154. The grapes, 1887
On March 24, 1887, Don Bosco dreamed the following dream: I dreamed
that I was in the middle of some grape bushes in times that are not harvest time. The grapes in my land are harvested in September and now we were just in March.
And when I saw such a large number of bunches of grapes, I exclaimed: - How beautiful the grapes are! This year we have a very abundant harvest.
And I heard my brother José say to me: “It is necessary to gather as much as we can now, while there is abundance, because times of great scarcity are going to come.
- Why is this scarcity going to come? - Because people abuse abundance. When they have a lot of wine, they drink a lot of wine.
It can refer not only to the harvest of grapes but also to vocations. In that year St. John Bosco had about 100 novices. It was necessary to take advantage of these years of abundance, because later would come the years of great shortage of vocations.
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155. The Punishments of Sinners, 1887
On April 3, 1887, Don Bosco spoke as follows: Last night I saw in a dream the punishments that await sinners. And what I saw is so terrible that if those who hear me could see it, they would either dedicate themselves to a holy life or they would flee in fear. First I heard a roar and a shouting such as one feels when there is a terrible earthquake. Then I saw a huge furnace where many were burning and uttering pitiful groans. And a voice said to me:- Many devote themselves on this earth to all the deformed joys. And then horrible sufferings.
Then I saw there suffering many horribly deformed people. And they belonged to our people.
And seeing them suffer so much and hearing them wailing I exclaimed: - But will there not be some way for them to pay for their sins and not have to come to suffer so many torments?
And a voice answered me: - Let them pay for their sins with silver and gold.
With alms to the poor, but also with other precious silver and gold: the frequent prayers, fervent confessions and communions will serve to free them from the sufferings that are free themselves from the sufferings that await those who live by committing sins.
Note:
Don Bosco awoke in great anguish and wept as he recounted this dream. There he saw many of his friends who stained their souls with frequent sins, destined to very terrible punishments. souls with frequent sins. Fortunately, the voice from Heaven announced to him some practical ways to free oneself from those punishments: to pray, to give alms, and to receive with fervor the Holy Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, with fervor and frequency.