BELLUM CONTRA HÆRÉTICOS

Sancte Ioannes Bosco, ora pro nobis

He completed his life course, full of such and many works and hardships, in Turin, on January 31 in the year of our salvation 1888, at the age of 73. Illustrious for many miracles, Pope Pius XI included him in the order of the Blessed on 2 June 1929; five years later, on the solemnity of Easter (1st of April 1934), in the XIX century from the completion of the Redemption of mankind, while the peoples came to Rome from all over the world, he inserted him in the orders of the Saints.

For his meek nature and prone to piety, he behaved with singular authority among his peers, of which he began to divide the fights, compose the easy laughter, stop in time the foul words and lewd jokes. Then he worked hard to call them to himself with joyful words, to insert prayers into the games, to refer with stupendous abundance and sweetness the sacred discourses he had heard in church, to bring the young to receive properly as soon as possible and the most times possible the sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist. Also the modest beauty of the face, the sweet behavior and the purity of his innocent life attracted him the interest of everyone.Although, pressed by the poverty of his family, he spent the adolescence filled with travails and toils, in those joyous and hopeful in God desired to be invested of the priesthood. Finally granted of this desire, he entered the seminary of the city of Chieri (30 of October 1835), more briskly, under master fr. Joseph Cafasso, he advanced in the science of the saints and also he dedicated in the study of the sacred doctrine of the costumes. The 29th of March 1841 he received the order of the diaconate, the 26th of May he started the spirirtual exercises in preparation to the priesthood that he received the 5th of June 1841 in the Chapel of the Archbishopric of Turin (Church of the Immaculate Conception). But there in part incited by the inclination of will, and in part by a superior instinct, the new bishop fr. John Bosco turned his soul to the young, to transmit the the principles of the Christian knowledge. Considering the growing number day by day, not without divine inspiration, and overcomed harsh and long trils, he placed a stable and lasting seat to gather them in that part of the city which is known as Valdocco, and he devoted himself totally to that thing. Just after indeed, with the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary the Mother of God, in his dreams as a child gave a glimpse of the future, fr. John Bosco decreed to found the Society of St. Francis de Sales (1854), which task was to especially gain to Christ the souls of the young. At the same way he instructed himself to constitute a new family of ssacred virgins, exactly the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, exactly taking the name of the Mother of God Help of Christians to direct the young in the ways of the Lord. At the end, to these two foundations he added a pious group of auxiliaries to favor the works of the Salesians with commitment and prayer. Therefore it soon happened that it conferred great utility on both Christian and civil society. Enflamed by zeal for the souls, he spared no work and no expenses, to create, far and wide around the world, places of recreation for the very young, hospices for orphans, schools for young workers, places to raise and educate children and churches. Likewise he didn’t cease to protect the faith in subalpine places by word and example, to devote himself to writing, publishing and spreading excellent books throughout Italy, and, more often by sending thìose to infidels, to spread the announcements of the Gospel. Simple and upright man of God, ready for every good work, he flourished with every kind of virtue, which nourished a great ardor of charity. With the mind always faced to God and full of superior charisma, the holy man seemed to not be scared by threats nor to be tired by fatigue, nor to be crushed by any concerns, nor to get upset in hardships. Recommended to his superiors three works of piety: that they would frequent as much as possible sacred Confession and holy Communion, that would be devouted with great love to Mary help of Christians, that they would be respectful to the Supreme Pontiff like devouted children. And it should be said that in very difficult circumstances, more than once he was alongside the Roman Pontiff, to temper the evils derived from the laws created at that time against the Church.

SAINT JOHN BOSCO, CONFESSOR John Melchiorre Bosco was born in the 16th of August 1815 in a humble farmhouse in the hilly fraction “I Becchi” of Castelnuovo of Asti (now Castelnuovo Don Bosco): he was son of the humble farmers Francis Bosco and Margaret Occhiena. Lost his father to a pneumonia that lead to his death (the 12th of May 1817) he was educated by his mother, he showed wonders since young age.

Christus apparuit nobis, Venite adoremus. Christ has appeared for us, Come, let us adore Him.

Happy Feast of the Epiphany to you all! The word "Epiphany" means "manifestation". The Church in the Mass, commemorates a triple manifestation of Christ: to the Magi, that is, to the Gentiles; in His Baptism, when the Voice from Heaven declared: "This is My Beloved Son"; and in the miracle of changing water into wine at Cana. O God, Who on this day didst manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles by the guidance of a star: graciously grant, that we, who know Thee now by faith, may be led even to contemplate the beauty of Thy Majesty. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord Thy Son, Who with Thee liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Veni, Creator Spiritus mentes tuorum visita Imple superna gratia quae tu creasti pectora. Qui diceris Paraclitus, Altissimi donum Dei, fons vivus, ignis, caritas, et spiritalis unctio. Tu septiformis munere, digitus paternae dexterae; tu rite promissum Patris, sermone ditans guttura. Accende lumen sensibus, infunde amorem cordibus, infirma nostri corporis, virtute firmans perpeti. Hostem repellas longius, pacemque dones protinus, ductore sic te praevio, vitemus omne noxium. Per te sciamus da Patrem, noscamus atque Filium, teque utriusque Spiritum credamus omni tempore. Deo Patri sit gloria et Filio, qui a mortuis surrexit, ac Paraclito, in saeculorum saecula. Amen.

Jean-Baptiste Lully, Te Deum LWV 55 (in re maggiore per soli, coro ed orchestra), 1677 #musicasacrachristusvincit

Don't forget to sing the Te Deum the 31st at midnight to thank God for the year that has been given to us; and to sing the Veni Creator Spiritus the 1st od January to invoke the assistance of the Holy Spirit for the new year. Plenary Indulgence to those who devoutly sing the two to the usual conditions.