>> A READING FROM THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. AN INFORMANT CAME TO DAVID WITH THE REPORT, THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HAVE TRANSFERRED THEIR LOYALTY TO ABSALOM. AT THIS, DAVID SAID TO ALL HIS SERVANTS WHO WERE WITH HIM IN JERUSALEM: UP! LET US TAKE FLIGHT, OR NONE OF US WILL ESCAPE FROM ABSALOM. LEAVE QUICKLY, LEST HE HURRY AND OVERTAKE US, THEN VISIT DISASTER UPON US AND PUT THE CITY TO THE SWORD. AS DAVID WENT UP THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, HE WEPT WITHOUT CEASING. HIS HEAD WAS COVERED, AND HE WAS WALKING BAREFOOT. ALL THOSE WHO WERE WITH HIM ALSO HAD THEIR HEADS COVERED AND WERE WEEPING AS THEY WENT. AS DAVID WAS APPROACHING BAHURIM, A MAN NAMED SHIMEI, THE SON OF GERA OF THE SAME CLAN AS SAUL'S FAMILY, WAS COMING OUT OF THE PLACE, CURSING AS HE CAME. HE THREW STONES AT DAVID AND AT ALL THE KING'S OFFICERS, EVEN THOUGH ALL THE SOLDIERS, INCLUDING THE ROYAL GUARD, WERE ON DAVID'S RIGHT AND ON HIS LEFT. SHIMEI WAS SAYING AS HE CURSED: AWAY, AWAY, YOU MURDEROUS AND WICKED MAN! THE LORD HAS REQUITED YOU FOR ALL THE BLOODSHED IN THE FAMILY OF SAUL, IN WHOSE STEAD YOU BECAME KING, AND THE LORD HAS GIVEN OVER THE KINGDOM TO YOUR SON ABSALOM. AND NOW YOU SUFFER RUIN BECAUSE YOU ARE A MURDERER. ABISHAI, SON OF ZERUIAH, SAID TO THE KING: WHY SHOULD THIS DEAD DOG CURSE MY LORD THE KING? LET ME GO OVER, PLEASE, AND LOP OFF HIS HEAD. BUT THE KING REPLIED: WHAT BUSINESS IS IT OF MINE OR OF YOURS, SONS OF ZERUIAH, THAT HE CURSES? SUPPOSE THE LORD HAS TOLD HIM TO CURSE DAVID; WHO THEN WILL DARE TO SAY, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? THEN THE KING SAID TO ABISHAI AND TO ALL HIS SERVANTS: IF MY OWN SON, WHO CAME FORTH FROM MY LOINS, IS SEEKING MY LIFE, HOW MUCH MORE MIGHT THIS BENJAMINITE DO SO? LET HIM ALONE AND LET HIM CURSE, FOR THE LORD HAS TOLD HIM TO. PERHAPS THE LORD WILL LOOK UPON MY AFFLICTION AND MAKE IT UP TO ME WITH BENEFITS FOR THE CURSES HE IS UTTERING THIS DAY. DAVID AND HIS MEN CONTINUED ON THE ROAD, WHILE SHIMEI KEPT ABREAST OF THEM ON THE HILLSIDE, ALL THE WHILE CURSING AND THROWING STONES AND DIRT AS HE WENT. ♪ VERBUM DOMINI ♪ >> ♪ DEO GRATIAS ♪ >> LORD, RISE UP AND SAVE ME. >> LORD, RISE UP AND SAVE ME. >> O LORD, HOW MANY ARE MY ADVERSARIES! MANY RISE UP AGAINST ME! MANY ARE SAYING OF ME, THERE IS NO SALVATION FOR HIM IN GOD. >> LORD, RISE UP AND SAVE ME. >> BUT YOU, O LORD, ARE MY SHIELD; MY GLORY, YOU LIFT UP MY HEAD! WHEN I CALL OUT TO THE LORD, HE ANSWERS ME FROM HIS HOLY MOUNTAIN. LORD, RISE UP AND SAVE ME. >> WHEN I LIE DOWN IN SLEEP, I WAKE AGAIN, FOR THE LORD SUSTAINS ME. I FEAR NOT THE MYRIADS OF PEOPLE ARRAYED AGAINST ME ON EVERY SIDE. >> LORD, RISE UP AND SAVE ME. (ORGAN) >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ A GREAT PROPHET HAS ARISEN IN OUR MIDST AND GOD HAS VISITED HIS PEOPLE ♪ >> ♪ ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ♪ >> ♪ DOMINUS VOBISCUM ♪ >> ♪ ET CUM SPIRITU TUO ♪ >> ♪ LECTIO SANCTI EVANGELII SECUNDUM MARCUM ♪ >> ♪ GLORIA TIBI, DOMINE ♪ >> JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES CAME TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA, TO THE TERRITORY OF THE GERASENES. WHEN HE GOT OUT OF THE BOAT, AT ONCE A MAN FROM THE TOMBS WHO HAD AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT MET HIM. THE MAN HAD BEEN DWELLING AMONG THE TOMBS, AND NO ONE COULD RESTRAIN HIM ANY LONGER, EVEN WITH A CHAIN. IN FACT, HE HAD FREQUENTLY BEEN BOUND WITH SHACKLES AND CHAINS, BUT THE CHAINS HAD BEEN PULLED APART BY HIM AND THE SHACKLES SMASHED, AND NO ONE WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO SUBDUE HIM. NIGHT AND DAY AMONG THE TOMBS AND ON THE HILLSIDES HE WAS ALWAYS CRYING OUT AND BRUISING HIMSELF WITH STONES. CATCHING SIGHT OF JESUS FROM A DISTANCE, HE RAN UP AND PROSTRATED HIMSELF BEFORE HIM, CRYING OUT IN A LOUD VOICE, WHAT HAVE YOU TO DO WITH ME, JESUS, SON OF THE MOST HIGH GOD? I ADJURE YOU BY GOD, DO NOT TORMENT ME! HE HAD BEEN SAYING TO HIM, UNCLEAN SPIRIT, COME OUT OF THE MAN! HE ASKED HIM, WHAT IS YOUR NAME? HE REPLIED, LEGION IS MY NAME. THERE ARE MANY OF US. AND HE PLEADED EARNESTLY WITH HIM NOT TO DRIVE THEM AWAY FROM THAT TERRITORY. NOW A LARGE HERD OF SWINE WAS FEEDING THERE ON THE HILLSIDE. AND THEY PLEADED WITH HIM, SEND US INTO THE SWINE. LET US ENTER THEM. AND HE LET THEM, AND THE UNCLEAN SPIRITS CAME OUT AND ENTERED THE SWINE. THE HERD OF ABOUT TWO THOUSAND RUSHED DOWN A STEEP BANK INTO THE SEA, WHERE THEY WERE DROWNED. THE SWINEHERDS RAN AWAY AND REPORTED THE INCIDENT IN THE TOWN AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRYSIDE. AND PEOPLE CAME OUT TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. AS THEY APPROACHED JESUS, THEY CAUGHT SIGHT OF THE MAN WHO HAD BEEN POSSESSED BY LEGION, SITTING THERE CLOTHED AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND. AND THEY WERE SEIZED WITH FEAR. THOSE WHO WITNESSED THE INCIDENT EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THE POSSESSED MAN AND TO THE SWINE. THEN THEY BEGAN TO BEG HIM TO LEAVE THEIR DISTRICT. AS HE WAS GETTING INTO THE BOAT, THE MAN WHO HAD BEEN POSSESSED PLEADED TO REMAIN WITH HIM. BUT JESUS WOULD NOT PERMIT HIM BUT TOLD HIM INSTEAD, GO HOME TO YOUR FAMILY AND ANNOUNCE TO THEM ALL THAT THE LORD IN HIS PITY HAS DONE FOR YOU. THEN THE MAN WENT OFF AND BEGAN TO PROCLAIM IN THE DECAPOLIS WHAT JESUS HAD DONE FOR HIM; AND ALL WERE AMAZED. THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD >> PRAISE TO YOU, LORD JESUS CHRIST. >> OUR ST. TODAY ST. JOHN BOSCO WAS BORN IN 1815 AND DIED ON THIS DAY JANUARY 31, 1888. HE WAS 72 YEARS OLD. HE HAD A NUMBER OF VERY PROPHETIC DREAMS. PERHAPS THE 1ST 1 WHEN HE WAS JUST 9 YEARS OLD. SO HE HAS THIS DREAM WHEN HE IS 9 YEARS OLD. WHERE HE SEES A SCHOOLYARD AND THE BOYS ARE PLAYING BUT THEN A NUMBER OF THEM WERE SWEARING. HE GOT UPSET. HE GOES TO THEM WITH FIST AND YELLING AT THEM TO STOP. STOP SWEARING. AND THIS FIGURE A MAN DRESSED IN WHITE WITH A FACE TOO BRIGHT, FULL OF LIGHT FOR HIM TO SEE THE FACE SAID TO HIM THAT HE WOULD WIN THEM AS FRIENDS NOT WITH HIS FISTS BUT WITH HIS KINDNESS AND GENTLENESS HE WOULD WIN THEM AS HIS FRIENDS. HE ALSO POINTED TO A WOMAN. A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN. WHO WOULD BE WANT TO HELP THEM IN THIS WORK. HE DID NOT KNOW WHO THESE 2 WERE OF COURSE. IT IS OUR LORD AND OUR LADY. OUR LADY AND HE ASKED WHO ARE YOU? SHE SAID I AM THE ONE YOUR MOTHER SHE HAS YOU HONOR ME 3 TIMES A DAY. AND SO IN A VERY PARTICULAR WAY THAT SHE WAS GOING TO BE ONE THAT WOULD HELP HIM IN THIS WORK. WHEN HE TOLD HIS MOTHER MARGUERITE, ABOUT THE DREAM SHE SAID WELL YOU'RE BEING CALLED TO BE A PRIEST. SO INDEED HE WAS ORDAINED AT THE AGE OF 26. AND WHEN HE WAS ACCOMPANYING ANOTHER ST. JOHN JOSEPH CAFASSO AND HIS VISITS TO THE PRISONS, HE ENCOUNTERED MANY DELINQUENT BOYS. BECAUSE OF THEIR BAD BEHAVIOR. THIS WAS A TIME WHEN YOU HAD THE FACTORIES WITH CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS 7 YEARS OLD BEING PUT IN FACTORIES ALL DAY LONG. SOME OF THEM WERE ORPHANS THEY HAD NOWHERE TO LIVE. SOME OF THEM HAD FATHERS WHO HAD PASSED AWAY OR WERE DISABLED. SO THEY WERE WORKING THESE LONG HOURS. AND THE ONES WHO DO NOT HAVE A HOME WOULD DO WHATEVER THEY COULD LIVING IN ABANDONED HOMES OR WHATEVER AND THEY WOULD GET INTO TROUBLE. SO ONE DAY JOHN BOSCO WAS HAVING MASS, THE DELINQUENT BOY HAD SHOWN UP AND THE SACRISTAN CHASED HIM AWAY. JOHN BOSCO BEFRIENDED THE BOY. 1 OF THE THINGS THAT I NEGLECTED TO SAY ABOUT THIS DREAM HE HAD AS A BOY AT 9 IT WAS SOMETHING THAT INFLUENCED HIM THE REST OF HIS LIFE. HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND IT UNTIL HE LOOKED AT IT IN RETROSPECT. WHAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DREAM WISE. IS THAT AS A 9 YEAR OLD IN THIS DREAM HE IS SEEING OUR LADY SHE POINTS AND THERE ARE ALL OF THESE WILD ANIMALS. AND IT WOULD BE THROUGH HIS WORK THAT THESE WILD ANIMALS WOULD BECOME LAMBS. AND SO I HAVE THIS THIS TODAY WHERE YOU SEE THESE LITTLE LAMBS AND THE DREAM OF THE 9 YEAR OLD THAT THESE WILD ANIMALS BE TURNED INTO LAMBS. THEY WERE JUMPING AROUND WITH JOY BEFORE JESUS AND MARY. SO THIS WAS HIS LIFE'S WORK TO HELP THESE AND BY THE TIME OF HIS DEATH IN 1888130,000 CHILDREN WERE BEING SUPPORTED BY THE SALESIANS THE COMMUNITY FOUNDED, MEN AND WOMEN IN 250 HOMES. QUITE REMARKABLE. WHEN I 1ST CAME HERE IN 1985 I WOULD COME TO DAILY MASS AND THE SISTERS I THINK THERE WERE 12 AT THE TIME, THERE WAS NO PRIEST ON THE CAMPUS HERE. THE SALESIANS WERE AT THEIR MISSION OF THE HOLY ROSARY. IT IS NOT THE BEST PART OF TOWN. ABOUT 15 MILES FROM HERE. THEY WERE MINISTERING TO THE POOR CHILDREN THERE. AND SO 1 OF THEIR PRIEST FATHER PAT WOULD COME HERE AND HAVE MASS FOR THE SISTERS. THEY WERE GRATEFUL FOR THE SALESIANS FOR THE WORK THEY DID FOR SO MANY YEARS HERE. MANY OF US KNEW BROTHER CHARLES. AND FOR A SHORT TIME I WAS A MEMBER OF THE SALESIAN COOPERATORS. THAT HE WAS DIRECTING AND THEY WERE LAYPEOPLE WHO WERE HELPING WITH THE WORK OF THE SALESIAN'S. AND THE VERY 1ST SALESIAN COOPERATOR IS CONSIDERED DON BOSCO'S MOTHER AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HER A LITTLE BIT THIS MORNING AND DON BOSCO'S MOTHER JOHN WHEN HE WAS NOT EVEN YET 2 YEARS OLD HIS FATHER PASSED AWAY AND HIS MOTHER MARGARITA HAD TO RAISE THESE 3 BOYS JOHN AND HIS 2 OLDER BROTHERS HAD TO TEND TO THE FARM AND HAD TO HELP PAY THE DEBTS OFF SO SHE HAD TO DEVELOP THIS RESILIENCY AND STRENGTH AND AT THE SAME TIME SHE IS TEACHING HER SONS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FAITH AND INSTRUCTING THEM IN THE FAITH AND SHE HAD A GREAT DEVOTION TO OUR LADY. TEACHING THEM ABOUT OUR LADY. AFTER HER SON JONATHAN BECOMES ORDAINED TO THE PRIESTHOOD SHE IS 58 YEARS OLD AND HE IS BEGINNING TO TAKE CARE OF THESE YOUNG BOYS AND LATER THERE WOULD ALSO BE YOUNG GIRLS. HE WOULD HAVE A DREAM ABOUT THESE POOR STARVING GIRLS AND WITH ST. MARY MAZZARELLO HE WOULD BEGIN THE SALESIAN SISTERS. AND HELP THE GIRLS THE POOR GIRLS. SO HE WAS GOING TO BEGIN A PERMANENT HOME FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE LIVING IN TEMPORARY THINGS UP UNTIL THAT TIME. HE IS BEGINNING A PERMANENT HOME IN TURIN ABOUT 18 MILES AWAY FROM WHERE THEY WERE LIVING. AND HE ASKED HIS MOTHER TO HELP WITH THIS. SHE WANTED TO STAY AROUND HER GRANDCHILDREN AND SO ON AND YET SHE SAID IF THIS IS GOD'S WILL THEN I WILL HELP YOU. IF YOU BELIEVE THIS IS GOD'S WILL. SO THE LAST 10 YEARS OF HER LIFE SHE WAS THERE WITH JOHN BOSCO HER SON AND SHE WAS KNOWN AS MAMA MARGARITA. MAMA BOSCO. IT WAS IN 2006 THAT POPE BENEDICT DECLARED HER VENERABLE SO HER CAUSE FOR CANONIZATION CONTINUES. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL STORY OF HOW SHE BECAME A MOTHER. A NUMBER OF THESE YOUNG BOYS WERE ORPHANS. YET THEY FOUND A MOTHER IN HER HEART. SHE WOULD DEMAND THEIR TROUSERS AND WASH THEIR LAUNDRY AND COOK FOR THEM AND SHE STARTED A VEGETABLE GARDEN SO THAT SHE COULD HAVE ADDITIONAL FOOD AND VEGETABLES FOR THEIR SOUPS AND SO ON. THERE IS ONE STORY HOWEVER WHERE SHE GOT FED UP WITH THE RAMBUNCTIOUS BOYS. SHE HAD SHEETS HANGING OUT AND THEY HAD RUN THROUGH AND TORN SOME OF THEM DOWN AND THEY WERE DIRTY AND THEY TRAMPLED IN HER VEGETABLE GARDEN. AND SHE SAID JOHN THIS IS ENOUGH I WANT TO GO BACK. AND JOHN POINTED TO THE CRUCIFIX. SO SHE RETURNED TO AMENDING HER TROUSERS AND SHE STAYED THERE THE REST OF HER LIFE FOR 10 YEARS SHE HELPED. SHE WAS KNOWN AS MAMA MARGARITA AND MAMA BOSCO. AND SHE HAD THIS MOTHERLY HEART FOR THESE YOUNG BOYS AND AS WE HAD IN THE OFFICE OF READINGS TODAY JOHN BOSCO SAID TO THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY HE SAID, WE ARE TAKING THE PLACE OF THE PARENTS OF THESE CHILDREN. IT IS EASIER FOR US TO GIVE IN AND VENT OUR ANGER THAN IT IS TO BE PATIENT WITH THEM. TO LEAD THEM. SO FOR THE SALESIANS JOHN WAS INSTRUCTED AS HE WAS BY OUR LORD WITH THIS VISION AT 9 YEARS OLD THIS DREAM THAT HE HAD OF A PREVENTATIVE SYSTEM, BASED ON REASON, RELIGION, FAITH AND LOVING KINDNESS. SO IT WAS BEING A TRUE FATHER AND TRUE MOTHERS IN THE CASE OF MAMA MARGARITA. TO BE GENTLE WITH THEM. TO LEAD THEM. TO GUIDE THEM TO HOLINESS OF LIFE. 1 OF THOSE BOYS WE PROCLAIM TODAY A SAINT, ST. DOMINIC SAVIO. INDEED THE DREAM WOULD BE FULFILLED WITH SO MANY CHILDREN. SO TODAY WE HAVE OUR YOUTH CHOIR HERE WE HAVE OUR YOUNG SERVERS HERE AND LET US CHERISH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO ASSIST THEM IN DEVELOPING THEIR LIVES WITH GENTLENESS AND PATIENCE AND LOVE AND GRATITUDE TO WELCOME THEM. AND JUST A WORD TODAY ABOUT THE DEVOTION OF THE SALESIANS TO OUR LADY UNDER THE TITLE OF HELP OF CHRISTIANS. TO LOOK AT THAT RELATED TO TODAY'S GOSPEL. WHERE JESUS GOES TO THIS GENTILE TERRITORY AND ENCOUNTERS THIS MAN WHO IS POSSESSED BY MANY DEMONS. THERE IS A BOOK THAT WAS PUBLISHED LAST YEAR, THE DIARY OF AN AMERICAN EXORCIST. IN THIS BOOK 1 OF THE CASES THAT HE TALKS ABOUT THAT HE DEALT WITH AND TOOK MANY SESSIONS WAS A MAN BY THE NAME OF JASON. WHO FOOLISHLY HAD INVITED SATAN TO HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL. AND HE WAS TAKEN AT HIS WORD. AND HE SAID IT WAS 1 OF THE MOST DIFFICULT CASES WE HAD BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY DEMONS. BUT AS THE SESSIONS WENT ON HIS THE DEMONS WERE BEING WEAKENED THERE COMES A POINT WHEN HE COULD ASK THEM, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE? AND BY WHAT MEANS? AND THEY DO NOT LIKE TO REVEAL THAT BUT AS THEY GET WEAKENED THEY HAVE TO REVEAL THAT. THEY SAID WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE IN 2 WEEKS BECAUSE SHE WILL COME. THEY WOULD NOT SAY THE NAME OF OUR LADY. THEY WOULD JUST REFER TO HER AS SHE. WE WILL LEAVE IN 2 WEEKS BECAUSE SHE WILL COME. AND INDEED THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED 2 WEEKS LATER THAT JASON SEES OUR LADY COME AND THE DEMONS FLEE. THEY LEAVE. SO HE WAS LIBERATED. AND IN A SPECIAL WAY THIS EXORCIST ENCOURAGES THOSE ALL OF US REALLY TO BE CONSECRATED TO OUR LADY AND TO ENTRUST OUR LIVES IN OUR WORK TO HER JUST AS THE SALESIANS DID FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND SHE WILL HELP US. SHE WILL HELP US TO OVERCOME THE WILES OF THE EVIL ONE. TO BE FREE OF HIS DOMINION. SO THAT WE CAN ENJOY THE FREEDOM OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD. "LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME. IT IS TO SUCH OF THESE THAT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN BELONGS." MAY WE ALWAYS HAVE CHILDLIKE TRUST GOING TO JESUS AND MARY TO TURN US WOLVES EVEN INTO GENTLE LAMBS WHO DELIGHT IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS AND MARY.
