Homily: January 31 - St. John Bosco - "Father and teacher of the young"

On Monday, we celebrated the feast of our patron who worked with the young.  Today’s saint is also a patron saint of young people.

St. John Bosco was deeply concerned with the youth of his parish; many were being arrested for juvenile delinquency.  Once in prison, they learned more about crime, and would be back in jail soon after their release. 

So, he worked tirelessly with the young boys in his neighborhood, providing for them a solid education and formation in the faith.  “There are three things to stay on the path to Heaven, he would tell them, “Go to confession regularly, receive Communion often, and choose a regular confessor to whom you can unburden your heart.” 

Through his love and care, many of these young boys, not only were saved from a life of crime, many of them entered seminary and become good and holy priests.  And at least one of his boys became a saint, St. Dominic Savio. 

St. John Chrysostom, more than a thousand years earlier asked, “What is equal to that profession which is concerned with directing the soul and forming the mind and character of the young?”

St. Angela Merici, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John Bosco remind us this week to take very seriously the passing on of the Christian faith to the young. 

In the opening prayer we prayed, “O God, who raised up the Priest Saint John Bosco as a father and teacher of the young, grant, we pray, that aflame with the same fire of love, we may seek out souls and serve you alone.” 

We ask ourselves, is my heart set on fire with love for souls?  Am I concerned about the souls of the youth of my neighborhood?  What am I doing to bring them to Christ?

This weekend is our parish youth retreat.  I ask your prayers for our young people, that they may have a powerful encounter with the Lord’s mercy and love for them, that will help to make them saints.

So we pray through Don Bosco’s intercession for the salvation of our young people from our culture of death, and that we may be diligent in working always for the glory of God and salvation of souls.