January 31

SAINT JOHN BOSCO

 

The Dream of the Pergola of Roses (I)

One day in the year 1847, while I deeply pondered on how to do good, especially for the benefit of the youth, the Queen of Heaven appeared to me and led me to a delightful garden. There I saw a sort of rustic, yet beautiful gallery, built like a hallway. Creeping ornamental plants covered its pillars with their thick leafy branches and flowers. This gallery opened onto a stunning pergola, bordered and covered with marvellous roses in full bloom. The ground also was strewn with roses. The Blessed Virgin said to me: "Take off your shoes! This is the path you should take."

 I was glad to take off my shoes, because I would have felt sorry about treading on the roses. I started to walk; but all at once I realized that the roses hid very sharp thorns. I had to stop and go back.


"I need my shoes here," I told my guide.


"Certainly," she answered, "you need good shoes."


So I put on some shoes and went back to the path with a few companions who had appeared in the meantime, asking to join me.

 

Many branches draped down from the top of the gallery like festoons, but I only saw the roses beside, above, and in front of me. My legs kept getting entangled in the lower branches and scratched by them; so I removed a side branch. I poked my hands, which were bleeding like the rest of my person. A great quantity of thorns lay hidden beneath the roses. Nevertheless, encouraged by the Blessed Virgin, I pushed on.

 

All the numerous people who were watching me walk under the pergola were saying: "Oh! look at the way Don Bosco keeps walking over the roses: he moves calmly as if everything's fine for him." But they couldn't see the thorns that were tearing my poor limbs.

 

Don Bosco

Story told in 1864. (Passed on by Don Lemoyne, published in 1903)

 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death.

Amen.

Ave Maria!