St JOHN BOSCO had many prophetic dreams and performed many miracles (including healing) through his beloved MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS. In 1862, he had a remarkable, mystical dream, a vision of the future of the Church.

I will provide here my own summary of this dream, focusing only on a few points. The church is represented by a fleet of ships which are under attack by the ENEMY. In the midst of a fierce naval battle and a major storm, TWO COLUMNS of great height appear. They are very close to one another. On top of one, there is a STATUE OF THE VIRGIN MARY, with the inscription in Latin AUXILIUM CHRISTIANORUM (HELP OF CHRISTIANS in English); on the other, stands a LARGE HOST (EUCHARIST) with the words: SALUS CREDENTIUM (SALVATION OF THE FAITHFUL). After a long battle, the main ship of the Church (with the Pope on board as leader) is finally anchored to the two large columns, and the Church fleet becomes victorious miraculously. The enemy ships disappear under the waves ...and the sea is calm again...

You can interpret this vision in many ways. You can apply it to the entire church, to our parish, to your family, or to yourself individually. We all face different storms in our lives. I believe that the PEACE we all look for can be achieved only by being ONE IN OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. St. John Bosco's vision of the two pillars can help us in finding that Peace, which is Peace on earth right now, but also Peace in Heaven forever and ever. The sea is the world in which we live. The storms are the temptations of the devil and our failure in resisting them because of our strong attachments to the world.

The ship is our church: world church (Catholic Church), local church (parish), or domestic church (family or individual). We all want to be saved. We can be saved by BELIEVING in and staying attached to the EUCHARIST, MARY, and the HOLY SPIRIT. We should let the Holy Spirit guide our lives, steering our ship toward the two columns/ anchors of the HOLY EUCHARIST and MARY.

Mary as the Queen Mother in Heaven is very powerful and she holds the crowned infant Jesus in her arms (as represented in the beautiful image of Our Lady Help of Christians ). If we stay CLOSE TO MARY, she will keep leading us to Jesus and we will stay close to JESUS. If we believe in the REAL PRESENCE of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus in the EUCHARIST, we are transformed and become more and more ONE IN CHRIST. As St John Bosco says so eloquently:

"Trust in Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and in Mary most Holy and you will see what MIRACLES are". These are the miracles of SALVATION and ETERNAL PEACE in spite of our unworthiness and sinfulness.

Our parish is truly blessed to have received first-class relics ( bones) of both St John Bosco and his friend St Mary Mazzarello. Many of you were able to venerate them before CARDINAL GREGORY PLACES THEM IN OUR NEW ALTAR THIS SUNDAY. Let us remember the prayer that we recited at end of every Mass when venerating those two relics:

“Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, how sweet it is to come to your feet imploring your perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, how can you, the most loving of all mothers forget me? Grant then to me, I implore you, your perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow, and especially in all my temptations. I ask for your unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through your intercessions many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked you on earth we may love and eternally thank you in heaven.”

You are all invited to pray the NOVENA to St. John Bosco, beginning this Saturday, January 22, and ending on Saturday, January 30 (click here for the Novena to St John Bosco prayers).

“O Saint John Bosco, you were full of compassion toward all people, especially the young, who suffered from illness, poverty, hunger, injustice, and alienation. Pray for all in need, and for us too, that the blessings of God and protection of Mary Help of Christians may be on us all, to heal us, strengthen us, and comfort us. Pray for our families, especially for our young people, that they may be kept safely in God's grace.” (Prayer of the last day of the Novena)

One in Christ,

Father Alain