DON BOSCO – A SCANDAL !

Happy Feast of Don Bosco. Today is the anniversary of his death. We do not mourn that, we celebrate it, because we believe this is the day he entered heaven, united himself totally and irrevocably with God and started enjoying beatific bliss as a reward for the way he lived his life on earth. So, HAPPY FEAST OF DON BOSCO! Rejoice! Be happy! Enjoy!

His life was not easy because the way he lived was quite a scandal for many around him. In his times, a priest was very highly regarded. He was among the best educated in his community. He was consulted by everyone, no matter what their problem was. He was a ‘holy’ person, totally dedicated to the service of God. He was, hence, venerated.

A priest was supposed to be totally busy with ‘matters of importance’. He interacted with the elite, the educated, the serious, the powerful, the influential, the important, the holy, the elderly. It was below the dignity of a priest to ‘waste his time’ chatting with children or young people. And, here was Don Bosco, a ‘respectable’ Catholic priest playing with dirty children, chatting with kids on the street, interacting with ragamuffins, befriending young ‘trouble-makers’.

Thank you, Don Bosco, for allowing yourself to go ahead with what your heart told you was the right thing to do. Thank you for ignoring all you suffered because people around you were scandalised by your behaviour. Thank you for showing us the way. Give us the same courage to go looking for the black sheep to help them become living temples of God.