117. Mysterious rain and 4 thunderclaps, 1880.
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On the night of July 9, Don Bosco had a dream in which, under the symbolism of a mysterious rain, he knew things that were going to happen in the future. He narrated it as follows: I dreamed that I was gathered with a group of Salesians giving them a conference. Suddenly the sky darkened and a storm was unleashed with rays, thunder and lightning that produced fear. A thunderclap louder than the others shook the room we were in. Father Bonetti went out to the balcony to observe and exclaimed excitedly: - Look, a rain of thorns.
And indeed thorns were falling in such quantity, like drops of water in a downpour.
Then another terrible thunderclap was heard and the storm calmed down a little. Father Bonetti went out again to the balcony and exclaimed: - How beautiful: a shower of flower buds or buttons of flowers! When a third clap of thunder burst, a little sunlight appeared through the clouds, Father Bonetti went out onto the balcony and shouted: - A shower of flowers is falling! And indeed the ground and the roofs of the houses were covered with beautiful flowers of various colors.
A fourth clap of thunder resounded and the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly. Father Bonetti exclaimed with joy: “At last the storm is over! And I woke up.
Explanations: This dream takes place at a time when Father Bonetti, a Salesian, has been accused with slander in Rome and is in danger of receiving an unjust punishment.
And at the same time there is someone who from a high position is terribly persecuting Don Bosco and his Salesians. The first thunder announces that Don Bosco and his community will suffer many setbacks in the coming months (rain of thorns) and so it happened. Don Bosco went so far as to exclaim saddened: “My enemies have nothing left to do but to stick a knife in my heart”.
The second thunder in which the thorns are replaced by buds or flower buds, was fulfilled when Pope Leo XIII took into his own hands the defense of the Salesians and did not let them unjustly condemn Father Bonetti.
The third thunderclap, a shower of flowers, was fulfilled several months later when the most terrible enemy of the Salesians suddenly died and Cardinal Alimonda, a great friend and admirer of Don Bosco, arrived in Turin as Archbishop.
And the fourth thunder, showers of roses and sunrise and peace, is fulfilled when in Rome the one who prevented the community of Don Bosco to be granted the rights that other communities have, became seriously ill with nerves, and then the Saint managed that for his Congregation will begin an era of great peace.
And these four events happened in only 4 years, from 1880 to 1884.
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118. Mysterious Banquet, 1880
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On August 10, 1880, our Saint said: On August 8, I had the following dream: I dreamed that I was in a beautifully illuminated hall with beautiful and shining tablecloths and silverware. And there before some beautiful tables were seated our students: those of the present and those who will come in the future.
118a 1. The lilies: and I saw many angels descending from Heaven, carrying beautiful lilies or azucenas in their hands, and they approached several young men and gave to each one the lily or azucena that they were carrying. Those who received that flower were lifted into the air and became so beautiful that perhaps only in paradise is it possible to see people with such great beauty.
I asked what that meant, and I was told: “Those young people are the ones who preserve that virtue that is so much to be recommended to youth: holy purity.
118b 2. The roses: Then some beings who looked like angels arrived and began to hand out roses to several of our students.
Those who received the roses began to glow with a beautiful radiance.
I asked what this meant and a voice said to me: “Those who receive the rose and shine with a special radiance are those whose hearts are inflamed with the love of God.
118c 3. The slack rope: Then I saw in a great darkness some young men with faces like coals, who were in a quagmire, and to get out of it they hung on a rope or noose. But as soon as they began to climb up, the rope slackened and they fell back into the mud, and they were full of mud.
I asked what that meant and they told me: - The rope is the confession that can bring people up to holiness and to Heaven. But these young people make their confession badly. They confess without true repentance and sadness for having offended God and without making serious and firm resolutions to begin to be better. That is why the rope gives way and they return again to the mire of their former faults and do not succeed in getting out of it.
118d 4. The serpent: Then I saw some young men who had a terrible serpent coiled around their necks, ready to inject them with its deadly venom and bite their tongues. The faces of these young men were so horrible that it was frightening.
I asked what this meant, and a voice said to me: - Those are the ones who never confess, or those who do not dare to confess certain sins. Poor them: if they would confess everything, they would regain peace, but if they continue to keep silent about their sins without confessing them, they will continue with the monster of remorse in their head, and with their soul burdened with sins and their conscience full of bitterness, without being determined to cast out the poison they carry in their heart.
And the voice added: - It is necessary to narrate to the young people what you have now seen.
After seeing the sad faces of those who live in sin, I felt the joy of seeing again the shining face of those who preserve the virtue of purity and of those who have their hearts full of love for God, and at that moment a great thunderclap was heard and... I woke up.
Several weeks later Don Bosco said: When I had this dream I thought it was only my imagination. But then I started to look for data and I found out that what I saw in the soul of each young person in the dream was pure reality.
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