John Bosco was born on August 16, 1815, to a poor farming family in Becchi, a small suburb of Turin,
Italy. The child grew to be the “Beloved Apostle of
Youth”. One of John Bosco’s earliest recollections occurred at age two. He remembers his mother telling him upon his father’s death , “You have no father now”. Although he stated that he could not remember what his father was like , his death must have had a profound effect on him and perhaps sparked his desire to help troubled boys, many of whom were fatherless.
I cannot say that I have suffered the loss of a close family member and can only imagine the effect it could have on my life.
From the time he was a young child, John Bosco seemed to have a clear understanding of God’s ways; and what he didn’t understand was often made clear to him by his mother “Mama Margaret”. She seemed to know, even at an early age, that her son was destined to do good in the name of God. She taught him by example from an early age and continued to support him and all his good works throughout his life. She eventually joined him at he Oratory and became “Mother” to hundreds of boys. Her positive influence was felt by all of those boys. It was almost as if the Blessed Mother worked through her good example and words of wisdom.
Mama Margaret warned her son to “beware of bad boys you may meet on your journey through life”. and asked him one day, “Why do you go with such bad boys?”
How many mothers have echoed similar words? How confident John Bosco was in the power of his good example when he replied, “If I am with them they are better and do not say bad words”. Wouldn’t this world be a better place if we all had such confidence and faith in the power our own good example.
As a young child, John Bosco had the ability to attract young boys. He went out of his way to study
“traveling show” folk to learn acrobatic and sleight of hand tricks to entertain the boys who would gather around him. After a performance he would discuss a sermon from a recent Mass or lead the group in a hymn.
If people started to leave he would tell them that they couldn’t come back and see more tricks unless they stayed for the sermon. Of course they remained.
At age nine John had a dream that clearly indicated his intentions of becoming a priest. Mama Margaret understood this dream and set out to educate her son and prepare him for First Holy Communio...
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...ready does exist, but we haven’t taken notice yet. I have to admit that mothers seem to have this ability to sense when we are about to get into trouble whether we know it or not.
Needless to say, John Bosco worked tirelessly for his boys. A doctor had commented that his body seemed like that of a much older man. Perhaps that was because John Bosco never refused a request from anyone in need. He gave generously of his time, his energy, and his wisdom. He died on January 31, 1888 and was canonized in 1934.
While reading this book I could not help but recognize the similarities between John Bosco’s Oratories and our school. There is clearly a feeling of brotherhood among the students at Don Bosco Prep. I remember how we all laughed during orientation when we were told about this feeling of brotherhood, but all of us now agree that it exists. We are led by the good example of our teachers and priests, are made to follow a code of discipline, and are provided academic and religious instruction. It is an atmosphere that guides us in choosing between right and wrong and hopefully gives us confidence and faith in the power of our own good example. The work of Saint John Bosco continues!
After her graduation, she tried to join the Daughters of the Sacred Heart again. Mother Giovanna Francesca Grassi knew that Frances was full of virtue, but declined her request because she felt that Frances’ poor health would prevent her from fully participating in religious life. However, Mother Grassi kept her motivated by saying, “You are called to establish another Institute that will bring new glory to the Heart of Jesus.” Upset by the news, Frances returned to her hometown of Sant’Angelo and ta...
In short, Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman. The mother women seemed to prevail that summer at Grand Isle. It was easy to know them, fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood. They were women who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels. (p.29)
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is featured in the National Park Service American Southwest Travel Itinerary http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/amsw/, Places Reflecting America's Diverse Cultures: Explore their Stories in the National Park System Travel Itinerary http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/cultural_diversity/index.html, and American Latino Heritage Travel Itinerary. http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/american_latino_heritage/Quarai.html
Trip savvy says “Governor Portola moved northward from San Diego in 1769, looking for the Monterey Bay. His party found a small river and a coastal valley near the present location of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. There were many bears there, so they named the area La Canada de Los Osos, Valley of the Bears. Over the years 1804 - 1832 San Luis Obispo produced 167,000 bushels of wheat, barley, corn, beans, peas and lentils. Despite its relatively small population, it had the fourth highest production of wheat in the entire chain. The mission even had its own grist mill. San Luis Obispo de tolosa had grape arbors within the mission quadrangle and there was a garden in the northeast corner.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards in the Santa Clara Valley, it was the home to the Ohlone natives. Their territory spanned from San Jose all the way to the Guadalupe River, originating from Santa Clara. The process of converting the land into Spanish settlements began in 1777. This began with the expeditions of Sergeant Jose Ortega. When his soldiers arrived on the land, they noted the vast resources that were available. These resources included a constant source of freshwater, multiple native villages that was spread out along the river, timber, and rich lands. Mission Santa Clara was soon established on the west banks of the Guadalupe River along with the first Pueblo town, El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe on the east. The river helped create a borderline that separated the missionary control of Mission Santa Clara and the pueblo village (Dixon, 1997).
Herbers grew up on a small family-farm in Iowa that has been in his family for over four generations. His devout catholic family consisted of thirteen nuns and two priests. When a recruiting diocesan priest spoke at his high school, he was intrigued by what he heard about the profession. His faith had always been strong and his family members who devoted their lives to the church made him think, "If they could do it, [he] could too." Herbers realized his calling during his freshman year in high school; he would study to become a priest.
On July 18, a group of 26 students, including myself, embarked on a service trip down to San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic. San Juan de la Maguana is an impoverished town on the western side of the Dominican Republic, right in the middle of the island of Hispaniola. While there, we organized a camp for the local children in the town through the local parish, Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza. While there I came to two realizations. One being the language barrier separating the groups of Americans and Dominicans couldn’t keep away the genuine human connection between us. The other was questioning whether these kids needed our help as much as some other people needed it.
Francis of Assisi was a poor man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit and without a mite of self-importance. Francis was famous for his love of all creation. He called for simplicity of life, poverty, and humility before God. He worked to care for the poor. Thousands were drawn to his sincerity, piety, and joy. In all his actions, Francis sought to follow fully and literally the way of life demonstrated by Christ in the Gospels. My report is going to discuss the life and contributions of St. Francis of Assisi.
It was going to be the time of our lives. Four buddies of mine and I went out to Jackson, Wyoming to do some of the best snowboarding of our lives. It was our chance to get away from home for a week and have the best time of our lives. The trip out there was extremely boring driving through Iowa, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Possibly the three most boring states in the country.
Mama, as a member of an older generation, represents the suffering that has always been a part of this world. She spent her life coexisting with the struggle in some approximation to harmony. Mama knew the futility of trying to escape the pain inherent in living, she knew about "the darkness outside," but she challenged herself to survive proudly despite it all (419). Mama took on the pain in her family in order to strengthen herself as a support for those who could not cope with their own grief. Allowing her husband to cry for his dead brother gave her a strength and purpose that would have been hard to attain outside her family sphere. She was a poor black woman in Harlem, yet she was able to give her husband permission for weakness, a gift that he feared to ask for in others. She gave him the right to a secret, personal bitterness toward the white man that he could not show to anyone else. She allowed him to survive. She marveled at his strength, and acknowledged her part in it, "But if he hadn't had...
Mama is a very quiet character in the beginning of the story. The book starts off when papa throws a missal at Jaja for not attending the Communion. The missal papa throws causes Mama’s favorite figurines to fall and break. Mama quietly observes the scene and she cleans it up. Out of respect for Eugene, she has nothing to say even though the figurines were something she favors and cares about. Adichie writes, “She stared at the figurin...
Mama is a powerful, strong witted person. She has a lot of control in this play and dominates as a woman character. This is unusual because this is usually a male’s position in life. She is a woman, “who has adjusted to many things in life and overcome many more, her face is full of strength”. In this play she is illustrated as taking over for the head of the family and controls the lives of everyone in her house. Rules are followed to Mama’s extent. She controls what is said and done in her house. After Walter yells, “WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE LISTEN TO ME TODAY!” (70). Mama responds in a strong tone of voice saying, “I don’t ‘low no yellin’ in this house, Walter Lee, a...
The many companions Teresa of Avila had over her lifetime is something to be viewed as a double edged sword. In The Life of St. Teresa, she herself reveals the inner workings of these friendships and how external influence threatened to interfere the freedom that her connection with God brought her. She contemplates the path she has traveled, wrought with companionship both toward fellow man and God. As she contemplates she grapples with themes of divine fate, free will, and positive and negative influences experienced over a lifetime. Through this contemplation there arises a clear link between the soul 's relationship with God and the resulting freedom that flourishes. In this paper I will argue that companionship with God is the only friendship