30. A WALK TO PARADISE 1861
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On the night of April 7, 1861, Don Bosco said to his young people: – "I will tell you a dream I had for three nights. What brought me the most excitement was that every night I resumed sleep at the precise point where I had left it the night before when I woke up. The dream consists of three parts:
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PART ONE OF THE DREAM
I dreamed that I came with my disciples to a beautiful and wide plain and asked them: Do you want us to go for a walk? The youths said, But where? And one said, “Let’s go to paradise!” And they all cheered: “Yes, let's go to paradise!” We crossed the plain and reached a beautiful hill full of all kinds of fruit trees, and each tree was totally full of the most exquisite fruits. Everywhere you could see beautiful flowers and in the atmosphere we felt a peace and joy impossible to describe. The youths, while they tasted those tasty fruits, asked me: What does all this mean? And I said, "This is a memory of the gladness and joys that await us in paradise."
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We imagined that we were already in paradise but then, when we reached the top of the hill, we could see in the distance a very high mountain. There was paradise.
And we saw that an immense number of people were climbing that high mountain, with great difficulty but with enormous enthusiasm, and that from above, God, from a very beautiful light, invited everyone to continue to climb and not to be discouraged by difficulties.
We also saw that several of those who were already at a great height came down again to help those who were going through too difficult places, and helped them to get up as well.
And it was noted that those who came up to the top were greeted there with a great feast and with great joy.
Many young people, as they contemplated paradise in the distance, felt such enthusiasm that they set out on a speedy journey towards it, to get there as soon as possible, and got too far ahead of the rest of the group.
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THE BLOOD LAKE. Before we began the ascent to paradise we found a lake of blood, several blocks wide, and long, and there next to it we saw a multitude of arms, hands, feet, heads and dismembered bodies. It looked like there had been a horrible battle there. It was a dreadful spectacle.
The young men who had run ahead were there staring in horror. The other young people who were arriving and who came so cheerful, they were silent and full of scare and sadness.
On the shore of the lake was a large sign that read: "THROUGH BLOOD".
I asked what all that meant and a voice said to me, "The lake means the blood that the martyrs of the Holy Religion have shed, from the blood of the righteous Abel to that of the last prophet killed." (St. Lk 11:51) and the blood of the great martyr Jesus Christ, and that of all who have died to defend religion.
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And the arms, feet, hands and skulls, what do they mean? The voice replied: "They are the ones who have sought to fight the Church. They have fallen on the battlefield, for Jesus' promise says, "The powers of hell cannot prevail against it" (St. Matthew 16:18).
I explained to my disciples that those who sacrifice themselves to defend the holy religion will climb very high into Heaven and that those who attack the religion of Jesus Christ will be shattered halfway through eternity. And we follow our journey.
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THE WATER LAKE. We found another large lake with crystal clear waters, with an immense sign that read: "BY WATER". Also by this lake were many shattered bodies. And a voice explained to us: This means that to go to Heaven we must be purified by the water of Baptism and by the Sacrament of penance, because "nothing stained can come to Heaven" (Apoc. 21:27). And those are the human remains of those who did not want to be purified by penance, and they devoted themselves to working against the Church of God.
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THE LAKE OF FIRE. We followed the journey and reached a lake of fire. There were also remains of human bodies around it and at the other end a large sign read: "BY MEANS OF FIRE".
And a voice said to us, "This means that to go to paradise it is necessary to have great fire of love for God and charity for one's neighbor. The remnants of human bodies around them mean those who, instead of loving God and their neighbors, devoted themselves to attacking them. They have been shattered, halfway through eternity."
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THE CIRCUS OF THE BEASTS. Then we arrived at a huge circus full of terrible beasts: wolves, bears, tigers, lions, panthers, snakes, brave dogs, rabid cats and each monster had its mouth open showing its fangs and waiting for someone to go near to it to devour him.
The voice told us, "Those are the dangers that the devil, the world, and the flesh present against the soul to make it sin and bring it to damnation."
The young men asked me if we would approach the beasts but I replied, "He who loves danger, perishes in it". And we moved way from there and continued our journey. If we passed through the circus, the road was much shorter, but much more dangerous. Instead, turning around, the journey was much longer but with fewer dangers, and we determined rather to turn around.
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THE MUTILATED CROWD. We reached a plain where there was an immense multitude of people, but each body lacked something. Some lacked their eyes, others lacked ears, ones lacked hands and the others, head. Some had no tongue.
The youths were terrified to see those so mutilated people, but one voice explained to us, "Those are those who, to save their souls and not to sin, sacrificed their sight or ears, or made sacrifices in speaking or made their bodies suffer with fasts and penances. Those who have no head are those who consecrated themselves to God by offering Him all their life for His Holy service. These people fulfilled what Jesus said: "If your hand or eye is an occasion of sin, sacrifice it. It is better to enter the Kingdom of Heaven one-handed or one-eyed, than to go with both hands to Hell" (St. Matthew 18:8).
They will be resurrected glorious to reign eternally in Heaven.
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And at that moment I heard that a great crowd came from Heaven to encourage those who were going up to Paradise and said, "Encourage, good, well," and when I heard that noise of applause and screaming I woke up. This is the first part of the dream.
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PART TWO OF THE DREAM
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THE SQUARE AND THE TUNNEL. On our journey to paradise we arrived at a large square full of very cheerful people. But the square ended in an extremely narrow tunnel and the one who wanted to pass through it, he had to get rid of everything superfluous, everything that was not necessary, because if not, he did not fit through the narrow tunnel. Then I remembered Jesus' phrase: "He who does not renounce for love to Me, to which he loves so much, is not worthy of Me." (St. Matthew 10.37).
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THE TIED TO ANIMALS. Then we reached a valley where there were many individuals, but each one was tied to an animal. One tied to an ox, another to a donkey or a horse, a third to a pig and another to a dog or a cat or a rabbit.
And it was communicated to me that those who are tied to an ox are the sloths, in which what St Paul said will be fulfilled: "He who cultivates little, little will reap." And those who were tied to an ass are the stubborn, those who follow their whims without heeding what priests and superiors advise them. Psalm 22 says to them: "Don't be like donkeys and mules to be guided with a brake, and if you don't, you don't listen."
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I was told that those who were tied to horses are those who do not use their brains to think about what is eternal and the salvation of the soul, but only think about what is of the Earth and the material body.
Many of them were seen tied to pigs and wallowing with them in the mud and I was told that they are the ones who are dedicated to sensual passions, and with sin they turn away from God. And I remembered the Prodigal Son of whom the Gospel says, "He dedicated himself to living uncleanly and they put him to care for pigs."
I saw some tied up to cats: they are the thieves. And others tied to dogs: those who give scandal and bad example. And several tied to rabbits: those who are cowards and dare not to defend their holy religion or practice it in front of others.
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THE INFECTED GARDEN. We arrived at a very beautiful garden full of roses, violets and apples. But as soon as we approached the roses we noticed that instead of smell they gave off a very unpleasant smell. And violets, instead of smelling pleasantly, smelled of disgusting fetish. And one of the youth wanted to try one of the apples there and had to throw up because it tasted horribly ugly.
And it was communicated to me that that means the material enjoyments offered by the world: they look like beauty and tasty, but they actually produce disgust and dislike and displeasure.
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THE CROWD ON THE WIDE ROAD. Then we reached a wide and attractive avenue and saw that a lot of people were running along there cheerfully. Orchestras, musical groups, screams and applauses. Some danced, some jumped, and the rejoicing of all was deafening.
But we noticed with scare that among that immense crowd, that descended down the wide path, there were some very elegant guys pushing so that the people would not stop, but those individuals had horns coming out under their hats.
Then I remembered what the Book of Proverbs says: "There are paths that people find good but end up leading to disaster." (Prov. 16.25).
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And one voice said, "Look how many people are traveling calmly to Hell without realizing it." Then we returned with scare and instead of following that wide path that leads to damnation we headed towards a narrow path that went up. We remembered those words of Jesus: "How wide is the way to perdition and how numerous are those who go through it, and how narrow is the path that leads to Eternal Life and how few are those who walk through it. Travel the narrow path." (St. Matthew 7:13).
And I thought: I will say to my disciples: remember that pleasures lead to doom, they are nothing else than appearance.
They offer only exterior beauty, but not inner joy. Be on the alert not to engage in animal-like sins, such as laziness, gluttony, impurity, theft, disobedience, or false human respect. How sad if they have to say of us as about the prodigal son: he devoted himself to living uncleanly and they put him to take care of pigs.
And at that moment, as we were going to start going up the narrow road, the boys began to shout, "This is like it's not the way. Maybe we're on the wrong way! And when I heard these screams, I woke up.
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THIRD PART OF THE DREAM
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THE BRIDGE. We turned from the wide road and arrived again to the immense square where there were so many people and from which we could get out through a very narrow tunnel. We passed by but we found that we had to go through a very narrow bridge without railings, under which there was a horrible abyss. The young men stopped scared. If we took a false step, we would fall into the turbulent waters that ran boxed through the dark abyss, and we would disappear.
At last one dared to pass and was followed by others, little by little and with great care, and we managed to reach the other end without falling into the torrent. It was useful for us to be, as Jesus said, "Simple as pigeons, but prudent as serpents."
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A VERY DIFFICULT PATH. Then we found a path that was extremely difficult to walk by. In one place heaps of thorns were trying to keep us from passing through. Beyond immense stones that, to pass over those, we had to hold on those stones very tightly with our hands and feet, and each one had to try to help the one that was nearby to climb those stones. The climb was getting steeper but we were encouraged not to faint, and we kept going up.
We looked up and saw the so festive and cheerful welcome that there they made those who managed to climb that slope, and this encouraged us to keep going up even if the difficulties were getting bigger and bigger.
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AT THE TOP, BUT ALMOST ALONE. We finally reached the top of the mountain. Those who were there were preparing themselves to make us a great welcome, when I looked again at how many had come with me to the heights, and with great sadness I saw that of all my 800 and more disciples who had undertaken with me that path to Paradise, only three or four had managed to get there.
And the others, what happened to them along the way? – I asked.
And one voice said to me, "The others have become stagnant in different parts of the road. Take a good look and you'll see where they've stayed. Maybe if they keep on fighting, they'll be able to reach the height."
I looked and saw that some were distracted picking snails. Others made bouquets with wildflowers. Some collected green fruits and several were dedicated to chasing butterflies. There were even those who were collecting crickets and many had sat quietly resting in the shade of a bush.
I started yelling at them not to engage in those useless nonsenses, that this was not time to devote themselves to rest, not to stop at the climb, to keep on walking upwards. A few, about eight, listened to me. The others remained dedicated to those futilities.
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I felt sorry to arrive with such a small group to paradise, and I said to my few companions: wait here that I go down to try to bring the stragglers up.
And I came downhill cheering on some, pushing others up and even scolding some that were very carefree. I repeated to them eagerly: "Keep walking up. Don't stay in the middle of Paradise's path by dedicating yourselves to things that aren't worth it... keep going, go up."
And I went down to where the mountain climb begins and there I found many discouraged people who no longer wanted to make sacrifices to reach paradise, but thought of dedicating themselves to easy life without making any effort to climb.
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I encouraged everyone to set out on the road to the heights again, and when I was about to start walking up the high mountain, I stumbled upon something and woke up.
I want to end this narrative by telling you: "Out of 800 who started the climb only four came directly to Heaven.
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What about the others? They will have to stay in Purgatory paying for sins. For some, the Purgatory will be very short, but for others it can be very long. And someone will ask me, "What must I do to have a not so long Purgatory?"
I say, "Earn indulgences." Indulgences are the forgiveness of a part of the penalty that must be paid for sin.
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The Catholic Church has the power to grant indulgences, because Christ said to the Apostles, "Everything you unleash on Earth will be unleashed in Heaven." The Church has granted indulgences to those who offer God the work they do. Indulgences can also be gained every time God is offered our suffering or alms are given for God's sake.
He gains indulgences who attends Holy Mass and who Communicates and who prays the Rosary or visits Jesus sacramented in a Temple, etc.
[Note: in order to win a plenary indulgence you must be in state of grace when you do the action (ej. to pray a Rosary in a church); and to Communicate, and pray for the Pope, and to confess in that day or some days before or some days later. In order to win a partial indulgence you must be in state of grace (with no mortal sins on you), and to desire to win the indulgence that is given for that action. Indulgences can be won only for you or for someone that has died.]