Memorial of St. John Bosco

Scripture Readings: Heb 11:32-40;  Mk 5:1-20

St. John Bosco wanted members of his religious order, the Salesians, to give homilies that were “short, well illustrated and within the grasp of everyone.”  It was good advice back in 1850, and it’s still pretty good today. 

For example, he said, “No matter how tasty food is, if poison is mixed in, it may cause the death of the one who eats it.  So it is with conversation.  A single bad word, an unbecoming joke, an inappropriate gesture, is enough to harm someone, and may even cause someone to lose God’s grace.”  

We have much to learn from the lives of the saints, that great crowd of witnesses we celebrate throughout the liturgical year.  Like this bit of wisdom from St. John Bosco: “There are two things the devil is deathly afraid of: fervent Communions and frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament.”

May we give devils cause for fear by our love of the Eucharist, and by conversation seasoned with the wisdom of the saints.