It’s the Feast of S John Bosco, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: “Faith: Source of Healing”, today’s news from the Church: “A Call for Truth in the Face of Abuses in Marriage Annulment Cases”, and today’s thought from the Archbishop.
Saint John Bosco was a priest whose holiness took shape in streets, workshops, and schoolyards rather than cloisters. Born in 1815 in rural Piedmont, Italy, he grew up in poverty after the death of his father, raised by a deeply faithful mother whose patience and firmness shaped him profoundly. From childhood, John felt drawn to troubled boys, especially those overlooked by society. A recurring dream marked him early, showing him that harshness would never win hearts, but kindness grounded in truth could transform even the most hardened lives.
Ordained a priest in 1841, Don Bosco quickly recognized the crisis facing young men in industrializing Turin. Orphans, apprentices, and runaways filled the city, vulnerable to exploitation and crime. Rather than condemn them, he went looking for them. He gathered boys off the streets, offered them food, games, catechism, and above all, presence. His “oratory” was not just a building but a way of life, a place where discipline and joy coexisted. Don Bosco believed holiness should be attainable, attractive, and rooted in daily duty. His educational approach, later called the Preventive System, emphasized reason, religion, and loving kindness, aiming to prevent sin rather than punish it.
Don Bosco faced constant obstacles. Money was scarce, authorities were suspicious, and his health was fragile. Yet his trust in Divine Providence never wavered. He was also a man of deep interior life, devoted especially to the Eucharist and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom he honored as Help of Christians. He attributed every success to her intercession. Mystical experiences, prophetic dreams, and moments of supernatural insight accompanied his ministry, though he never sought attention for them. His focus remained practical: saving souls by forming good Christians and honest citizens.
