115. A prescription against the disease of the eye, 1879
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Don Bosco was suffering greatly from eye disease. Some said it was cataracts and others feared he would go totally blind. A very famous ophthalmologist, Dr. Reynaud, said that he would lose his sight for ever. But the Saint had the following dream: A mysterious lady appeared to me holding in her hand a small bottle with a dark green liquid and said to me: - Look: if you want to alleviate your eye disease, take a little of this chicory juice every morning for fifty days and you will notice its good effects.
When we got to the dining room for breakfast, Don Bosco asked Father Lago, who had been a pharmacist: - Tell me, is chicory juice good for the eyes? - Yes, Father, it is one of the remedies that they recommend for ill eyes.
- Well, do me the favor of preparing some chicory juice for me.
Father Lago prepared the chicory juice for him and as soon as Don Bosco began to drink it, he noticed the improvement in his eyes. In those fifty days, although he read and wrote night and day, his eye disease diminished noticeably and then remained stationary for some time.
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116. The great battle: The future and vocations, 1879.
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On May 9, 1879, he narrated the following dream:
Part 1: The battle.
I saw that our young men had to engage in a fierce battle against very well armed warriors and that in the end there were very few survivors.
Then I saw that the battle was against monsters of gigantic forms. But ours carried a banner with this sign: “Mary, Help of Christians”. The battle was long and bloody, but the Virgin made Her devotees very strong, and they gradually became owners of a large area of land. This group was joined by the young men who had remained alive from the previous battle and all together they formed an army that carried as insignia on the right the image of Christ Crucified and on the left the image of Mary Help of Christians. Those who formed our army, after a strong battle, divided into three groups: some went to the east, others to the west and the third group to the south.
Then new groups of young men arrived, who fought the same battles and then left in the same direction. These last ones I did not know (because they will come in the future), but they greeted me very affectionately.
Part 2: The vocational messages.
Then a personage appeared to me who seemed to be St. Francis de Sales, who presented me with a little book and told me: - Read the messages that are sent to you in this book.
I began to read them and there he said: “To the novices: be very obedient. With obedience you will obtain blessings from God and the good will of the people. By doing their daily duty well, they will be free from many spiritual dangers.
To young religious: take great care of the virtue of chastity. Respect with all care the good reputation of others. Promote the good name of the Congregation.
To those in charge of the communities: all possible care and every effort to see that the rules of the Congregation are well observed in the house.
To whoever is superior: complete and continuous sacrifice to save oneself and to win the souls of others for God.
I asked the venerable personage: - What should we do to obtain vocations? He answered me: - Your religious will have many vocations if they have an exemplary conduct, if they treat the students with great charity and if they promote frequent communion.
- And what norms should we follow for the acceptance of novices? - To exclude the lazy and those who eat or drink gluttonously.
- And for the acceptance of those who want to take vows? - To see if they give a guarantee that they are capable of preserving chastity.
- And what will be the best way to preserve the good spirit in our houses? - Let the superiors write, visit, receive and treat everyone with very good manners. Let the superiors always do this.
- And how should we act with regard to the Missions? - By sending to the missions only individuals of sure morality, sending back those of doubtful morality; and to cultivate the vocations of the places where the missionaries go.
- And is our Congregation going well? - The answer is the words of the Holy Book which say: “He who is just, let him sanctify himself more. Not to progress is to regress. He who perseveres to the end is the one who will be saved”.
- And will our Congregation spread much? - As long as the superiors in each place do their duty well, the community will spread and nothing will be able to oppose its propagation.
- And will our community last long? - The Congregation will last as long as its members love work and temperance (to work hard and to mortify and deny themselves). If one of these two qualities, which are like two columns, is missing, the building will collapse, ruining superiors and subjects.
At this moment four individuals appeared carrying a coffin. They headed towards me. I asked them, “Who is that coffin for? - It is for you. For you to remember that you are mortal and that you must preach from now on what you want your disciples to do after your death.
- Will we have many roses or consolations? Or many thorns or sorrows? - Many flowers await your religious, that is, many consolations and triumphs, but also many thorns: bitterness, setbacks that will make them suffer. It is necessary to pray a lot.
- Will the community found houses in Rome? - Yes, but we must be very prudent and cautious.
- Is the end of my life already very near? - Do not worry about that. Dedicate yourself to practice what you have recommended to others: to be prepared, because at the least expected hour the Lord will arrive.
At that moment a thunderclap sounded and I... woke up.
If any of these messages can be of benefit to us, let us accept it. And in all things let us give thanks and honor to the good Lord forever and ever.