Saving Souls

The other night I told you about an ugly big cat I had spotted sneaking into the Oratory and knocking flowers from your hands. It had horns, and its eyes burned like live coals. I also said that this hideous beast was the devil himself trying to ruin you.

At the time I thought that I was only imagining things, but now, to my great sorrow, I must say that this monster has wrought great havoc among you. I am not implying that most of you were victims. No, the victims were very few, but still more numerous than I thought. These last few days, certain things have happened here which never happened before. There is a lot of stealing going on: books, money, clothing, fruit, anything left unguarded. Then there are some who read books that are positively bad; they read them in church during the spiritual reading and even during services. There are those also who skip church and school and hide away even in restrooms. They would rather die in that foul air than report to their duties. Worse yet, some have set themselves up as corrupters of their own schoolmates. To make matters worse, they brag about the evil they do as if it were something to be proud of.

Scripture says that they "delight in doing evil, and rejoice in perversity." [Prov. 2, 14] I have therefore decided to get rid of these scandal-mongers. Don Bosco is the most forbearing man on earth and will put up with vandalism, mischief and pranks, but he draws the line when souls are at stake. Then he becomes adamant. When a boy comes here, I am happy because I see in him a soul to be saved. When he joins my other boys, he becomes my crown. But there are two sorts of crowns. If he cooperates with me and does his best to save his soul, he is a crown of roses; if, instead, he rejects my advice and shows no interest in his spiritual welfare, he becomes a very painful crown of thorns. And should it happen that, besides harming himself, he tries to ruin others, then I absolutely cannot put up with him and must get him out of the Oratory. Therefore, those who are responsible for these disorders will be notified tomorrow to leave this Oratory which they have disgraced by their misdeeds. BM Vol. 8, ch. 4, p.25

Keep in mind that saving souls was Don Bosco's top priority. He did not keep his dreams to himself - a personal gift from God - but he openly warned everyone about the dangers lurking around their souls. Save the souls of others, especially the ones under your care by sharing your gifts and making God known through your advice and actions.

Article 12: Union with God ...As he works for the savation of the young, the Salesian experiences the faherhood of God and continully reminds himself of the divine dimension of his work: "Apart from me, you can do nothing"...