19. The future of young Cagliero and miracles (1)
I didn’t take this post from https://bibliaytradicion.wordpress.com/inquisicion/los-suenos-de-san-juan-bosco- but from other source
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19. The Future of the Young Cagliero, 1854
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In August 1854 Don Bosco was urgently called upon to prepare a 16 year old boy whose death was imminent [he had helped the cholera patients and became ill]. The boy was a student at the oratory, to whom the eminent doctors Calvagno and Bellingeri had given a few hours of live. Don Bosco loved that boy dearly, and went into the room to prepare him with great sadness. But as he approached the bed, a mysterious vision stopped him. The saint saw a pure white dove flying around the bed with an olive branch in its beak. Slowly the dove descends on the boy and drops the olive branch on his forehead. Around the bed he also sees strange figures - men or ghosts? He sees two men who stand out from the others: one shy, with tanned skin; the other tall, with the air of a warrior, but with a sweet attitude. At that precise moment, a supernatural light illuminates Don Bosco's mind, with tears in his eyes he leans over the young man and asks him:
"Tell me, do you want to go to Paradise? -If Don Bosco approves, we will go to Paradise immediately."
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But Don Bosco did not approve his dear boy's departure to Paradise, and looking at him with great tenderness he says: "No, my dear son, it is not time yet! You will not die. You will be cured, you will become a priest and a missionary and with a breviary in your hand you will go around the world in search of souls to save and baptize. And then..."
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Don Bosco became silent and did not want to speak another word. The sick youth recovered his health. A few months later, Don Bosco added that he would become a bishop. That boy was Juan Cagliero, the future apostle of the Patagonian Indians, the first Salesian bishop and cardinal of the Catholic Church. Don Bosco predicted many public events, foretold many seriously ill people that they would be cured, and announced the imminent death of several public figures.
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NOTE: the shy-looking young man may well be St. Ceferino Namuncurá, the first Argentine saint, son of Cacique [indian chief] Manuel Namuncurá, (the most fearsome and the last to surrender) and a captive white Chilean woman. Ceferino, when he came to study in Buenos Aires, went to a military school but he did not adapt even to standing in line and ended up in a Salesian school, where he embraced the Faith and wanted to become a priest to evangelize his people and bring them to the Faith of his "friend Jesus" as he called Him. When he became ill with tuberculosis, Bishop Cagliero took him to Italy to see the best doctors. He was received by the Pope who gave him a medal that was only given to princes. He was admitted to the Hospital of the Brothers of St. John of God, where he was cared for by Dr. Joseph Lapponi, personal physician to Popes Leo XIII and Pius X. On May 11 of that same year, at the age of 18, Ceferino Namuncurá died accompanied by Monsignor Cagliero. According to most of his biographers, his last words were: "Blessed be God and Mary Most Holy! it is enough that I may save my soul and in the others let's the God's holy will be done.
Edited photo of Saint Ceferino Namuncurá
Anecdotes from the life of St. John Bosco (I)
When he needed money, Don Bosco always relied on the help of Divine Providence, and his needs were always satisfied in a mysterious way. Example: on January 20, 1858, Don Bosco had to pay a considerable debt and he did not have a cent to do so. It was already the 12th and the creditor, who had been waiting for a long time, demanded to be paid without fail. Don Bosco addressed a few of his students:
- "Today I need a particular grace. I am going to go to the city and in the meantime I want you to go to church to pray."
So they did. While Don Bosco was walking through the streets of Turin, an unknown man greets him and says:
"Don Bosco, is it true that you need money?
Don Bosco replies: "And urgently".
"If that is the case, here, take this." And he handed him an envelope with several thousand lira bills. Don Bosco hesitated to accept them, not knowing if the stranger was serious.
"But why are you giving me this money?" he asked.
"Take it and don't ask questions" And the stranger walked away without giving him the name of the donor, and unwilling to accept a receipt.
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In 1859, a similar situation arose. Don Bosco left his boys praying and went for a walk in the streets. The young people prayed for several hours, until three o'clock in the afternoon. At nightfall Don Bosco arrived with the money. Without much desire to do so, he told them what had happened:
"I walked around looking for help, not knowing where to go. When I arrived at the Consolata, I went inside and prayed to the Most blessed Virgin to help me and not to abandon me in this situation. I went out and walked from street to street, from noon until two o'clock, when in an alley near the church of St. Thomas, a well-dressed man approached me and said:
"Oh, if I am not mistaken you are Don Bosco."
"At your service"- I answered him
"Well look, I have been trying to see you, and if I had not found you here I would have had to walk to the Oratory. So you are saving me the trip, because my employer wants me to give you this package.
"What is it?"
"I don't know."
Don Bosco opened the package. They were bonds of a public debt.
"And where do these bonds come from?" "I can't tell you. My mission is accomplished. Have a good day." And he left.
"I had enough to pay all the expenses we owe. Oh, my dear youths, how great is Divine Providence."
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In August 1884, Don Bosco was the guest, with the priest Viglietti, of the Bishop of Pinerolo. They were sitting in the backyard, when an assistant came with two letters for Don Bosco. The latter read them and tears began to fall down his cheeks. Viglietti, frightened, asked what was wrong: "The Madonna," said the Saint, "loves us very much," and gave Viglietti the papers. In one letter, Don Bosco was asked to pay thirty thousand lire he owed. Where was he going to find such a sum? In the second letter, a Belgian noblewoman asked Don Bosco how she could use, for the glory of God, thirty thousand lire. Zarba D'Assorio, 1938. P256)
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Another case occurred on August 14, 1886. The headmistress of the girls' school [a school founded under the protection of St. John Bosco but for girls] went to Don Bosco's study and, because of urgent needs, took all the money they had received that week. As soon as she left, a visitor who had been waiting in the antechamber came in.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. The Headmistress of the girls' school just left with all the money I had. Now I am poor and penniless."
"But, Don Bosco, if you needed money right now, what would you do?"
"Oh, Providence... Providence..." - "That's very nice, but if you have no money, and if you need money right now, at this very moment?
"In that case," Don Bosco continued with a mysterious look, "I would tell you, my dear friend, go to the antechamber, and there you will find a person who makes an offer to Don Bosco."
"What do you say, really? No one was in the antechamber... Who told you such a thing?"
"No one, but I know it and Saint Mary knows it. Go, go and see for yourself."
The visitor goes to the antechamber, and seeing a man there, asks him. "Are you coming to see Don Bosco?"
"Yes, I come to bring him a donation".
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The sure way to win the lottery
-by St. John Bosco
In the last century lived one of the most famous men for his miracles and prophecies: St. John Bosco. His fame spread everywhere. To some he announced how many years they were going to live, to others he told them what they were going to be in the future, and to many he read their sins before they told them in the confessional. In all he performed more than eight hundred miracles.
A poor man heard about the wonders of this humble priest and ran to him to ask him something very important: the formula to win the lottery. He wanted the saint to tell him which numbers he should choose when buying the ticket.
St. John Bosco meditated for a while and then answered him with complete certainty: "The magic numbers for you to win the lottery are these: 10 -7- 14.
The man was filled with joy and was already saying goodbye to run out to buy the ticket, when the saint, taking him by the arm, said smilingly: "Wait a minute, I have not yet explained the numbers well, nor have I told you what kind of lottery it is. Look: these numbers mean the following: "10" means that you must keep the Ten Commandments; "7" means that you must receive the sacraments frequently; "14" means that you must practice the 14 works of mercy, both corporal and spiritual. If you fulfill these three conditions: observe the commandments, receive the sacraments well and practice the works of mercy, you will win the most stupendous of all lotteries: the eternal glory of heaven".
The man understood and instead of going to look for the lottery man, he went to the asylum to bring alms.
Invest your whole heart in those numbers and you will be truly happy here on earth and in heaven.
