31 January
SAINT JOHN BOSCO
Priest
Founder of the Society of St Francis de Sales, of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and of the Salesian Cooperators.
Solemnity
The life of Saint John Bosco is marked in particular by interventions of divine Providence and by the presence of the Virgin Mary. He was born at Castelnuovo d’Asti on 16 August 1815 into a poor peasant family, and from his childhood felt a call to devote his life to the young. He was ordained priest at Turin in 1841 after years of sacrifice, and spent all his rich natural talents and tireless zeal in setting up works for the education of abandoned youth, in defending the faith of the common people from danger; and in contributing to the evangelization of distant lands.
He entrusted the continuation of his immense work to the three branches of his Family: the Society of St Francis de Sales (1859), the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (1872), and the Association of the Salesian Cooperators (1876), passing on to them as the key to success the treasure of the preventive system: reason, religion, loving kindness: a system totally inspired by a charity rooted in a living encounter with Jesus Christ, especially in the Eucharist, in boundless trust in the Virgin Mary, and in fidelity to the Church and its teaching.
He died at Turin on 31 January 1888. He was canonized by Pius XI at Easter 1934, and on the centernary of his death was proclaimed by John Paul II as the Father and teacher of youth.
Evening Prayer I
HYMN Iste Confessor
He, whose confession God of old accepted,
Whom through the ages all now hold in honor;
Gaining his glory this day came to enter
Heaven’s high portal.
God-fearing, watchful, pure of mind and body,
Holy and humble, thus did all men find him;
While, through his members, to the life immortal
Mortal life called him.
Thus to the weary, from the life enshrined,
Potent in virtue, flowed humane compassion;
Sick and sore laden, howsoever burdened,
There they found healing.
So now in chorus, giving God the glory,
Raise we our anthem gladly to his honor,
That in fair kinship we may all be sharers
Here and hereafter.
Honor and glory, power and salvation,
Be in the highest unto him who reigneth
Changeless in heaven over earthly changes,
Triune, eternal.
Or another suitable hymn approved by ecclesiastical authority.
Ant I God has raised you from the dust, and given you a place among the great ones of his people.
Psalms and canticle from the Common of Pastors.
Ant 2 Through you the Lord has given bread to the hungry, a father to orphans, a friend to the young.
Ant 3 God has raised you up in the Church to the praise and glory of his grace to reveal his love to young people.
READING 2 Thess 2,13-17
We are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
RESPONSORY
The Lord loved him and bestowed on him all honor. The Lord…
He invested him with glory and bestowed on him…
Glory be to the Father… The Lord…
Magnificat ant. My every breath and all my strength will be at the service of the young.
Or:
My son, keep your father’s commandment,
And forsake not your mother’s teaching;
Bind them always upon your heart.
INTERCESSIONS
Our faith receives encouragement from the witness of the Saints; they are signs of the presence of the Spirit in the Church. United with them in prayer let us invoke God our Father, the source of all holiness:
Increase in us our faith, hope and charity.
You raised up St John Bosco in your Church as the father and teacher of youth:
Grant that all of us may love young people and joyfully dedicate our lives to their good
You enabled the Saint of youth to unite tireless activity with an intense life of prayer:
Help us with the power of your Spirit that in our apostolic work we may always remain united to you.
It is your wish that parents be the first and principal educators of their children:
May they find in you the strength and joy to be always aware of the grandeur of their task.
To our Founder you gave the Virgin Mary as Mother and Guide:
Grant that the members of the Salesian Family may trust in her help and always experience her motherly presence.
On those who have died after spending their best energies for the education of the young in line with the Salesian charism:
Bestow the fullness of happiness and eternal light.
Our Father.
Concluding prayer as at Morning Prayer.
Compline
Of Sunday. The concluding antiphon can be “Sub tuum praesidium” as in the Ordinary, or the following:
“O Mario, Virgo potens
Tu magnum et praeclarum in Ecclesia praesidium;
Tu singulare Auxilium Christianorum:
Tu terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinate.
Tu cunctas haereses sola interemisti in universo mundo.
Tu in angustiis,
Tu in bello,
Tu in necessitatibus nos ab hoste protege,
Atque in aeterna gaudia in mortis hora suscipe.”
INVITATORY
Ant. Let us give praise to the Lord our God on the Feast of St John Bosco
Invitatory psalm as in the Ordinary.
Office of Readings
Praise the Lord of all things living,
Praise the God who gives
us life.
Praise to Him who brought His people
Out of
darkness into light.
Unto us His Son was given
To redeem
unbroken sin;
His command of love He left us
Till the day
He comes again.
Out of love He raised a shepherd,
Father,
teacher of the young.
Gave to him a hopeful vision
of the
Kingdom Jesus won.
Leading youthful hearts to heaven,
Modelling a life of grace,
Showing how a joyful spirit
Earns our heav’nly dwelling place.
Sign of all that God
has given,
Bearer of the Father’s love,
Pray that we
proclaim the promise
Of our heav’nly home above.
Show
us how to praise the Father,
How to praise His only Son,
Living, reigning with the Spirit,
E’er eternal, ever
one!
(C.J.Lieby)
Or
another suitable hymn approved by ecclesiastical authority.
Ant
1 God gave him wisdom and understanding and a heart as vast as
the sand on the seashore.
Psalms from the Common of Pastors
Ant 2 He believed against all hope and became the father of many peoples.
Ant
3 He trusted in the Lord and did good works; in him he placed all
his joy.
You
will hear the word from my mouth,
—
And pass it on to your brethren.
FIRST READING 1 Thess 1,2-6; 2,7-9a.10-12
From
the first letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians Our
behaviour was holy, righteous and blameless
We
give thanks to God always for you all, constantly mentioning you in
our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith
and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus
Christ. For we know, brethren beloved by God, that he has chosen you;
for our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in
the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men
we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of
us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction,
with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit;
But
we were gentle among you, like a nurse taking care of her children.
So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with
you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you
had become very dear to us. For you remember our labor and toil,
brethren.
You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and
righteous and blameless was our behavior to you believers; for you
know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of
you and encouraged you and charged you to lead a life worthy of God,
who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
RESPONSORY 1 Thess 3,12-13a; 4,2
May
the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to
all men, as we do to you, * so that he may establish your hearts
unblamable in holiness before our God and Father.
For you
know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus, so that
he may establish…
SECOND
READING
From
the “Regulations for the Oratory of St Francis de Sales” (1854)
written by St John Bosco.
(Pedagogical
and spiritual writings,
Rome 1987, 41-44 passim)
A
new way for evangelizing the young
“[...j
to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad”
(Jn 11,52). These words of the holy Gospel show us that the Divine
Savior came down from heaven to earth to gather together all God’s
children scattered over the face of the earth, and I think we can
apply them literally to the young people of our time. This portion of
human society the most precious and at the same time most delicate on
which rest the hopes for a happy future, is not of itself of a
perverse disposition. Were it not for the neglect of parents,
idleness, meeting with bad companions, to which they are prone
especially on Sundays and Feastdays, it would be quite easy to insert
into their tender hearts principles of good order and behavior, of
respect and of religion, because it sometimes happens that those who
are already lost at that age have become so through thoughtlessness
rather than through ingrained wickedness.
These
youngsters really need a kindly helper who will take care of them,
encourage them and lead them to virtue, and to keep them away from
vice. The difficulty lies in finding a way to gather them together,
to talk to them and teach them good morals.
This
was the mission of the Son of God, and only his holy religion can
bring it about. But this religion which in itself is eternal and
unchangeable, which has been and will always be the mentor of
mankind, contains a law so perfect as to be adaptable to changing
times and to the different characteristics of all persons.
Among
the means best suited to disseminate the spirit of religion in the
hearts of the uneducated and abandoned the Oratories stand high. They
are places which provide youngsters with pleasing and honest
recreation after they have been present at sacred functions in
church.
The
encouragement I have received from civil and ecclesiastical
authorities, the zeal shown by many people who have helped me by
temporal means and by their own hard work, are without any doubt
signs of the blessings of God and of public satisfaction.
I
do not intend to give either laws or precepts. My only purpose is to
describe what is done in the Boys’ Oratory of St Francis de Sales
at Valdocco, and the manner in which it is done.
Some
may think from what I say that I am looking for honor and glory.
Don’t you believe it! It is just that I have a duty to describe
things that have really happened and continue to happen still.
When
I gave myself to this part of the sacred ministry, my intention was
to consecrate all my energies to the greater glory of God and the
good of souls; I intended to work to produce good citizens in this
world so that in due time they would be worthy citizens of heaven
above. May God continue to help me to continue in this work till my
last breath.
RESPONSORY Cf. Col 3,17; 1 Cor 16,14
Whatever
you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
* giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Let
all that you do be done in love, * giving thanks…
Or:
SECOND READING
From the Letters of St John Bosco.
(Letter
of 9 June 1867;
Epistolario, Turin 1959, I, 473-475)
The
following of Christ in the Salesian Society
The
primary objective of our Society is the sanctification of its
members. For this reason on entering one should lay aside every other
idea and every other concern. Whoever might enter with a view to a
peaceful life, for having the possibility for studying, for freeing
himself from parental control, for escaping obedience to some
superior, would have a mistaken end in view and one that would not be
complying with the Savior’s “Follow me”, because he would be
seeking his own temporal concerns and not the good of souls. The
apostles were praised by Christ and promised an eternal kingdom, not
because they had left the world, but because on leaving it they had
shown they were ready to follow him in tribulations, as in fact
happened, spending their life in hard work, in penance and suffering,
and even accepting martyrdom for the faith.
Neither
does a person enter or remain in the Society for a good purpose if he
thinks that he is necessary to it. Let everyone be well convinced of
this in mind and heart; beginning from the Superior General down to
the last of the members, no one is necessary to the Society. God
alone must be its head, its absolute and necessary lord and master.
And so the members must address themselves to their head, their true
master, to the one who will give them their reward, to God, and it is
for love of him that each one should join the Society; it is for love
of him that each one should work, obey and abandon whatever he
possessed in the world, so that at the end of his life he can say to
the Lord whom we have chosen as our model: “Lo, we have left
everything and followed you. What then shall we have?” (Mt 19,27).
He
who wishes to be my disciple, says the Savior, must follow me in
prayer and penance, and especially “let him deny himself and take
up his cross and follow me” (Mt 16,24). But follow him to what
extent? To death and, if necessary, to the death of the cross.
This
is what is done by one who in our Society wears himself out in the
sacred ministry, in teaching, or in other priestly work, even to the
extent of a violent death in prison, in exile, under torture, through
fire and water, to such an extent that having suffered or died with
Christ Jesus on earth, he may enjoy eternal life with him in heaven.
Once a member has entered with these good dispositions, he must show himself ready without any pretensions to take up willingly whatever office or occupation may be entrusted to him. Teaching, study, work, preaching, hearing confessions in and out of church; even the most humble tasks must be taken up promptly and with a joyful spirit, because God does not regard the quality of the task but the intention of the one who performs it. Hence all occupations are equally noble, because equally meritorious in the eyes of God. May God fill you and your work with the fullness of his blessings, and may the grace of the Lord sanctify all your activities and help you to persevere in good.
RESPONSORY 2 Cor 13,11; Phil 4,7
Mend your ways, agree with one another, live in peace, * and the God of love and peace will be with you.
And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. And the God…
Or:
SECOND READING
From the letter “Iuvenum Patris” of Pope John Paul II
(AAS 80 [19881 969-987)
St John Bosco “Father and Teacher of Youth”
St John Bosco felt within himself that he had received a special vocation and that in the carrying out of his mission he was assisted and almost led by the hand by the Lord and the motherly intervention of the Virgin Mary. His response was such that the Church has officially proposed him to the faithful as a model of holiness.
His
stature as a Saint gives him a unique place among the great Founders
of religious Institutes in the Church. He is outstanding from many
points of view: he initiated a true school of a new and attractive
apostolic spirituality; he promoted a special devotion to Mary Help
of Christians and Mother of the Church; he displayed a loyal and
courageous ecclesial sense manifested in the delicate mediation work
he carried out between Church and State at a time when the relations
between the two were difficult; as an apostle he was both realistic
and practical, always open to the implications of new discoveries; he
was a zealous organizer of foreign missions with truly Catholic
sensitivity; he was an eminent example of a preferential love for the
young, and especially for the most needy among them, for the good of
the Church and society; he was the exponent of an efficacious and
attractive pedagogical method which he has left as a precious legacy
to be safeguarded and developed.
An
interchange between “education” and “holiness” is indeed the
characteristic aspect of his personality: he was a “holy educator”,
he drew his inspiration from a “holy model” — Francis de Sales,
he was the disciple of a “holy spiritual director” — Joseph
Cafasso, and he was able to form from among his boys a “holy pupil”
— Dominic Savio.
For
St John Bosco, founder of a great spiritual Family, one may say that
the peculiar trait of his brilliance is linked with the educational
method which he himself called the “preventive system”. In a
certain sense this represents the quintessence of his pedagogical
wisdom and constitutes the prophetic message which he has left to his
followers and to the Church, and which has received attention and
recognition from numerous educators and students of pedagogy.
The
substance of his teaching remains intact; the unique nature of his
spirit, his intuitions, his style, his charisma are unchanged,
because they draw their inspiration from the transcendent pedagogy of
God.
In
the Church and in the world the integral educative vision that we see
incarnated in John Bosco is a realistic pedagogy of holiness. We need
to get back to the true concept of “holiness” as a component of
the life of every believer. The originality and boldness of the plan
for a “youthful holiness” is intrinsic to the educational art of
this great Saint, who can be rightly called the “master of youth
spirituality”. His secret lay in the fact that he did not
disappoint the deep aspirations of the young (the need for life,
love, expansiveness, joy, freedom, future prospects) but at the same
time led them gradually and realistically to discover for themselves
that only in the “life of grace”, i.e. in friendship with Christ,
does one fully attain the most authentic ideals.
RESPONSORY Phil 3,17; 4,9; cf 1 Cor 1,10; 10,31
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; * and the God of peace will be with you.
I appeal to you by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to do all to the glory of God; and the God of peace…
TE
DEUM
Concluding
prayer as at Morning Prayer.
Vigil celebration
Those
who desire to extend the celebration of the Vigil should first
celebrate the Office of Readings; after the two Readings and before
the Te Deum they should add the canticles and Gospel as indicated
below:
CANTICLES
Ant.
Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of
the Lord.
Cant.
1 Jer 17,7-8: Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
Cant.
2 Sir 14,20-21; 15,3-6: Happiness of the wise man
Cant. 3 Wis 9,1-6.9-11: Lord, give me the wisdom that is pleasing to you
GOSPEL
An
extract from the Gospel is read, taken from those proposed in the
Lectionary for the Mass of St John Bosco:
Mt 5,13-19: You are the light of the world.
Mt 18,1-6.10: Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.
Mt 22,34-40: You shall love the Lord your God and your neighbor
Mk 9,34-37: Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.
Mk 10,13-16: Let the children come to me.
Lk 22,24-30: I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom.
Jn 10,1-11: The Good Shepherd.
Jn 15,9-17: You are my friends if you do what I command you.
If
convenient a homily may be given.
Te
Deum.
Concluding
prayer as at Morning Prayer.
Morning
Prayer
HYMN
Living source of all creation,
Grateful songs to you we
raise.
In our joyful celebration
Of your love poured out
always.
For our Father, Lord, we thank you,
For our unity
in love,
For the brothers, for the sisters
Trusted to us
from above.
Take our hearts, our love’s devotion,
On our Father’s
festal day;
And in mercy give your blessing,
As with
reverence we pray:
May we all, your life possessing,
Steadfast
be in work and word;
By Christ’s charity enamored
May
we be to service spurred.
May we, true to our vocation,
For our Father’s sake now
grow,
Showing forth Christ’s healing kindness,
As Don
Bosco’s heart might show.
May we burn with zeal and ardor
For the work which Christ has
blest.
Guided by our storied banner:
“Give me souls and
take the rest.”
Living source of all creation,
Guide and friend of all
the weak,
Let us know Christ’s true salvation
And the
Spirit’s grace unique.
By the Virgin’s intercession,
By
Don Bosco’s prayers so kind,
May your children know your
healing,
May we peace and mercy find.
(A.J.Lenti)
Or
another suitable hymn approved by ecclesiastical authority.
Ant
1 Glory and praise to you, 0 God of my fathers, for you have
given me wisdom, humility and strength.
Psalms
and canticle from Sunday, Week 1.
Ant
2 Praise our God with dancing; praise him with lute and harp,
alleluia.
Ant
3 You have filled him with joy before your face: and to the young
he proclaims your blessings.
READING Heb 13,17.20-21
Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you.
May the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
RESPONSORY
The
Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. The Lord
is…
Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me
repose, there is nothing…
Glory be to the
Father... The Lord is…
Benedictus
ant. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed
are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
INTERCESSION
Let us bless God our Father who called St John Bosco to
proclaim the gospel of joy. In his memory, let us pray:
Lord,
bless your people
In
St John Bosco you have manifested your love for the young and the
poor:
— help us to recognize in them the countenance of
Christ your Son and to serve them with true pastoral charity.
You
made him the apostle of the sacraments of the Eucharist and
Reconciliation;
— grant that we may be able to lead young
people to these sure founts of life and grace.
You
opened the mind and heart of St John Bosco to the great horizons of
the Church:
— bestow on us a missionary spirit and apostolic
creativity for the building of your Kingdom.
In
your providence you gave him serenity and trust in the trials of
life:
— impart also to us a complete confidence in your
assistance and faithful perseverance in your service.
In
St John Bosco you have given to your Church a living image of Jesus
the good shepherd:
— grant that not one may be lost of those
you have entrusted to our mission as educators.
Our Father.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Lord our God, in your providence you have given us Saint John Bosco, the father and teacher of youth, who under the guidance of the Virgin Mary worked with untiring zeal for the good of the Church; inspire us with that same apostolic charity, to seek the salvation of our neighbor and so serve you, the one and only good. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son...
Prayer
during the day
A
suitable hymn and complementary psalmody; Ps 121 may be replaced by
Ps 128, and Ps 126 by Ps 130. When the solemnity falls on Sunday the
Sunday psalms are used.
Mid-morning
Ant.
Serve the Lord with joy, alleluia.
READING 1 Thess 5,16-22.28
Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophesying, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Praise
the Lord and call upon his name,
— proclaim his works among
the peoples.
Midday
Ant. Adore the Lord at all times: in joy and in sorrow.
READING Phil 2,1-4
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Celebrate
the Lord with me,
— together let us magnify his name.
Mid-afternoon
Ant. May God be our help and our companion on the way of heaven.
READING Rom 12,9-13
Let
love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love
one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing
honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord.
Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in
prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practise hospitality.
Lord,
you are good and the source of all goodness:
— everlasting is
your mercy.
Prayer as at Morning Prayer.
Evening Prayer II
Hymn
Thou who didst befriend the friendless
Toiling here with heart
so brave.
By thy love and labor endless
Fondly striving
souls to save.
Refrain:
Saint John Bosco, guard and guide us.
We our hearts now pledge to thee.
Grant that we, whate’er
betide us,
True to God shall ever be.
Unto youth you were a father,
Loving teacher, loyal
friend.
Grant that we may round you gather
At our earthly
journey’s end. Refrain.
Grant that we may, sin defying,
With the strength
that faith can bring,
Bravely living, bravely dying,
Win
the fight for Christ our King. Refrain.
Or
another suitable hymn approved by ecclesiastical authority.
Ant 1 My glory is in the Lord: let the humble listen and rejoice.
Psalms
and can tick from the Common of Pastors
Ant
2 The source of wisdom is the fear of the Lord; wise is the man
who is faithful to him.
Ant
3 Great and wonderful are you, Lord, in all your saints.
READING 1 Cor 13,4-8a.13
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; It is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. Faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
RESPONSORY
The
just man speaks * words of wisdom. The just man…
In
his heart is God’s law and words of wisdom.
Glory
be to the Father... The just man…
Magnificat
ant. To save your souls I will gladly spend all my life.
INTERCESSIONS
United
in the love of Christ at the close of this festive day, let us
present to God our Father our hopes and expectations. Let us say:
Protect
this your family, 0 Lord.
Through
St John Bosco you have raised up new religious families in your
Church:
— grant that in them may flourish evangelical life and prophetic witness.
You
inspired our holy Founder to involve many others in work for the
salvation of the young:
— increase the number of new
vocations and keep our Salesian Family united.
It
is your will that all peoples should attain to a knowledge of the
truth:
— through the intercession of the Virgin Mary bless
the work of missionaries of the Gospel and render it productive.
You
made St John Bosco outstanding in the formation and education of the
young, and especially of those who are poor and abandoned:
—
in the way you have marked out for each one of us help us to imitate
his pedagogical wisdom.
You
have called to yourself many brothers and sisters who have dedicated
their own lives to the spreading of your Kingdom:
— bestow on
them the reward promised to good and faithful servants.
Our
Father.
Closing
prayer as at Morning Prayer.
Compline
Of
Sunday. The concluding antiphon can be “Sub tuum praesidium” as
in the Ordinary, or the antiphon “0 Maria, Virgo potens”.
