Homily for Solemnity of St. John Bosco

Homily for the Solemnity of
St. John Bosco

Jan. 31, 2023
Phil 4: 4-9
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph Residence, New Rochelle

Brothers, your religious family and ours share similar charisms, especially the one voiced in the gospel about receiving youngsters in Christ’s name (Matt 18: 1-5).

A particular in Don Bosco’s charism is the element of joy.  St. Paul urges us, “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 4:4), a principle frequently advocated by Don Bosco to both youngsters and adults.  Joy or cheerfulness was so characteristic of his house that young Dominic Savio explained to a newcomer, “Here holiness consists in being cheerful.”

It was proverbial at the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales that when Don Bosco was most jovial, he was facing some trouble or challenge that greater than usual, whether that might have been financial, some harassment from anticlericals, or an ecclesiastical dispute.  (Ecclesiastical disputes?  Really?)  St. Paul explains how that could be so, how Christians can always be joyful even in the midst of the world’s troubles:  “The Lord is near” (Phil 4:5).

The Lord shares our humanity, and he remains with us, close to us, near us—offering his peace, his consolations, and his power to pursue “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,” all such excellent qualities (4:8); to pursue them in our own souls and to share them with the young, with one another, with a society that longs for these signs of God’s presence, his nearness.  Don Bosco shows us how to have an abiding sense of God’s presence.

During the canonical process of his canonization, the devil’s advocate alleged that he never prayed.  Those who knew him responded, “When did Don Bosco not pray?”  They attested that he always seemed to be in communion with God, no matter how busy he was.

Before holy Communion, we quote from Jesus’ words at the Last Supper. “Peace I leave you; my peace I give you.”  St. Paul reminds us, “The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (4:7).  With our hearts and minds so guarded, we can always be tranquil and joyful among our brothers and sisters and share that tranquility and that joy with them.