DON BOSCO: MAN OF HIS TIME
Introduction
In the beginning of the 19th Century, social concern was almost inexistent and poverty considered an insoluble problem, with children as the great victims. Especially in cities they grew up in alleys and slums and roamed the streets. Turin had thousands of them. Don Bosco took the initiative to care for these neglected children and youth. His sensitive heart and his firm guidance could bring them together to give them shelter and an education. He understood them and made himself accepted by them. He had a hard time to change the mentality of politicians and Church leaders and to spur them to do something about the problem, but he succeeded little by little. In all his difficulties he kept his good cheer.
Heb 12:1-4
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed!
Mk 5:21-43
After Jesus crossed over by boat, a large crowd met him at the seaside. One of the meeting-place leaders named Jairus came. When he saw Jesus, he fell to his knees, beside himself as he begged, “My dear daughter is at death’s door. Come and lay hands on her so she will get well and live.” Jesus went with him, the whole crowd tagging along, pushing and jostling him. A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well.” The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with. At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
His disciples said, “What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you’re asking, ‘Who touched me?’ Dozens have touched you!” But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story. Jesus said to her, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.” While he was still talking, some people came from the leader’s house and told him, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?” Jesus overheard what they were talking about and said to the leader, “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.”
He permitted no one to go in with him except Peter, James, and John. They entered the leader’s house and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: “Why all this busybody grief and gossip? This child isn’t dead; she’s sleeping.” Provoked to sarcasm, they told him he didn’t know what he was talking about.
But when he had sent them all out, he took the child’s father and mother, along with his companions, and entered the child’s room. He clasped the girl’s hand and said, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, get up.” At that, she was up and walking around! This girl was twelve years of age. They, of course, were all beside themselves with joy. He gave them strict orders that no one was to know what had taken place in that room. Then he said, “Give her something to eat.”
Prayer
Lord our God,
with you and with your Son Jesus
Don Bosco loved the young
and dedicated his life and that of his Congregation
to their education and care.
Dispose your Church and its leaders
and also all parents,
to pay very much attention
to the formation and development of the young,
who are our hope for the future.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Reflection:
4th Week in Ordinary Time –Tuesday
31 January 2023
St John Bosco, priest
Mark 5:21-43
To touch the image of God.
John Bosco was born in 1815 in Northern Italy. As a boy, John dreamed that he stood in a crowd of children who were fighting and cussing and he was failing to quiet them. A mysterious lady appeared and told him, “You will have to win these friends of yours not with blows, but with gentleness and kindness. Take your shepherd’s staff and lead them to pasture.” As he matured, he chose to become a priest to minister to the poor and neglected boys who lived in Turin, Italy. He opened several centres where young people could come to play and pray.
He founded an order of priests to assist in this work with children. He named it the Salesians, after his favorite saint, St. Francis de Sales, and founded another order of women to work with girls, called the Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians. The Salesian family also includes a community of brothers. The work of these orders continues today.
Jesus was in the midst of the crowd. The word ‘crowd’ is used five times in this passage. Jesus was constantly among the people. While in their midst, Jesus asks, “Who touched me?”. Jesus not only understands the crowd, but he also feels the crowd. He hears the heartbeats of each one. He cares for each one who stretches out to touch him, always!
A similar situation happens when the ruler of the Synagogue approaches Jesus to tell Him about his gravely ill little daughter. And He leaves everything else to attend to this one: he is accessible to the great and to the small!
What about these two women in the gospel passage? The first one has had blood loss for 12 years. According to the law, the flow of blood makes a person impure; she cannot generate life. The second woman – the young daughter of Jairus – is of marriageable age of 12. But in her, life is interrupted; she is dead. The number twelve in these two instances is not just a coincidence. It refers to the 12 tribes – the whole of Israel.
These women represent Israel. Israel, although the bride of the Lord, abandoned her husband and became impure. She cannot generate life. This woman comes across Jesus, believes in him, and says, ‘If I succeed, even to touch his mantle, I will be saved.” Only when she finds Christ and touches him – Israel falls into the hands of her husband – she is made pure, and she is saved.
The daughter of Jairus also refers to Israel. Israel, the bride of the Lord, is dying. But when the Lord, her groom, takes her by his hand and raises her, she comes alive.
In the Eucharist, we have the opportunity to touch him. In the lives of all the people around us, we have the chance to touch the image of God. To be saved, all we need to do is touch Him in the sacraments, in the Word of God and in the lives of people around us.