From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   June 23rd - St. Joseph Cafasso   
      
   It was the second Sunday of October, 1827: thus Don Bosco begins to tell the   
   story of his first meeting with Cafasso. At Murialdo the feast of the Divine   
   Motherhood was being celebrated. On the recreational side there were   
   attractions and games. John Bosco, then aged 12 plus, was enjoying every bit   
   of it.   
      
   Suddenly, close to the church and far removed from all the fun, he spotted a   
   cleric "small of stature with piercing eyes, affable in manner and with an   
   angelic countenance." John was struck by his appearance and couldn't help   
   feeling rather sorry for him and anxious to go and help him. That first   
   impression of Don Cafasso remained indelibly fixed in the mind of Don Bosco   
   until his dying day.   
      
   John went towards him and with formal and sincere courtesy addressed him:   
   "Reverend Father," he began and offered his services as a guide and as one   
   able to show him all the tricks and the fun of the fair. The reply was a   
   rejection of the kind offer. "Such things are no good for priests" and then   
   the famous "A priest finds all the relaxation he needs in the ceremonies of   
   the Church." John was taken somewhat aback. (What harm was there anyhow in   
   finding pleasure in watching the clowns, the acrobats, the fire-eater, the   
   monkey eating with knife and fork like a human being?) But John was not   
   rebuffed.   
      
   But surely there's a time for everything: a time for going to church (and   
   that was still locked anyway) and a time for recreation. It was no use.   
   There was obviously a deadlock. Without realizing it John had almost   
   literally quoted Ecclesiastes.   
      
   When he got back home again he told Mamma Margaret about this strange   
   meeting. "Try to imitate him," she advised him. "My heart tells me that one   
   day he will be of great help to you." The good mother was wise. She could   
   see a long way.   
      
   The years went by. John, as a result of the use of a thousand expedients,   
   had managed to make ends meet and had finished his grammar-school course. He   
   wanted to become a priest. There was not the slightest doubt in his mind   
   about that. But, to become a priest, he could not possibly go on with this   
   hand to-mouth kind of existence. He must enter a seminary. That was crystal   
   clear. It was also equally evident that he had no money, and that he was not   
   in the least bit likely to have any in the future.   
      
   The idea comes to him of becoming a Franciscan. He takes steps towards that   
   end, and with happy results. His friends, though, don't want him to become a   
   'monk'. Neither, most likely, does Mamma Margaret. But she leaves her son   
   full liberty. Off he goes to Turin to find out what Don Cafasso has to say.   
      
   "Carry on quietly with your studies. Enter the seminary, and accept whatever   
   Providence is preparing for you." John is in full agreement with that   
   advice, but there remains the not unimportant matter of the financial angle.   
   Don Cafasso interests the theologian, Don Guala, in the case. He gets him   
   accepted in the seminary without fees. So, John Bosco became a seminarian.   
   For his model he took in Don Cafasso in whom he especially admired as "a   
   wonderful constancy and fidelity in the practice of ordinary virtues."   
      
   Some time later, he had a dream. "I saw myself already a priest, vested in   
   cotta and stole, and working in a tailor's shop. But I wasn't sewing   
   anything new. I was patching old clothes, and adding patch to patch in great   
   numbers." He told Don Cafasso about it, but he said nothing. He just smiled.   
   "Let Providence have its way."   
      
   Meantime, he kept an eye on him and so, step by step, John Bosco completed   
   his seminary studies and was ordained priest in 1841. Mamma Margaret was   
   beside herself with joy. Yet, she did not forget to remind her son that "to   
   begin to say Mass means to begin to suffer." She told him not to worry about   
   her.   
      
   Various openings were offered to the new priest. Certain aristocrats from   
   Genoa wanted him to come to their homes as a tutor. A chaplaincy at Murialdo   
   and an opening at Castelnuovo were other offers made. John decided to seek   
   the advice of Don Cafasso.   
      
   "You need to study Moral Theology and the art of preaching. Give up all   
   ideas of other employment for the present and come to the 'Convitto'." The   
   'Convitto Ecclesiastico' was a college. It still exists, though it has   
   changed its headquarters founded by Don Guala for post-ordination studies   
   and pastoral practice for young priests. Don Cafasso was always prominent in   
   its work. So it was that Don Bosco entered the 'Convitto'. He chose Don   
   Cafasso as his confessor and spiritual director and never changed as long as   
   Cafasso lived.   
      
   "Follow in the footsteps of God's Providence, and don't try to run ahead of   
   it." In this saying of St. Francis of Sales are summarized the principles in   
   accordance with which Don Cafasso directed Don Bosco. Gradually, he took him   
   as a companion in his apostolate in the prisons. This embraced also the   
   assistance of those who were condemned to death.   
      
   The young priest always returned with a heavy heart. He was especially upset   
   at the thought of so many youths who had gone astray because no one had   
   taken any interest in them. Nobody had cared for them, nor shown any concern   
   in their well-being. An idea which had long been forming in his mind now   
   began to take definite shape.   
      
   He consulted his spiritual director. Don Cafasso consented and encouraged   
   and helped him to set in motion his first 'Oratory'. This went into   
   operation in a very simple way, on December 8, 1841, in the church of St   
   Francis of Assisi attached to the 'Convitto'.   
      
   His biographer writes: "He (Cafasso) had ideas about him which he never   
   revealed; and he held his young friend in an esteem bordering on veneration   
   right to the very end."   
      
   One day, referring to the dream of some years earlier, to which reference   
   has already been made, he suddenly greeted him with, "Well, how goes it,   
   tailor?" "I am still awaiting your decision," Don Bosco replied. But Don   
   Cafasso did not show his hand. He merely smiled. Don Bosco returned to the   
   attack. He revealed that he had been thinking seriously of going on the   
   missions "You are not destined for the missions," replied Cafasso. Another   
   negative answer - and a very definite one at that!   
      
   Some time passed and Don Bosco took up the attack once more. He had ideas of   
   becoming a religious: not a Franciscan this time, but an Oblate of Mary   
   Immaculate. Once more, the answer was 'No!' Don Bosco was sent off to make a   
   retreat at the shrine of St. Ignatius at Lanzo. "Ask God to manifest His   
   Will clearly to you, and then come back and tell me all about it."   
      
   Don Bosco went. He made the retreat, thought a good deal and prayed even   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)