True Love of Christ
In the last hours of His earthly ministry, Jesus spoke with His
disciples and gave a command which was considered new: "A new command I
give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one
another" (John 13:34).
Should this command really have been new? Shouldn't the disciples have
known they were to love one another? Or is it possible to spend three
years with a Master Teacher and yet not grasp that learning must
translate to action and that we teach truth by first being an example
of truth? If we desire to teach love we must first be loving; to teach
the concept of grace we must first be gracious, and in order to "make
disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) we must begin by first being
a true disciple!
As I continue to study and learn the wonderful truths of God's Word -
and as I diligently try to teach these truths to others - I never want
us to stop at simply being better educated: "Do not merely listen to
the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James
1:22). I'll be the first to admit that I fall short in many ways, but
we must strive to make His Word real and apply it in all areas of our
life.
Our Spiritual growth must never be measured by how much we know, but by
how much we are transformed - by how much the Word penetrates to the
innermost part of our heart. We have all been blessed by God's love
far more than we deserve. We must now better understand this love and
then learn how to become His expression of love to others.
Ephesians 3:17-19
"I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power,
together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and
deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses
knowledge."
The ultimate expression of love was that God gave His Son to an
undeserving world so "that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but
have eternal life" (John 3:16). This is a love we will never fully
understand.
Paul had such a deep appreciation for the love contained in God's plan
of Salvation through the sacrificial gift of Jesus that he was often
completely overwhelmed; "When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's
plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father" (Ephesians 3:14
NLT). When we begin to truly grasp His love, all we can do is say, Thank
You!
Let's pray for a greater understanding of His love and then return His
love through a devoted life of worship. Let's make His love real by
demonstrating love to those He places in our path. Let's begin to
grasp, and then give back and share, the true love of Christ.
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January 31st - Saint John Bosco, Founder
(1815-1888)
Saint John Bosco accomplished what many people considered an impossibility;
he walked through the streets of Turin, Italy, looking for the dirtiest,
roughest urchins he could find, then made good men of them. His
extraordinary success can be summed up in the words of his patron Saint,
Francis de Sales: "The measure of his love was that he loved without
measure."
John's knowledge of poverty was firsthand. He was born in 1815 in the
village of Becchi in the Piedmont district of northern Italy, and reared on
his parents' small farm. When his father died, Margaret Bosco and her three
sons found it harder than ever to support themselves, and while John was
still a small boy he had to join his brothers in the farm work. Although his
life was hard, he was a happy, imaginative child. Even as a boy, John found
innocent fun compatible with religion. To amuse his friends he learned how
to juggle and walk a tightrope; but he would entertain them only on
condition that each performance begin and end with a prayer.
As he grew older, John began to think of becoming a priest, but poverty and
lack of education made this seem impossible. A kindly priest recognized his
intelligence, however, and gave him his first encouragement, teaching him to
read and write. By taking odd jobs in the village, and through the help of
his mother and some charitable neighbors, John managed to get through school
and find admittance to the diocesan seminary of nearby Turin. As a
seminarian he devoted his spare time to looking after the ragamuffins who
roamed the slums of the city. Every Sunday he taught them catechism,
supervised their games and entertained them with stories and tricks; before
long his kindness had won their confidence, and his "Sunday School" became a
ritual with them.
After his ordination in 1841, he became assistant to the chaplain of an
orphanage at Valocco, on the outskirts of Turin. This position was
short-lived, for when he insisted that his Sunday-school boys be allowed to
play on the orphanage grounds, they were turned away, and he resigned. He
began looking for a permanent home for them, but no "decent" neighborhood
would accept the noisy crowd. At last, in a rather tumbledown section of the
city, where no one was likely to protest, the first oratory was established
and named for Saint Francis de Sales. At first the boys attended school
elsewhere, but as more teachers volunteered their time, classes were held at
the house. Enrollment increased so rapidly that by 1849 there were three
oratories in various places in the city.
For a long time Don Bosco had considered founding an Order to carry on his
work, and this idea was supported by a notoriously anticlerical cabinet
minister named Rattazzi. Rattazzi had seen the results of his work, and
although an Italian law forbade the founding of religious communities at
that time, he promised government support. The founder-priest went to Rome
in 1858 and, at the suggestion of Pope Pius IX, drew up a Rule for his
community, the Society of Saint Francis de Sales (Salesians). Four years
later he founded an Order for women, the Daughters of Mary, Help of
Christians, to care for abandoned girls. Finally, to supplement the work of
both congregations, he organized an association of lay people interested in
aiding their work.
Exhausted from touring Europe to raise funds for a new church in Rome, Don
Bosco died on January 31, 1888. He was canonized in 1934 by Pope Pius XI.
The work of John Bosco continues today in over a thousand Salesian oratories
throughout the world. No modern Saint has captured the heart of the world
more rapidly than this smiling peasant-priest from Turin, who believed that
to give complete trust and love is the most effective way to nourish virtue
in others.
Longer Version found at:
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0131.htm
Quotes:
Fly from bad companions as from the bite of a poisonous snake. If you keep
good companions, I can assure you that you will one day rejoice with the
blessed in Heaven; whereas if you keep with those who are bad, you will
become bad yourself, and you will be in danger of losing your soul.
-Saint John Bosco
Enjoy yourself as much as you like-if only you keep from sin.
-Saint John Bosco
Do you want our Lord to give you many graces? Visit him often. Do you want
him to give you few graces? Visit him seldom. Visits to the Blessed
Sacrament are powerful and indispensable means of overcoming the attacks of
the devil. Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the
devil will be powerless against you.
-Saint John Bosco
Bible Quote:
Do not give to dogs what is holy, neither cast your pearls before swine. St.
Matt. 7:6
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When a monk once visited the Abbot Serapion, he suggested that first of all,
they should pray together. But the visitor refused, saying that he was a
great sinner and unworthy to wear the habit. A little while after, the Abbot
addressed him thus: "My brother, if you wish to become perfect, remain at
work in your cell and do not talk much, for going about a great deal is not
desirable for you" At these words the monk was not a little perturbed. When
the Abbot perceived this, he added, "What is the matter, brother? A moment
ago you said you were so great a sinner that you were not worthy to live;
and now, when I have shown you, in charity, what you need, are you angry?
From this, it would seem that your humility is not genuine. If you wish to
be humble in truth, learn to receive admonitions humbly:" At this reproof,
the monk recollected himself, acknowledged his fault and went away greatly
edified.
The Empress Leonora requested her confessor and those ladies of her
court with whom she was most intimate that when they observed anything in
her that needed amendment or improvement, to inform her of it with all
possible freedom, as they would tell her the pleasantest news; and when they
did it, she thanked them very cordially.
When St. Peter was reproved by St. Paul he was not angry; neither did
he stand upon his dignity as Superior, nor look down upon the other for
having been a persecutor of the Church, but received the advice in good
part.
We read of St. Ambrose, that when anyone informed him of a fault, he
thanked him as for a special favor; and there was a certain Cistercian who
was especially pleased at an admonition, and used to say an Our Father for
whoever gave it.
St. John Berchmans always entertained a great desire to have his faults
told him in public and to be reproved for them, and if this ever happened he
was much pleased. With this intention, he used to write them on scraps of
paper, which he gave to the Superiors, that they might read them and
reprimand him for them. Not content with this, he asked of the Superior that
four of his companions might keep their eyes on him and admonish him. One of
these testified that having once drawn his attention to a slight omission
into which he had fallen, on account of being occupied in another work of
charity at the time he thanked him cordially for the warning and said the
beads for him three times, promising that he would always do the same
whenever he would inform him of any defect.
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". January - Perfection)
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