33. The two houses, 1861
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Don Bosco was constructing a new building for his poor children in Turin. But in the month of November one of the arches fell and the whole construction collapsed. And it happened that Mary Help of Christians was there to protect them because of the 4 workers who were working at that moment of the construction, one was suspended in the air on a beam that did not break. Another was in a corner and there the vault did not collapse. The third was saved because a beam fell on top of him but was suspended on a wall above him, protecting him from the collapse of falling materials. The fourth was left in the debris, but on removal he was found without serious injury. Only some small wounds, and... the scare was of a bigger size. Everyone blessed the Blessed Virgin Mary for this special help, and Don Bosco exclaimed: "The powers of hell played a trick on us, but we will go on".
And one of those nights he had the dream of the two houses: "I was very worried about the collapse of the building we were constructing, and in a dream I saw Monsignor Gastaldi come to me and say: 'My friend, don't worry because a house has fallen down. Later two houses will be built: one for the healthy and the other for the sick".
Note: Don Bosco did not have an infirmary building in his school and he had to send his sick young people to the hospitals, but there they saw and heard very bad examples, and he wished to have his own infirmary in his school. And it happened just as it was announced in this dream, two buildings were erected there: the one that collapsed, which was used for classes, and a new one, which was used as an infirmary for the students.
[my note: God saved them from something much worse, because later the construction experts discovered that the construction had been badly done from the beginning].
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34. The two pine trees 1861
"I dreamed that I was in a field in Castelnuovo with some young men, when we saw coming through the air a huge pine tree, as wide as two blocks of houses, and of an extraordinary height. The pine tree approached us horizontally and then straightened up and became vertical. It looked as if it was going to fall on us and we made the sign of the cross and were thinking of fleeing, when suddenly a strong wind like a hurricane came and transformed the tree into a storm of lightning, thunder, rays and hail.
Then came another pine tree, less thick than the previous one, advancing in the same direction, and it placed itself above us and in a horizontal position began to descend. We fled, fearing to be crushed, and made many times the sign of the cross. The pine tree descended almost to ground level and remained suspended in the air. Only its branches touched the ground.
Then a light wind came and transformed it into rain that benefited the earth.
I believe that the immense tree that turns into a storm and hailstorm signifies the persecutions and attacks of enemies that always come to the Catholic Church, and to those who strive to be faithful to the true religion.
And the second tree that becomes rain that benefits the earth I believe is the Holy Church or one of her communities, which will continue to produce as much spiritual fruit in souls as the rain produces on earth.
Note: of the great and terrible tree it may be necessary to say what the prophet Daniel said to King Nebuchadnezzar, who had destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem and exiled the Israelites: "Your kingdom is an immense tree, but I have heard a voice from Heaven saying: Cut down the tree, break it in pieces, cut off its branches and let it produce no more fruit" (Daniel 4:11).
In another smaller tree can be represented some part of the Holy Church (for example: the Salesian Congregation) that is filling with spiritual fruits the places where it arrives, as the rain fills with good crops the land where it falls.