Memorial of St. John Bosco [323] Hebrews 11:32-40 Psalm 31:20, 21, 22, 23, 24 Mark 5:1-20

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer Student Daily Reflection

Today marks the death of Saint John Bosco who was a poor child led by the spirit to do great things.  St. John Bosco became a priest (not an easy feat for one from poverty) and dedicated his life to helping poor children, especially delinquent boys.  In honor of Frances de Sales, he established the Salesians – an order that exists today and still focuses on youth centers and schools, orphanages and homes, and nurseries.  In one of those God-incidences that happens so often as I start to write a reflection, my mail today contained information from the Salesian Missions.  I must admit to reading it much more thoroughly than ever before and seeing in the works listed with homes all over the world, that St. John’s work still lives on.  He had great faith that through gentleness, love, and sharing the word of the Lord that the youth would be receptive to change.  He gave them hope for the future and showed them the love that many had never known.  In today’s mailing, there was a prayer card entitled Hope.  The prayer is full of words that echo the connection between hope and faith – hope used synonymously with faith in reaching out to God and the knowing that He is there.

While this date honors St. John because it is the anniversary of his death, the readings fit perfectly with this message of hope, faith, and serving others.  In the first reading, the final paragraph clarifies for us that through our faith, there is something far better for us than anything on this earth.  Those mentioned in the reading accomplished great acts through their faithfulness but would not see all the rewards of that faith until later.

The responsorial psalm clearly emphasizes hope (faith) and the comfort that is included in such belief.  More than any physical offerings, hope is what allows one to persevere and look toward the future.  I believe that even today so much of the unrest of the youth and others struggling with their plight in life springs from their total lack of hope for anything else.  If what the world gives me today is all there is then why bother.  It is the light of hope that drives one to greater good.  Hope that there can be a different outcome, faith that that outcome will happen because God is great and all powerful. The hope and faith that the “best is yet to come” although it will be in God’s time not our time.

Even the gospel today echoes the promise of hope.  The man possessed by Legion still runs to Jesus and prostrates himself – clearly a sign of hope and faith.  As I read these passages of the gospel, I couldn’t help but think of the demons we all carry – our pride, our fears, our unwillingness to fully embrace the messages of Jesus.  Sometimes these demons are so strong we forget that if we prostrate ourselves (literally or figuratively) that we will not have to fight them alone.  While they may not be driven into swine, they can, indeed, be driven from us and replaced with hope of what is to come.  The last line of the prayer card from Salesian Missions sums it nicely: Hope is striving for God’s love to uphold you day and night!