Category: St. John Bosco

In an earlier post, I went through St. John Bosco’s dream in detail. But, as I ponder a new topic to start the next Catholic Study series I always like to reflect on St. John Bosco’s dream of two columns, two pillars. The two pillars that identify the Catholic Faith distinctly from all other Christian denominations. These two pillars are necessary and will be the only pillars providing safety during this rough seas according to John Bosco.

I ran across a site that discussed this dream as it relates to Saint John Paul II call for a New Springtime in the church.

To contemplate the face of Christ, and to contemplate it with Mary, is the ‘programme’ which I have set before the Church at the dawn of the third millennium…to contemplate Christ…above all in the living sacrament of His Body and His Blood

Saint John Paul II 2004, Eucharistia

At the Missionaries of Our Mother of the Eucharist site it continues: During this time in which we live, the Church is in a state of great chaos and upheaval. Our late “Totus Tuus” Pope, John Paul II, has clearly steered the “Bark of Peter”, the Church, between the two pillars of the Eucharist and Mary to anchor on.

There will be chaos in the Church. Tranquility will not return until the Pope succeeds in anchoring the boat of Peter between the twin pillars of Eucharistic devotion and devotion to Our Lady.

Saint John Bosco

Could it be possible that Saint John Paul II was the fulfillment of Saint John Bosco’s dream?  Saint John Paul II entrusted the “Year of the Eucharist” (2004) to Mary the “Woman of the Eucharist,” as our model and guide in coming to know, reverence, and adore Jesus ever-more perfectly and wholeheartedly.

The Pope stands at the helm and all his energies are directed to steering the ship towards those two columns from whose summits hang many anchors and strong hooks linked to chains.

Saint John Bosco

In the Blue Book “To The Priests, Our Lady’s Beloved Sons” our Blessed Mother made some very controversial prophecies about the Jubilee Year of 2000.

Pray, to obtain from the Lord, through the maternal mediation of my Immaculate Heart, the graces of which you have need in these conclusive days of the purification and the great tribulation. With this coming year, enter into the time of immediate preparation for the great jubilee of the year 2000. This special preparation which the Pope is urging of you through his apostolic letter, ‘Tertio Millenio Adveniente,’ is to make you understand that this date is important and significant for the Church and for all humanity. This date should be particularly significant for you, because I have previously announced to you, for that date, the triumph of my Immaculate Heart in the world.

Pray and Make Reparation – December 31, 1996, message 586

Imagine everyone’s surprise when the year 2000 came and went without an ‘immediate’ Triumph of Her Immaculate Heart.

In Saint John Bosco’s dream, after the pope starts the process to guide the ship to the two columns.

Suddenly the Pope falls gravely wounded. Immediately, those who are with him run to help him and they lift him up.

Saint John Bosco

Pope John Paul II was elected in October 1978.  His devotion to Jesus and Mary was felt across the globe.  His attempted assassination was on May 13th, 1981.  The anniversary of the first Fatima apparition of our Blessed Mother.  According to https://vatican.com/The-Jubilee-Year/  – Pope John Paul II designated the year 2000 as the Great Jubilee.

According to http://ourmotheroftheeucharist.org/1607/ “And what a great grace of mercy did indeed occur during the Great Jubilee!

1. At least 25 million persons passed through the Holy Doors in Rome, expressing their sincere desire to return to Jesus and to receive his mercy and forgiveness by means of the Sacraments and the indulgences.
2. Two million young people gathered in Rome for the Jubilee event for the youth, expressing their unity with the Holy Father and their desire to experience- Jesus in their lives.
3. Hundreds of thousands attended the week-long Eucharistic Congress in June.
4. The beatification of the shepherd children, Jacinta and Francisco, by the Pope in Fatima on May 13, 2000.
5. The publication of the third secret of Fatima in the month of June.
6. The solemn act of entrustment to Our Lady of Fatima which the Pope made on Sunday, October 8th, with the bishops who were present for their Jubilee, in which he consecrated the Church and humanity at the beginning of the third millennium.

In these events is seen another triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary by the fact that the whole Church has, in a special way, reaffirmed the importance of the message of Fatima and the consecration to Our Lady.

As a closing thought, the commentary found at http://mgr.org/BoscoDream.html provides some insight into our own actions as we ponder the state of the church and the state of society in our times.

In many prophetic dreams of Don Bosco, he is given a view of “Now” and a view of “What it should be like in the future”. With such information or action plan given to him by Heaven, Don Bosco “rolls up his sleeves” and gets to work toward the goal pointed out by Heaven in the Prophetic Dream.

miguel de Portugal, April 20, 2002

The church celebrates the feast day of St. John Bosco on January 31.

It focused on creating solutions for displaced youth. He developed vocational training programs with evening classes and apprenticeships. Eventually, these grew to include schools. To help staff them, he collaborated in the founding of Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and organized an active group of lay “co-operators.” St. John Bosco was canonized in 1934. ( https://divineoffice.org/about-0131-john-bosco/ )

The dreams of St. John Bosco.

‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; yea, and on my menservants and my maidservants in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.

Acts 2:17-21

Quoted from theotokas.org 

“Try to picture yourselves with me on the seashore, or, better still, on an outlying cliff with no other land in sight. The vast expanse of water is covered with a formidable array of ships in battle formation, prows fitted with sharp spear-like beaks capable of breaking through any defence. All are heavily armed with cannons, incendiary bombs, and firearms of all sorts – even books – and are heading toward one stately ship, mightier than them all. As they try to close in, they try to ram it, set it afire, and cripple it as much as possible. 

This stately vessel is shielded by a flotilla escort. Winds and waves are with the enemy. In this midst of this endless sea, two solid columns, a short distance apart, soar high into the sky: one is surmounted by a statue of the Immaculate Virgin at whose feet a large inscription reads: Help of Christians; the other, far loftier and sturdier, supports a [Communion] Host of proportionate size and bears beneath it the inscription Salvation of believers.

The flagship commander – the Roman Pontiff [the Pope]- seeing the enemy’s fury and his auxiliary ships very grave predicament, summons his captains to a conference. However, as they discuss their strategy, a furious storm breaks out and they must return to their ships. When the storm abates, the Pope again summons his captains as the flagship keeps on its course. But the storm rages again. Standing at the helm, the Pope strains every muscle to steer his ship between the two columns from whose summits hang many anchors and strong hooks linked to chains.”The entire enemy fleet closes in to intercept and sink the flagship at all costs. They bombard it with everything they have: books and pamphlets, incendiary bombs, firearms, cannons. The battle rages ever more furious. Beaked prows ram the flagship again and again, but to no avail, as, unscathed and undaunted, it keeps on its course. At times a formidable ram splinters a gaping hole into its hull, but, immediately, a breeze from the two columns instantly seals the gash.

Meanwhile, enemy cannons blow up, firearms and beaks fall to pieces, ships crack up and sink to the bottom. In blind fury the enemy takes to hand-to-hand combat, cursing and blaspheming. Suddenly the Pope falls, seriously wounded. He is instantly helped up but, struck down a second time, dies. A shout of victory rises from the enemy and wild rejoicing sweeps their ships. But no sooner is the Pope dead than another takes his place. The captains of the auxiliary ships elected him so quickly that the news of the Pope’s death coincides with that of his successor’s election. The enemy’s self-assurance wanes.

Breaking through all resistance, the new Pope steers his ship safely between the two columns and moors it to the two columns; first to the one surmounted by the Host, and then to the other, topped by the statue of the Virgin. At this point something unexpected happens. The enemy ships panic and disperse, colliding with and scuttling each other. Some auxiliary ships which had gallantly fought alongside their flagship are the first to tie up at the two columns.

Many others, which had fearfully kept far away from the fight, stand still, cautiously waiting until the wrecked enemy ships vanish under the waves. Then, they too head for the two columns, tie up at the swinging hooks, and ride safe and tranquil beside their flagship.

A great calm now covers the sea. ” St. John Bosco

I would like to end with the thought that we really are on the precipice of the great calm that covers the seas.  The Era of Peace our Mother has promised at Fatima.  All Catholics, more importantly now than ever before, need to stay firm on the two pillars of our faith, the Blessed Sacrament and our Blessed Mother.