I cannot copy this dream with spaces, it is well edited in the last page of this section
103. THE FAITH, OUR SHIELD AND OUR TRIUMPH -- I seemed to meet my dear young people in the oratory. It was towards dusk, that time when the shadows begin to darken the sky. It was still visible, but not very clearly. I, coming out of the porticoes, went to the porch; but I was surrounded by an immense number of youths, as you are accustomed to do, as a proof of friendship. I said a word, either to one or the other. So I reached the courtyard very slowly, when I heard a prolonged wailing and a very loud noise, together with the voices of the boys and a shouting coming from the porter's lodge. The students, on hearing this unusual tumult, approached to see; but very soon I saw them fleeing precipitately together with the apprentices, also frightened, shouting and running towards us. Many of them had gone out through the door at the end of the courtyard. -- But as the shouting and the accents of pain and despair grew louder and louder, I anxiously asked everyone what had happened and tried to get forward to give help where it was needed. But the youths, grouped around me, prevented me from doing so. -- I then said to them: -- But let me go; let me go and see what it is that produces such a fright. -- No, no, please, they all said to me; don't go ahead, stay here, stay here, there is a monster that will devour you, run away, run away with us, don't try to go ahead. -- However, I wanted to see what was going on, and getting rid of the youths, I advanced a little through the apprentice's yard, while all the young men were shouting: -- Look, look!-- What is it? -- Look over there at the back! -- I looked in the direction indicated and saw a monster that, at first glance, seemed to me to be a gigantic lion, so big that I don't think there is one like it on earth. I watched it carefully, it was repulsive, it had the appearance of a bear, but even more horrible and ferocious than this one. The back part had no relation to the other limbs, it was rather small, but the front limbs, as well as the body, were very large. Its head was enormous and its mouth was so disproportionate and open that it looked as if it had been made to devour people in a single bite; two large, sharp and very long fangs came from it like sharp swords. -- I immediately withdrew to where the young people were, and they asked me anxiously for advice; but I myself was not free from fear, and I did not know what course to take. However, I told them: -- I would like to tell you what you have to do, but I do not know. For the time being, let us concentrate under the porticoes. -- As I was saying this, the bear entered the second courtyard and advanced towards us with a grave and slow step, as one who is sure of reaching his prey. We retreated in horror, until we reached under the porticoes. -- The youths had closed in around me. All eyes were fixed on me: -- Don Bosco, what do we have to do? they said to me. -- And I also looked at the young people, but in silence and without knowing what to do. Finally I exclaimed: -- Let us turn towards the back of the portico, towards the image of the Virgin, let us kneel down, let us invoke Her with more devotion than ever, so that She may tell us what we have to do at this moment, so that She may come to our aid and free us from this danger. -- If it is a ferocious animal, I believe that together we will be able to kill it, and if it is a demon, Mary will protect us. Do NOT be afraid! The heavenly Mother will take care of our salvation. -- In the meantime, the monster continued to approach slowly, almost crawling on the ground, preparing to leap at us. -- We knelt down and began to pray. A few minutes of real fright passed. The beast had already come so close that in one leap it could fall upon us. When, I don't know how and when, we all found ourselves moved to the other side of the wall, finding us in the dining room of the clergymen. -- In the center of it was the Virgin who resembled, I do not know if it was the one under the porticoes or the one in the same dining room or the one in the dome or even the one in the church But, be that as it may, the fact is that it was radiant with a vivid light that illuminated the entire dining room, whose dimensions in every way had increased a hundredfold, appearing splendorous as a sun at noon. She was surrounded by blessed ones and angels, so that the room seemed like a paradise. -- Our Lady's lips were moving, as if She wanted to speak to tell us something. Those of us who were in that refectory were very many. The terror that had invaded our hearts was followed by a feeling of astonishment. The eyes of all were fixed on the image, which with a very soft voice reassured us, saying: Do not be afraid, have faith; this is only a test to which my Divine Son wants to submit you. -- I then observed those who, shining with glory, were crowning the Blessed Virgin, and I recognized Don Victor Alasonatti, Don Domenico Ruffino, a certain Michael, a Brother of the Christian Schools, whom some of you may have known, and my brother Joseph; and others who were once in the Oratory and who belonged to the Congregation and who are now in Paradise. In company with these, I saw also others who are now living. -- When behold, one of those who formed the procession of the Virgin said in a loud voice: -- Let us get up! -- We were standing and we did not understand what he meant by that order, and we wondered, "Let us get up! -- But how can we get up? We were all standing up. -- Let's get up! the same voice repeated loudly. The youths, standing in astonishment, had turned to me, waiting for me to make some sign, not knowing in the meantime what to do. -- I turned to where the voice had come from and said: -- But what are we to do? What do you mean: let us get up, if we are all standing? -- And the voice answered me with greater force: -- Let's get up! -- I could not explain to myself this command that I did not understand. -- Then another of those who were with the Virgin turned to me, who had climbed up on a table to be able to dominate the crowd, and began to say in a robust and well timbred voice, while the youths listened: -- You, who are a priest, must understand what is meant by "let us rise". When you celebrate Mass, don't you say sursum corda every day, by which you mean to raise yourself materially or to raise your affections to Heaven, to God? I immediately said in a loud voice to the youths: -- Up, up, children, let us revive, let us fortify our faith, let us lift up our hearts to God, let us make an act of love and repentance: let us make an effort of will to pray with lively fervor, let us trust in God. .. -- And, making a sign, they all knelt down on their knees. -- A moment later, while we were praying in a low voice, full of trust, a voice was heard saying: "Surgite”! -- And we all stood up and felt that a supernatural force lifted us sensibly above the earth and we went up, I could not say how high, but I can assure you that we were all very high. I could not say where our feet were resting. I remember that I was clinging to the curtain or to a window ledge. The youths were holding on to the doors, others to the windows; someone was holding on here, someone was holding on there; someone was holding on to iron hooks, someone was holding on to a thick nail, someone was holding on to the ledge of the vault. We were all in the air, and I marveled that we did not fall to the ground. -- And lo and behold, the monster, which we had seen in the courtyard, entered the hall, followed by an innumerable number of beasts of various kinds, all ready to attack. They ran hither and thither through the dining-room, uttered horrible roars, seemed desirous of fighting, and that at any moment they would leap upon us. But at that time they did not try anything. They looked at us, raised their snouts and showed their bloodshot eyes. -- We were all watching from above, and I, clinging to that window, said to myself: If I fell, what a horrible wreck they would have made of me! -- While we continued in that strange posture, a voice came out of the image of the Virgin singing the words of St. Paul: "Embrace, then, the impregnable shield of faith! -- It was a so harmonious canticle, so chordal, with such a sublime melody, that we were as if ecstatic. All the notes were perceived from the lowest to the highest, and it seemed as if a hundred voices were singing in unison. -- We were listening to that song of paradise when we saw from the flanks of the Virgin numerous youths who had come down from heaven. They approached us carrying shields in their hands and placed one on the heart of each of our youths. All the shields were large, beautiful, resplendent. -- The light that came from the Virgin was reflected in them, looking like something celestial. Each shield in the center looked like iron, having around it a circle of diamonds and its border was of the finest gold. This shield represented faith. When we were all armed, those who were around the Virgin sang a duet and sang in such a harmonious way that I would not know what words to use to express such sweetness. It was the most beautiful, the softest, the most melodious thing imaginable. -- While I was contemplating that spectacle and was absorbed in listening to that music, I was shaken by a powerful voice shouting: -- To the fight! -- Then all those beasts began to stir furiously. At one point we all fell, standing on the ground and behold, each one fought with the beasts, protected by the divine shield. I wouldn't know if the battle was going on in the dining room or in the courtyard. The heavenly choir continued its harmonies. Those monsters were lashing against us, with the vapors that came out of their mouths, lead bullets, spears, arrows and all sorts of projectiles; But those weapons didn’t hit us but hit on our shields bouncing backwards. The enemy wanted to hurt us at all costs and kill us and resumed their assaults, but they could not hurt us. All their blows hit the shields with force and the monsters broke their teeth and fled. Like waves, those assailing masses followed one after another, but all met the same fate. -- Long was the struggle. At last the voice of the Virgin was heard, saying: This is your victory, that which conquers the world, your faith. Hearing such words, that crowd of terrified wild beasts fled in haste and disappeared. We remained free, safe, victorious in that immense room of the refectory, always illuminated by the living light that emanated from the Virgin. -- Then I looked carefully at those who bore the shield. There were many thousands of them. Among others I saw Don Víctor Alasonatti, Don Domingo Ruffino, my brother José, the Brother of the Christian Schools, who had fought helping us. -- But the eyes of all the young people could not turn away from the Blessed Virgin. She intoned a song of thanksgiving, which awakened in us new feelings of joy and new indescribable ecstasies. I do not know if anything superior can be heard in paradise. -- But our joy was suddenly disturbed by piercing cries and groans, mingled with the roars of wild beasts. It seemed as if our youths had been assaulted by those animals, which we had seen fleeing from that place a short time before. I wanted to go outside immediately, to see what was happening and to help my children, but I could not do it because the youths were at the door through which I had to pass and would not let me go out in any way. I made every effort to get rid of them, saying to them: But let me go to the aid of those who are crying out. I want to see my young people and, if they suffer any harm or are in danger of death, I want to die with them. I want to go, even if it costs me my life. -- And, escaping from their hands, I found myself immediately under the porticoes. And what a horrible sight! The courtyard was covered with the dead, the dying and the wounded. -- The young men, filled with horror, tried to flee to one side or the other, pursued by those monsters, whose teeth were sunk into their bodies, leaving them covered with wounds. At every moment there were young men who fell and died, uttering the most painful cries. But the one who caused the most dreadful death was the bear that had been the first to appear in the apprentices' yard. With its fangs, similar to two sharp swords, it pierced the chest of the young men from right to left, and from left to right, and its victims, with the two wounds in the heart, fell immediately dead. -- I started shouting resolutely: -- Courage, my dear young people! -- Many took refuge with me. But the bear, on seeing me, ran to meet me. I, pretending to be brave, advanced a few steps towards him. In the meantime, some of the young men who were in the refectory and who had already defeated the beasts came out and joined me. That prince of the demons threw himself against me and them, but he could not hurt us because we were defended by the shields. He did not even touch us because at the sight of the newcomers, as if frightened and full of respect, he fled backwards. Then it was when, gazing fixedly at those two long sword-shaped fangs, I saw two words written in thick characters, On one was written: Otium; and on the other: Gula. [note: Idleness and Gluttony] -- [enemies erased that at the sight of the shields they were able to defeat the greater monsters, and the other beasts fled through the door through which the brother teachers had escaped.] -- I was stupefied and said to myself: -- Is it possible that in our house, where everyone is so busy, where there is so much to do that we do not know where to begin to free ourselves from our occupations, there are those who sin of idleness? -- With regard to young people, it seems to me that they work, that they study and that they do not waste time at recess. I didn't know how to explain that to myself. -- But I was answered: -- And yet, many half hours are lost. -- And what about gluttony? I said to myself. It seems that among us we can't commit sins of gluttony even if you want to. We have no occasion to lack temperance. Food is not given as a gift, nor are drinks. Hardly enough is provided. How can there be cases of intemperance leading to hell? -- Again I was answered: -- O priest! You think that your knowledge of morals is profound and that you have much experience, but you know nothing about this; everything is a novelty to you. Do you not know that one can violate temperance even by immoderate drinking of water? Not content with this, I wanted him to give me a clearer explanation and, as I was in the refectory still illuminated by the Virgin, I turned to Brother Miquel, full of sadness, so that he would clarify my doubt. -- Miquel answered me. -- Ah, my dear, you are still a novice in this! I will explain to you, then, what you are asking me. -- Regarding gluttony, you must know that one can sin intemperance when, even at table, one eats or drinks more than is necessary; one can commit intemperance in sleeping or when one does something related to the body that is not necessary, that is superfluous. -- Regarding idleness, you should know that this word does not only indicate not working or occupying or not occupying the recreation time in playing, but also leaving the imagination free during this time to think about dangerous things. Leisure takes place also when in study one entertains oneself with something else, when one spends a certain time in frivolous reading or remaining with arms folded contemplating others; letting oneself be overcome by listlessness and especially when in church one does not pray or feels annoyed in acts of piety. Idleness is the father, the wellspring, the source of many bad temptations and multiple evils. You, who are the director of these youths, must try to keep these two sins away from them, trying to enliven faith in them. If you succeed in getting your boys to be moderate in the little things that I have indicated to you, they will always overcome the devil and, with this virtue, they will attain humility, chastity and the other virtues. And if they occupy their time in the fulfillment of their duties, they will never fall into the temptation of the infernal enemy and they will live and die as holy Christians. -- After having heard all these things, I thanked him for such a beautiful instruction, and then to make sure if it was reality or just a dream, I tried to touch his hand, but I could not succeed. I tried a second and a third time, but it was useless. I was outside of me and I exclaimed: But is it true or not true all that I am seeing? Are these not people? Have I not heard them all speak? -- Brother Michael answered me: -- You must know, since you have studied it, that until the soul is reunited with the body, it is useless for you to try to touch me. You cannot touch mere spirits. It is only so that mortals can see us that we must assume human form. But, when we are all resurrected for the Judgment, then we will again take our spiritualized immortal bodies. -- Then I wanted to approach Our Lady, Who seemed to have something to say to me. I was almost beside Her, when a new noise and new sharp cries from outside reached my ears. I wanted to leave the dining room for the second time, but on leaving, I woke up.
104. The faithful sheep and the deserting sheep, 1876.
On the night of the feast of St. Anne (July 26, 1876) I dreamed the following: I saw that a shepherd had been taking very good care of his sheep for a year and that he was happy because as a reward for his labors he was going to get very good wool and many more profits.
But when the time came to collect the wool he noticed that several of his sheep were missing. He asked what the reason was and they answered him: - Another man came along, proposed to give them better pasture, and excited with him, those sheep left.
The shepherd became very sad and exclaimed: "Poor me: I worked so hard, so hard for my sheep and I have not been able to get the fruits I wanted.
I wasted my time, my labor and the expenses I incurred.
But the sheep who had remained faithful answered him: - No, you have not lost your labor. We will compensate you for those who were unfaithful and wandered away. We will give you profit for those who went away.
And the shepherd was very happy and henceforth showed great affection for these faithful sheep.
I propose a prize for the one who tells me what lessons this dream brings.
Explanation: The Father Master of Novices, who had been forming them for a year, wrote to Don Bosco telling him saddened that several had gone home or were about to leave. The Saint answered him by telling him this dream.