St. John Bosco had many dreams with profound spiritual meaning. Probably the most famous is the dream of the SHIP  at sea.   He envisioned a Ship at sea being tossed by the waves, surrounded my enemy boats, and in danger of being sunk.   The Captain on the helm of the ship is peering into the distance and he views two pillars that ascend from the waters, one a bit higher than the other.

The Captain knew that the safety of the ship and all of the crew members depended on one thing: to steer the ship in between the two pillars. With great energy of will and firm determination, the Captain succeeded in directing the ship in between the two pillars, and then chaining and anchoring the ship to the two pillars. This done, the waters subsided, the enemy ships disappeared, and the ship gently but securely arrived at the shore, safe and sound with all of the members!

On the top of the lower pillar was a majestic and beautiful image of Mary, “Help of Christians”. On the top of the higher pillar was enthroned  an impressive image of  Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament!  Mary’s eyes are contemplating the image of the Blessed Sacrament with folded hands and reverential posture.

This dream/vision of St. John Bosco expresses the hallmarks of Catholicism, and can be utilized as a clear, but powerful and convincing  educational tool to teach others the very essence of the Catholic faith. Following is    the symbolic interpretation of the  DREAM OF THE SHIP.( Saint John Bosco).

1. THE STORMY SEA.   Points to our life on earth which is truly a battle, it is combat and all are soldiers in the army of Christ the King! 

2. ENEMY SHIPS.   The 3 enemies that every soldier of Christ must encounter and conquer with the help of Christ the King.  They are the devil, the flesh and the world!

3. THE DEVIL tempts us with sinful thoughts and tries to seduce us as he did Eve in the garden!

4. THE FLESH.  As a result of Original Sin, the flesh demands instant satisfaction and flees from penance and discipline.

5. THE WORLD.  Tries to convince us that true happiness can be found in the things of this world.  “Eat, drink and be merry!  Live it up!  You have one life to live– go for it!

6.  THE CREW MEMBERS   on the ship are us, hoping to arrive safely at the shore.

7. THE SHIP.  Is the Catholic church.   As God used Noe to save his family and a few animals in the Ark, so God provides us with a secure refuge from our enemies in the Bark of Peter— the Catholic Church.

8. THE CAPTAIN.  The Captain of the Ship is the Holy Father, The Pope! If the crew can look to the Pope for spiritual and moral guidance, obey him, and trust him, then we are on sure footing.

9. PILLAR: THE EUCHARIST!   The Pope points to the two pillars leading to salvation.  The greatest is the most Holy Eucharist.  The Pope insists on our faith,  love and devotion towards Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.

10. MARY: HELP OF CHRISTIANS.   Mary, under the title, “Help of Christians”, always points to Jesus.  She said, “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour…” and “Do whatever he tells you.”   To love Mary is to love Jesus; the two are inseparable!

If we as crew members, are faithful members of Holy Mother Church, if we love Mary, love and receive the Eucharist reverently and frequently and fervently, if we have a humble, reverential and obedient attitude towards the Pope, the Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ, His Holiness, the Supreme Pontiff, then we will arrive safely to the shore. This shore is our heavenly homeland!
Long live Mary!  Long live Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament!  Long live the Pope!

“Viva Maria!” ” Viva Jesus Sacramentado!”    “Viva el Papa!”

WISDOM: SEEKING FOR WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT.

God asked Solomon to ask for anything and he would receive it. Instead of asking for money, power and prestige and personal glory,  Solomon asked instead for a wise and discerning heart so as to govern properly the people entrusted to hm.  God was pleased with this and indeed gave him a wise and discerning heart, but also riches, power and prestige.
Like Solomon. we should beg for true “Wisdom”.

What is Wisdom?   It is a gift of the Holy Spirit and according to St. Thomas Aquinas, it is the greatest of the 7 gifts.   A concise, easy to memorize , definition of “Wisdom” is  TO RELISH THE THINGS OF GOD.   The Psalmist expresses it with these words:  ‘Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. ”     Jesus expresses it as such: ” Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything will be given to you beside.”  This being said, what are manifestations to detect a truly “Wise” person? Here is the check list!   The truly “wise” person relishes and rejoices in the following activities.

1. PRAYER.   He is drawn to union with God in prayer. He has established a set time to pray and faithfully defends that time.  The Cure of Ars said that the basic duty of man on earth is to pray and to love.

2. THE WORD OF GOD.   Jesus responded with determination to the devil’s temptation that man does not live on Bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.  The truly wise person breaks open the bread of the word and nourishes himself on it daily. “Give us this day our daily bread.”

3.  SPIRITUAL FORMATION.  He is keenly aware of how much there is to learn about the treasures of his faith and rejoices in studying the faith.

4.  RETREATS.  He recognizes the need to leave the world and to be with the Lord in silence for a prolonged period. Jesus started off His public ministry with 40 days in the desert and then launched into the active ministry.   “First come and be with Jesus; then go out to the whole world.”  This is the proper order!

5. WILL OF GOD.  A truly wise person strives to seek the will of God in his life and then begs for the grace to carry it out faithfully.  “Thy Kingdom come they will be done..”.  Any endeavour done outside the will of God is barren and fruitless!

6. SAINTS FRIENDSHIP.   Wise people spend time with those of like interests!  The wisest persons who ever lived were the saints.   Indeed we imitate those with whom we associate. Saintly people will read the lives of the saints and imitate their example! Saints!  True models of heavenly wisdom!

7. TRUE MOTIVATION!   Truly wise people are constantly asking themselves before acting and making decisions this question:  “Will this action or decision draw me closer to heaven as well as others?”   If so,  may it be done!

8. HUMILITY.  A truly wise person realizes that he does not know it all, but humbly seeks counsel and advice from a Spiritual Director who can shed light on his darkness. St Teresa of Avila had several saints that she consulted!

9. PEARL OF INFINITE PRICE.   True wisdom pursues the “pearl of infinite value” and that is the Most Holy Eucharist. If in the course of the day, the Eucharist has been received worthily, then that person carries within his heart, mind, and soul the “Wisest of the Wise” Jesus!   Truly wise people have a double nourishment: the Bread of the Word, and the Bread of Life. They eat from the  two tables.  (Vatican II, Sacrosanctum Concilium)

10. MARY, THE SEAT OF WISDOM.  One of the many beautiful titles for the Blessed Virgin Mary is “Seat of Wisdom”.  Indeed true love and devotion to Mary fosters love and obedience for Jesus.  The last words recorded of Mary in the Bible, in the Wedding Feast of Cana, were among the wisest words ever pronounced:   DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU. (Jn. 2:5)

If the world would simply take to heart these last words recorded of Mary, “The Seat of Wisdom” and put them into practice, salvation would be universal; all would be saved! May Mary attain for all of us true Wisdom and eternal life!

DEATH: “Do not ask for whom the bell tolls, the bell tolls for you!”

Small or tall, dark or light, male or female, young or old, one thing they all have in common: the phantom of death soon or later will knock at their door.  A wise old woman-catechist stated:  “Death is the most certain of all realities, but it is also the most uncertain.” Death, nobody escapes it; however, nobody knows the day, the hour, the moment, nor the manner nor place! Still, the most important moment in our life is the moment we die and “how” we die!   To die in the state of sanctifying grace— in God’s Friendship– is the greatest of graces.  Why? Salvation, heaven, will be ours for all eternity!   How can we be prepared to die so as to live forever, let us see!

1. NO TO SPIRITUAL DEATH!   Avoid mortal sin at all costs— this  is “Spiritual death”.  If one dies in mortal sin– this is the worse— it is what the book of Apocalypse calls the “second death”. This results in the eternal loss of the soul for all eternity!

2. FALLEN, GET UP!  If you fall into mortal sin, get up by a good confession immediately!  Do not let the sun go down on your living in mortal sin.

3. LIVE EACH DAY IN THE LORD!   Live each day as if it were  the last day of your life!  Indeed, it could be.   Jesus will come like the thief in the night. Be prepared!

4. REWARD!  Remember your reward: heaven!  The reward for the faithful servant is tremendous:HEAVEN!  No trial, suffering, setback, anguish is too great if we think about the award that awaits: to be with God forever and ever!  “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered the mind of man the wonderful things that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

5. PRAYER!  St Augustine coined a memorable maxim: “He who prays well, lives well; he who lives well dies well; he who dies well, all is well.”   This says it all! Learn to pray well and your death well be holy! Give time, effort and energy to improving your prayer life!

6. SAINTS!  Look to the saints; read their lives; pray to them!  They have made it home safe and are our “best of friends” to help us by example and prayer to have a holy and happy death.

7.  NOVEMBER.  Especially in the month of the November to reflect every day on the “Last Things”: death, judgement, heaven and hell! Briefly, every night before retiring, remind yourself of these eternal truths!  One day I will die, be judged and either be saved or damned! These serious, eternal truths, once understood and prayed over, are powerful tools for conversion of life!

8.  BEGGARS FOR THE GREATEST GIFT!  When all is said and done, the only thing that really matters in this life is to attain the reason for our existence, our Principle and Foundation, the salvation of our immortal soul.  Therefore, a day should never pass in which we do not beg the Lord Jesus for the salvation of our soul—- the grace of a holy and happy death– as well as the salvation of our family as well as the salvation of the whole world.   “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. ” (Chaplet of Divine Mercy).

9. SHORTCUT TO THE ETERNAL GOAL.  (John 6) In unequivocal and clear words Jesus paves out the way to die well and to live forever: Nourishment on the “Bread of Life”.  Jesus says and repeats this all-important message:  “I am the Bread of life. Whoever eats my body and drinks my blood will have everlasting life.”   The body indeed will die, it must die!  But the soul will live forever if its nourishment has been “The Bread of Life in Holy Communion.” Proposal: “Give us this day our daily bread”….May this “Daily Bread” be daily Holy Communion. Then we will die physically only to live eternally in heaven!  Take the shortcut!

10. MARY: THE KEY TO HEAVEN!   Get into the habit of preparing yourself at least 50 times a day for your death— for a holy death— by saying the prayer that Mary loves most: the Hail Mary and the Holy Rosary.  “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen”  If said faithfully, the Holy Mother of God will be at your side and attain for you a holy and happy death and present you to Jesus, the fruit of her holy womb and heaven will be yours. The last words of St Bernadette were:    “Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for me poor sinner now and at the our of my death. Amen” 

WHEN THE SAINTS COME MARCHING HOME!!!!!

Saint Joseph, St John the Evangelist, St. Augustine, St. Clare,  St Benedict, St Ignatius of Loyola, St Teresa of Avila, St Louis de Montfort, St. Maximillian Kolbe—- what do these all have in common?   They are all saints, with God in heaven, and our friends while we journey on earth towards our eternal home: HEAVEN!   Saints are born in  different times, cultures, social environments, still they have many points in common. Let us  see!

1. SAINTS BORN SINNERS!   All saints are born as sinners, with Original sin and the effects of original sin– the innate tendency towards evil called concupiscence.

2. STRUGGLE!   That means that all saints had to struggle to overcome evil within themselves. They were “Spiritual warriors” fighting against  the devil, the flesh and the world.

3. ALL CALLED!  Indeed all men and women of every time and place are called to become saints.  Jesus could not be any clearer when He said:  “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.”  (Mt. 5:48). Once again,  “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for holiness, they will be satisfied.”  (Mt. 5:6).

4. PRAYER WARRIORS!  Saints are firmly convinced that their strength does not come from themselves, but from God and God communicates His strength through prayer!

5. CONFIDENCE!  Saints fall, but they are resilient; they do not stay down but bounce up. They trust in God.  They know that they are weak. However, they are convinced in the power of God.   “Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.”

6.  HUMILITY!  The saints are imbued with a spirit of humility. In practice, this means that they are aware that their successes come from the author of all God— God Himself. Whereas there failures are of their own doing!  Humility is truth. (St Teresa of Avila).

7. FRIENDS FROM HEAVEN.  Now as they perpetually praise the Blessed Trinity in heaven, they look down upon us with love and are always ready to come to our aid if we simply invoke them, call upon their name!  A beautiful habit: pray to 10 saints every day! How consoling the thought!

8. HOLY SPIRIT AND THE SAINTS.   Blessed Pope John XXIII asserted:  “The saints are the masterpieces of the Holy Spirit.” One of the titles for the Holy Spirit is “The Sanctifier— meaning “He who makes holy”.   St Louis de Montfort resounded with these words: ” When the Holy Spirit finds Mary in the soul, He flies to it. He enters therein and communicates Himself to that soul in abundance.”   Allow the Holy Spirit to transform you into another “masterpiece”.  He has the chisel and hammer ready!

9. SHORT CUT TO HOLINESS!   If we want to use the shortcut to arriving at holiness of life, then we must strive to make  faith-filled, frequent, and fervent Holy Communions. Why? The reason is simple: Jesus is the “Holy of Holies”. He is truly present in Holy Communion and He works, according to the disposition of the individual, in transforming them into living copies of Himself. For that reason the great Saint Paul  proclaimed:  “No longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.”    In your thanksgiving after receiving Holy Communion beg Jesus for this grace: LORD JESUS MAKE ME A SAINT!!!!!   Jesus is ready and willing and waiting for you!

10.  MARY, THE QUEEN OF SAINTS!    The saints all have this point in common: a loving, trusting, filial relationship to Mary most Holy the Queen of angels and saints. Now the saints rejoice to share eternity with their Mother and Queen, but they long with Mary to help us to arrive HOME!  Listen to a saint who was on fire with love for Mary:  “Those who burn with the fire  of Divine Love are children of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and wherever they go they enkindle that flame. Nothing distresses them; they rejoice in poverty, labor strenuously, welcome hardships, laugh off false accusations, and rejoice in anguish.“   (St. Anthony Mary Claret)

Future saints, pray to the saints, read the lives of the saints, love the saints, imitate the saints; turn to Mary, Queen of the saints. They are your friends and will be so in time and for all eternity!

LAST SUPPER: CONTEMPLATION— THE LORD GIVES ALL…

The whole life of Jesus on earth was a giving and a self-emptying, even until the last moment when He poured forth His Precious Blood for us up to the very last drop of Blood, after  His Heart was pierced with the lance— “Blood and water gushed forth.”

The Life of Jesus is a lesson for us and teaching for us to imitate.  His Words, Actions, Silence, Gestures, Expressions, Looks— all of these are treasures for us to meditate, imitate, and incorporate in our lives.

At the Last Supper, Holy Thursday, the night before He was  crucified, while He sat at the Table in the Upper Room, Jesus  leaves for our reflection gestures that  leave us astounded because of His immense love for us… Let us take  these gestures and occurrences and meditate upon them in depth!

1. WASHING OF THE FEET.   This was a gesture left for the lowest class in society, the slaves, who would take of the sandals of the guests and  wash their feet and dry them with a towel. Jesus did this gesture to the Apostles. Lesson: humility, service, purification, and penance. These are all virtues that we must imitate in contemplating Our Lord, who said, “I have not come to be served but to serve and give my life in ransom for many.”

2. GREATEST COMMANDMENT:  LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU…  We will all be judged on the double commandment of love of God and love of neighbor.  The cross best represents this double dimension of love: the vertical, our relation with God and the horizontal, our relationship with others.  Love must also be manifested by obedience as Jesus said:  “If you love me keep my commandments.”

3. INSTITUTION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST.   There at the Last Supper, Jesus gave us His greatest gift by instituting the greatest of all the Sacraments: The Holy Eucharist, withe the words:  ” Take and eat this is my Body; take and drink this is my Blood…”    May our hearts abound in thanksgiving and adoration for this sublime gift given for you and for me.” May our reception of this gift be faith-filled, frequent and fervent, until the end of our lives!

4. INSTITUTION OF PRIESTHOOD/HOLY ORDERS.   Connected with the Institution of the Eucharist, in  the context of the Last Supper, was also the Institution of Holy Orders or the Priesthood when Jesus said, “Do this in memory of me.”   How we should honor the priesthood, pray for priests, support priests, encourage priests, and pray and sacrifice ourselves for future priests (vocations to the priesthood).  As the Cure of Ars stated so clearly, ” No priest, no Mass, no Mass, no Consecration, no Consesecration, no  Real Presence in the Eucharist….We are left as spiritual orphans.  In all the important moments of your spiritual life the priest has been present: Baptism, confession, First Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Anointing of the sick, and burial—- the priest, there to accompany you on your pilgrimmage to heaven.

5.  PROPHECY OF SHEPHERD STRUCK AND SHEEP SCATTERED.   This Jesus did at the Last Supper! Jesus, the Good Shepherd, would be struck and taken and the sheep— His disciples scattered!  In moments of trial, we must pray all the more fervently and stay all the  closer to the Good Shepherd of our souls.

6. PRESUMPTION OF PETER.   Peter blurts out that the others will be dispersed, but he– Peter– would be faithful until the end!  Jesus makes the prophecy of the cock crowing and Peter denying Him three times! Peter’s falls started by presumption and pride. We should never presume that we are strong!  On the contrary, we are weakness incarnate!  St Paul says, “Be careful while you are standing, lest you fall.” Pride comes before the fall!

7. JUDAS’ BETRAYAL!   Furthermore, Jesus predicts the betrayal of Judas!  “What you have to do, do it quickly! Judas took the piece of bread and Satan entered him. He rushed out into the darkness.  When we leave Jesus— the Light of thw world— then we enter into darkness! Fulton Sheen states that the fall of Judas came about because  Judas “fell out of love for Jesus.” Our Daily Holy Hour is a certain means to keep the fire-aflame in our love for Jesus. Lord, grant me faithfulness to my Hour of Power/my Hour of loving Friendship with you!

8. FRIENDSHIP!  At the Last Supper Jesus calls His Apostles “Freinds”. Not simply servants, but truly “Friends”. This is a common teaching of Pope Benedict XVI, that all of us are called to establish and cultivate an ever deeper “Friendship” with Jesus. Friends spend time together; they share the same interests; they know each other well— they even start to imitate each other! May our “Friendship” with Jesus flourish and blossom every day!

9. I AM THE VINE AND YOU AR THE BRANCHES. (Jn. 15)  In the context of the Last Supper Jesus uses the image of the Vine and the Branches. He will cut and prune and purify so that we can produce  fruit and fruit in abundance. A true follower of Jesus is interested in what He is interested in: the salvation of souls! May our harvest be that of souls!

10. THE PARACLETE/CONSOLER: THE HOLY SPIRIT.  In the course of the Last Supper discourse— Jn 13– 17– Jesus consoles the Apostles with the words that He will not leave them as orphans, but He will send “Another”, the Paraclete or Consoler.   This is, of course, the Holy Spirit. Jesus will ascend on high but he will allow to descend the Holy Spirit and He will teach them all things! We are never alone!  “The Sweet Guest of our souls”, The Holy Spirit, will be with us always even until the end of time.  “Come Holy Spirit, come, through the Heart of Mary!

CONTEMPLATE!  Be present to see the Persons– especially Jesus— hear the Words, contemplate the gestures and derive much spiritual fruit!  May Our Lady of the Cenacle obtain for us all an abundant harvest!