to wear big shoes, to use the laundry more ordinary? Or should it lie in his ability to read the hearts of its young like a book? Or just see him as "a man persevering"? Of course not, this is all well and good, but not convincing at all.
Don Bosco was a man totally dedicated to and inspired by the Spirit to accomplish his mission. So do not suit him the title of "great theologian" that someone has given emphatically, in his theology does not assume any particular significance. Throughout his life, he remained faithful to the studied theology at the seminary, without giving you new contributions. But it is also true that he was not opposed to theology. Don Bosco was simply moved to another plane. What? I would not give to know what to say! He was a new man. I would like to summarize here some peculiar features of its activity, usually neglected in describing this figure so significant.
The face of his holiness
Aside from his obvious holiness, Don Bosco was a man not without flaws. He refused decidedly self-image without any defect. Did not conceal that he had to fight during his youth, with some pride and have been tempted to vainglory. As a young man cradled the desire to become a preacher to be admired as a brilliant and cultured man. But all these defects fell like dry leaves from the tree of his life when he had been aware of its mission and dedicated himself with all his soul.
Yet, just before he was accused again saying, "Don Bosco could do more if he had more faith in God." We must also remember that Don Bosco put aside, without much discussion, a certain kind of asceticism: Do not wear a hair shirt and poured the ashes on the food. In his view the need for mortification is already satisfied when it accepted the heat and cold, disease and the sad circumstances of life. His faith was not a living purely doctrinal or could be affected by the skepticism. There was a confidence in him right now, and almost childlike in Providence.
Backed by the conviction that it would not let him in trouble, he began to build its houses and churches, even when they had money in his pocket. Sometimes he could even seem foolhardy. When you began to build the Basilica of Mary Help of impresario said: "I pay a deposit immediately. I do not know if it's a lot, but that's all I have. "
Then he took out his purse and emptied the contents into the hands of the impresario. These naturally expect a substantial down payment. But it remained stunned when he realized that there were only a few dollars. Don Bosco reassured him: "Do not worry, Mary will procure the necessary funds for the construction of the church. I'm just the cashier. Have the patience to wait and see. "
course, the builder was paid to the last penny. Often the accumulated debts of Don Bosco as a mountain, then you began to say that the debts were the "secret hair shirt of a friend of the poor boys." We, the people in our technological age we no longer have a faith so strong and powerful, and yet even modern man can live long without faith.
The lack of faith is a spiritual disease, exhaustion that unfailingly leads to spiritual death. He has personally experienced the truth of Christ's words: "If you have a great faith like a mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, 'Move' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible." Don Bosco has moved the mountain and it has disappeared.
Don Bosco was able to sense a far-sighted social needs of the modern era and do not consider them simply with worldly affairs which have nothing to do Christians. There is no doubt that social problems were covered for him in the mysterious plan of God and demanded a response from Christians. In a lonely boy and had abandoned seen a brother, and he was not really playing the part went to meet the benefactor.
The inner spring that drove him to action was not humanitarianism: Don Bosco was driven by love for souls and a passion to help them. Without making too much chatter on the subject of social action, made in silence what was needed. The love of God was in him a strong wind that swept through human love, agape submerged all the difficulties and nothing could stop it. Because of its great capacity to love, Don Bosco became - like all the saints - a crazy love, much to be considered in the history of the Church as one of the largest holy love.
Love opened the horizons that the pure theory of Christianity can not even fathom. All that Don Bosco did bore the stamp of his love without hesitation. The pity of the saint was marked by unparalleled gaiety, a constant serenity, which was never overshadowed by moments of humor. Of course, even before him there had been saints face beaming, like Francis, Philip Blacks or Thomas More. For the Saint of Turin was filled with joy as the beating of the heart, because it was a joy based on God totally
He said: "The devil is afraid of a happy man." For this reason they are not in his silly jokes or jokes Sparkling. That joy contagious, Don Bosco sent to his children and encouraged them to sing and shout, did not need surrogates in bad taste. His way of laughing resembled that of an angel. It was never so happy as when you are with Don Bosco. In
he will find something beautiful and new, is in fact that in the words: "Be good, be happy and let the sparrows sing." This expression enables us to know something of the secret of Don Bosco. It is important to do good, because it comes from God, and God has been revealed to man. Being happy is the attitude of the Christian, because he knows he is in the hands of God Of course, the Christian knows sadness, but he knows dominate. Joy is of divine origin. Don Bosco, jokingly, said on his part: "Let the sparrows sing." I do not mean the gray sparrows are everywhere, but in a metaphorical sense, he was referring to politicians, journalists, businessmen, to my dear brothers, to all that is "creeping and elusive."
Let us not be intimidated or impressed by them either, but let them boo all they want and not lose our joy. "Be good, be happy and let the sparrows sing" is really the motto of a saint and not the cliche of a false optimism. This saying comes from the language of Christian mysticism.
What could we respond to those who do not understand? Nothing but: "Seek the joy? Come and draw from Don Bosco! "The source of his faith, his love and his joy is in an extraordinary union with God is no coincidence that has always recommended to young confession and communion. According to him, in fact, man is purified through confession that Christ is to live in him by means of communion. Don Bosco never tired to repeat that.
He would not have spoken so often if he had not had personal experience of this reality. His work was based on an inner spirituality and mysticism. If it were not would have been so very soon succumbed. At least that's incomprehensible that there is in her life is just the most obvious. On the occasion of his canonization was asked: "When Don Bosco was praying?" There was an awkward silence among the members of the Congregation of Rites.
then intervened in the discussion of Pope Pius XI, by adjusting: "The application was set wrong and we should rather ask: When Don Bosco did not pray?" With this adjustment, the Pope not only demonstrate an understanding of Don Bosco, but raised even the veil behind which he hid his holiness.
Hail Don Bosco! All these references describe
just as a new kind of saint, he was. We must add that Don Bosco would not at all be an innovator, and never even thought no one could speak of him as a man of the art. Without having a set plan new paths and developed a new way of holiness. "We probably need something new, something new! In short, what we were missing, or God? A saint. And you have sent him there, "Don Bosco
could move out of the world, was at ease in the midst of the whirl of life, his mission was to live in the world for the good of the world, but also to contradict the world for the sake of the world. He loved the creatures and creation. His mission required to be able to accept life positively, without prejudice to the spiritual aspect. He felt that he was sent to the youth and the youth must have an attitude of attention to the world.
be in the world and at the same time not be overwhelmed by the world, is the new way of holiness. Don Bosco has walked this path a little practiced. Have been expressed many favorable reviews of her. While he was still alive, the Minister Rattazzi already called him "the greatest miracle of his age."
That statement from the mouth of a politician! Evidently he had sensed something of the spiritual power of the poor priest. The Schamoni in a beautiful book, The true face of saint, he concludes his remarks with these words: "Don Bosco is probably the most sublime figure in the history of the Church of the last century."
would be easy at this point to list of other expressions of high admiration. We prefer instead to tell a fact of life of Don Bosco, moving and unique. Don Bosco, was recovering from a severe illness ... When the boys knew who was in the process of healing are not held back by the most joy.
had prayed with all their might for their dear friend, had pleaded that he could devote himself to restoring health to them again, and now their enthusiasm went up to the stars. In a fit of love broke into his room, lifted him up on his back with the chair and carried him around the house to the triumphant cry of "Hurrah."
This fact is so spontaneous uniquely beautiful, such a scene was hardly felt by another educator, and do not need any comment. It seems as if those young people in the depths of their hearts, had been ahead of the canonization of Don Bosco.
And what else we can do but join the merry boys of Turin and cry with them, aloud: "Long live Don Bosco, hurray? "
W. Nigg, Don Bosco, a saint for our time, LDC
(Salesian Youth Spirituality) Don Bosco today ... - Author: Enzo Bruni
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