Episode Transcript  

One

Jesus gives John Bosco his Mission

Today is the Feast of St. John Bosco (1815–1888), the founder of the Salesians, a religious order dedicated to the education and evangelization of young people.

He writes, “When I was about nine years old, I had a dream that left a profound impression on me for the rest of my life. I dreamed that I was near my home, in a very large playing field where a crowd of children were having fun. Some were laughing, others were playing and not a few were cursing. I was so shocked at their language that I jumped into their midst, swinging wildly and shouting at them to stop. At that moment a Man appeared, nobly attired, with a manly and imposing bearing. He was clad with a white flowing mantle, and His face radiated such light that I could not look directly at Him. He called me by name and told me to place myself as leader of those boys, adding these words: “You will have to win these friends of yours not with blows but with gentleness and kindness. So begin right now to show them that sin is ugly and virtue beautiful.” Confused and afraid, I replied that I was only a boy and unable to talk to them about religion. At that moment the fighting, shouting and cursing stopped, and the crowd of boys gathered around the Man who was talking. Almost unconsciously, I asked: ‘But how can you order me to do something that looks so impossible?’ ‘What seems so impossible you must achieve by being obedient and by acquiring knowledge.’ ‘But where? How?’ ‘I will give you a Teacher under whose guidance you will learn and without whose help all knowledge becomes foolishness.’ ‘But who are you?’ ‘I am the Son of her whom your mother has taught you to greet three times a day.’ ‘My mother told me not to talk to people I don’t know, unless she gives me permission. So please, tell me your name.’ He responded, ‘Ask My Mother.’”

Two

Mary, His Teacher 

“At that moment, I saw beside Jesus a Lady of majestic appearance, wearing a beautiful mantle and bedecked with stars. She saw my confusion mount, so she beckoned me to her. Taking my hand with great kindness, she said: ‘Look!’ And so I did. All the children had vanished. In their place I saw many animals: there were goats, dogs, cats, bears and a variety of others. ‘This is your field; this is where you must work,’ the Lady told me. ‘Make yourself humble, steadfast and strong. And what you will see happen to these animals you will have to do for my children.’ I looked again; the wild animals had turned into as many gentle lambs—bleating a welcome for that Man and Lady. At this point in my dream, I begged the Lady to explain what it all meant, because I was so utterly confused. She then placed her hand on my head and said: ‘In due time everything will be clear to you.’”

St. John Bosco took Mary as his Mother and Teacher. He lived in a real, personal relationship with her, learning from her through the Rosary and through an ongoing conversation between friends. Mary formed him interiorly. She taught him how to see souls, how to be patient, how to love without crushing, and how to lead without fear. From her, he learned that hearts are not conquered by force but transformed by spiritual friendship.

Under her guidance, Don Bosco dedicated his life to the education and spiritual formation of poor and abandoned youth. Anchored in the Eucharist and devoted to Mary Help of Christians, he founded the Salesians to create places where young people could encounter Christ through reason, faith, and loving kindness. What Mary showed him in a dream, she fulfilled through his life: wild hearts made gentle, confusion turned into trust, and souls led safely to Christ.

Three

The Two Pillars

St. John Bosco once described another dream.

He saw a vast and violent sea battle. At the center was a great ship, the Church, surrounded by an enemy fleet intent on its destruction. The attacks were relentless. At the helm stood the Pope, struggling to guide the ship through the attack. In the midst of the chaos, two immense columns rose from the sea. Upon one stood the Holy Eucharist, bearing the inscription “Salvation of the Faithful.” Upon the other stood Mary, marked with the words “Help of Christians.”

When the Pope anchored the ship between the two columns, everything changed. The enemy fleet was thrown into confusion and scattered, while the Church remained secure. Don Bosco explained that a time would come when the Church would be threatened by persecution and trial as never before.

Her survival, he said, would not depend on human strength or clever strategies, but on two essential devotions: frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist and devotion to Mary. For this reason, he urged the faithful to receive the Eucharist as often as possible and to pray the Rosary every day.

As long as the Church remains united to the Pope and firmly anchored between the Eucharist and devotion to Mary, she will prevail against every attack.

Four

The Eucharist 

In his vision, when the Church was anchored between the Eucharist and Mary, she was safe. So too for us. The first and greatest defense we have against the wickedness and snares of the devil is Jesus himself, living and acting in the Holy Eucharist. There are many fruits that flow from receiving Jesus in Holy Communion.

First, Holy Communion deepens our union with Christ. Jesus himself says, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” In the Eucharist, Christ does not merely visit us; He dwells in us.

Second, Holy Communion separates us from sin. The Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without also cleansing us from past sins and strengthening us against future ones. It wipes away venial sins and preserves us from falling into mortal sin by increasing charity within the soul.

Third, as bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist restores and fortifies our love, especially when it has been worn down by daily trials, frustrations, and difficult people.

Come, then, my friends, and find refuge, strength, and healing in the Eucharist, in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, given to us each day at Mass.

Five

The Pope as Our Captain 

The third means of protection God has given us is the Pope and the Magisterium, the teaching authority of the Church. In the vision of St. John Bosco, the Pope is the captain of the ship, which is the Church. This is not symbolic excess; it expresses a real and concrete truth. Jesus made Peter his visible representative on earth. That is what it means to be the Vicar of Christ.

When Peter and his successors, the Popes, teach officially on matters of faith and morals, it is Christ Himself who teaches through them. And Christ cannot teach what is false. This is the gift known as infallibility: that when the Pope definitively teaches on faith and morals, Jesus will not permit him to teach error.

This does not mean the Pope is infallible in everything he says. He can have opinions on politics, economics, science, or prudential matters, and he can speak casually, in interviews, on airplanes, or over a cup of coffee. Those statements are not acts of the Magisterium and do not carry the guarantee of infallibility. The ordinary and reliable way we know the official teaching of the Pope and the Church is through the Catechism, encyclicals, and ecumenical councils. Why does this matter? Because the two primary weapons Satan uses to deceive the world are confusion and division.

If you remain rooted in the official teaching of the Pope and the Church, you will not be confused, and you will not be divided from Christ or his Body. But if you follow headlines, commentators, and endless religious or political analysis, you will find little else but confusion, agitation, and division. Stay anchored between the Eucharist, Mary, and with the Pope as your Captain. 

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