The Venerable Don Bosco, the Apostle of Youth/Chapter XI
CHAPTER XI
INTERIOR LIFE OF DON BOSCO. HIS DEVOTION TO MARY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS
Would it were possible to supplement the large details of his life of stupendous activities for the glory of God, with a companion picture of Don Bosco's interior life, his ways of prayer, his gradual ascent to that continual and intimate union with God ever present in the soul, which alone can effect great works.
Whence came Don Bosco's marvelous achievements? people asked. Some of them sprung up like exhalations. How did he bring about those profound and multitudinous transformations of souls from vice to rare and permanent virtue? And the proved miraculous effects of his prayers, the words of prophecy of which they saw the fulfillment with their own eyes—more than all, the heroic fortitude, even joy, with which he bore the most cruel persecutions and reverses, from individuals of low and high degree, from ecclesiastics, from governments, coming out unscathed with supernatural winnings and human successes and victories more prodigious than ever—what was the secret, the mystery of it all?
So close to the invisible world from childhood, the favored disciple of Mary, Seat of Wisdom, who unfolded to him secrets of the future, we may conjecture that God revealed Himself to that chaste soul—the indwelling of the Adorable Trinity was made manifest to his spiritual sight, the Divine Generation of the Word, the Procession of the Holy Ghost, that immanent life of infinite Being which is ever going on in the pure soul after Baptism, though, alas! material things obscure the vision.
His blessed patron, St. Francis of Sales, during the ceremonies of his consecration as Bishop, beheld "the most Adorable Trinity imprinting inwardly on his soul those marks which the Bishops were making outwardly on his person." And how many saints have been privileged with the continual loving presence of the Sacred Humanity of our Saviour in the secret abysses of their soul, to instruct, guide and illumine them in the intricate and lofty ways of perfection! Blessed Margaret Mary, the lowly Visitation nun, beheld this interior vision continually. We may be sure that God granted these and other graces of a sublime order to this "faithful servant of His Divine Majesty," Don Bosco, so profoundly humble, and so skilful in hiding "the secrets of the King."
The desire to be led into this wonderful veiled world of his soul's life with God, drew me to consult the Salesian Fathers in the hope that they might furnish me either in print or in manuscript, some records which his alter ego, Don Rua, his saintly successor in the government of the Society, and other disciples must have made during those hours of sacred intimacy which saints hold with one another and which help to make life an anticipated heaven. My reward was a beautiful and comprehensive letter, a multum in parvo, which casts such an illumination upon Don Bosco's life that it will edify and interest those who appreciate the work of grace in a soul.
"Dear Sister: The interior life of our founder, in all the booklets about him, as far as I can see, has not been touched upon, because exterior deeds are what impress the world. Yet these marvelous feats of Don Bosco would absolutely have been unattainable had it not been for the divine fire that burnt in his simple heart.
"Don Bosco is remarkable for three characteristics: first, his love for the Holy Eucharist and his constant endeavor to preach and write about frequent and even daily Communion on the part of the children. In this he anticipated years before the decree of the late Pope Pius X on 'Frequent and Daily Communion.'
"The second ideal of Don Bosco was 'to go to Jesus through Mary—' 'Ad Jesum per Mariam.' And thus Mary, Help of Christians, became his polar star, his guide, his protectress, his inspiration, and his all-help in all his trials and vicissitudes. In his dying words, he said to Don Rua: 'Spread with all your might the devotion to Our Lady, Help of Christians.'
"The third principle that guided all Don Bosco's steps was blind obedience to the See of Rome, to the Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ. He often said that we must accept all his utterances as commands coming from the lips of Jesus Himself. Don Bosco knew the value of discipline, of authority, hence his submission in all things to the Holy Father. And he was never done inculcating to his children love and gratitude to the Vicar of Christ. These are the three salient notes in Don Bosco's interior and exterior life.
"He was besides very jovial, witty, magnetic. He had an iron will, once he made up his mind to do something which was for the greater glory of God. I am simply giving a few hints, and I trust and pray that your lecture will be a success. Pray for me and believe me,
"Yours sincerely in Xt.,
Frederick Barni, S. S. F. S."
Mary, Help of Christians, is then the polar star of the children, of the great triple army of conquest, the Salesian Fathers, the Salesian Sisters and the Salesian Co-operators throughout the world. It was she who ushered Don Bosco into the world during the Octave of her glorious Assumption; to her he prayed as a child in the fields at Becchi; and there she deigned to appear to her little elite and open to him the veil of the future. From that moment his faith in her protection and intercession was ever strong, constant, boundless; and to her he ascribed all his progress in virtue and the success of his works.
Three events in Church history have glorified this beautiful and alluring title of Mary. Its origin dates back to 1571, when Mahometanism was turned away from its threatened invasion of all Christendom by the Christian fleet in the gulf of Lepanto, under the banner Viva Maria. St. Pius V, who saw in spirit the astounding victory, moved by a profound feeling of gratitude added to the Litany of Our Lady the invocation, Auxilium Christianorum, Help of Christians, pray for us. In 1683, Sobieski, the heroic Pole, under the standard of Mary, again thrust back the Turkish horde and a second time saved the West to Christianity. The great Confraternity of Our Lady, Help of Christians, was the lasting memorial of thanks to Mary for his signal triumph. Finally, the renowned papal prisoner of Napoleon, Pius VII, having recovered his liberty and entered Rome amid rejoicings on May 24, 1814, fulfilled a vow he had made to consecrate to Our Lady, Help of Christians, the day of his restoration to the throne of Peter.
Mary, Help of Christians,
Venerated in the Sanctuary of Turin.
Solemnly crowned on May 17, 1903.