113. The holidays, 1878
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On October 24, 1878, Don Bosco announced to his students that he was going to tell them a dream, and this news made the young people burst out in very noticeable expressions of satisfaction. He spoke to them as follows: I dreamed that they arrived at a garden and that there was a great number of lambs playing very happily. Suddenly a gate opened leading out into a large paddock and most of the lambs came out to roam freely in the pasture. However, some of them did not go to the large paddock but stayed in the small garden where the pastures were less abundant, but the dangers were also less.
The large flock of lambs was feeding quietly in the paddock, when suddenly the sky darkened, and lightning flashed brightly and there was the deafening sound of thunder. A storm had broken out.
I was afraid because a storm can do a lot of harm to the lambs, and I began to call them. And my Salesians also called them and tried to get them to go back into the garden so that they would be well protected. But many of them did not want to accept the invitation and as they were more agile than us, they ran away and did not enter the garden.
In the middle of the garden there was a fountain of water with these words from the Song of Songs: “closed garden (lest vermin enter). sealed Fountain (so that it will not be polluted) (Song of Solomon 4:12). And out of the fountain came a spring of water upward and divided into a rainbow, and made an immense vault or roof for shelter and refuge there.
As the storm became more and more violent and dangerous, my Salesians and I and all the lambs that had agreed to enter the garden, took shelter under that wonderful vault that did not allow the water or hail to penetrate.
I looked at the little lambs that accompanied us and on the forehead of each one I saw the name of a pupil of our works. But I was anxious thinking about what could have happened to the lambs that had been left in the field.
And in the midst of the storm and hailstorm I went out into the field. And there I saw with horror that the lambs that had been left out in the open were all wounded by the storm and hail. Some had head wounds, others had wounds on their hands, and some were wounded in the heart. Several were trying to make their way to the garden, but the storm and hailstorm were attacking them so hard that they were unable to move.
And looking at those poor lambs, I saw on the head of each one the name of a pupil of our schools.
Immediately a golden cup with a silver lid was presented to me, and inside it was a healing oil. And it was said to me, “Anoint the wounded with this oil and they will be healed.
I began to call the wounded lambs to come to me, but none of them would come to me. I approached them to heal them, but they ran away and would not let me catch them.
At last I managed to reach one whose eyes were almost destroyed and I anointed them with oil.
Immediately they were fine and he went happily into the garden. Then I saw that the garden was transformed and a sign appeared on it saying: “Salesian College”. Immediately the little lambs that had remained outside exposing themselves to the storm entered the garden one by one, but even there several of them did not accept that I approached them with the healing oil to heal their wounds.
Then a personage said to me: - Look, on that banner is written the meaning of the place where the storm causes damage. I looked again and the banner had a sign on it: HOLIDAYS.
And the voice continued saying to me: - That is the effect of vacations for many students: the storm of passions, temptations and occasions to sin comes to them. The hailstorm that wounded the lambs represents the sins because they wound the soul. The healing oil is a good confession with the purpose of making amends. But some do not want to accept this remedy so profitable to be cured of the evils of the soul.
Do not get tired of recommending to everyone to be careful because vacations can be a real danger for their soul and for their salvation.
When I listened to this recommendation, a noise in the next room awakened me.
Note: This dream, like all those that the Saint narrated to his students, produced very good results among his listeners.
Many of them went to have Don Bosco tell them how wounded he had seen them in that vision, and they were amazed at the precision with which he described the wounds he had received in their souls during the vacation. (This dream was narrated when the students had just arrived from vacation, since in Italy the school year begins in October).
Such was the number of good confessions during those days that the good Father exclaimed with emotion: - Our young people are currently at such a high point of fervor, as in other years had not been achieved until two or three months after arriving from vacation.
114. The three doves, 1878
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On December 13, 1878, Don Bosco narrated the following dream: I dreamed that I was in my birthplace, in Ibechi, and that I was presented with a basket in which there were some little doves, tiny and without feathers. After a few moments, feathers appeared on the pigeons, and three of them had very black feathers. Immediately the pigeons took flight and I saw them fly away. But one who was standing nearby took a shotgun, took aim and fired. And two of those pigeons fell to the ground, and the third one flew away.
I approached and saw that those two pigeons became clergymen. And a voice said to me: - So it will be in your work: out of every three, two will remain.
Note: Don Bosco explained by saying that the basket is the Salesian school. That some of the students (represented by many little pigeons) wear the habit of religious, which at that time was a black cassock. The others go far away, but for every three who become religious, perhaps two succeed in persevering in their vocation.