We are accustomed to reading of Don Bosco in an urban situation. Cobblestoned streets, dark laneways, drab monotonous buildings, the grime and dirt, the hustle and bustle of city life! But Don Bosco was a lover of the great outdoors.
These days, as the evenings lengthen, morning walks are very rewarding. Spring is everywhere. The songs and nesting activity of birds are evident; flowers, scrubs and trees are bursting into life. Yet one hears the complaint, "Ah the blossoms fade too quickly!"
The poet Hilaire Belloc was attracted to the apocryphal gospel of James which contained many imaginative stories of the young boy Jesus at Nazareth and to which he lent his poetic skills:
Pope Francis hopes that the week dedicated to Laudato Si will rekindle the energy the Encyclical contributed to protecting the environment.
Today, May 6th is the Feast Day of St. Dominic Savio, one of the Catholic church's youngest saints and perhaps the most well known of Don Bosco’s students. He was from a poor working-class family and one of 10 children, so it was always a very busy and noisy life for him growing up!