Although St. John Bosco was a saint, he also had a naughty side as a child. He loved to catch birds and once, he caught a magpie. Seeing how much it chirped excitedly enjoyed at one taste, he decided to feed it more and more cherry blossoms. The bird did not stop chirping, so as this continued, the bird’s stomach began expanding and expanding until it stood unmoving and fell dead on the ground. His mother Margherita used the opportunity to teach a lesson: indulgence will shorten the life of a glutton. Another time, John Bosco almost lost his life trying to catch some birds with his friends. The nest was in a tall tree and his friends had given up climbing it, but John Bosco was able to climb up and grab the birds. The way down, though, was much more difficult. He was stuck and struggled up and down for fifteen minutes before he lost his grip and fell hard on the ground. He gave the birds to his friends and walked home alone with a severe stomach pain. His mother was concerned and called the doctor, but he could not do anything for John Bosco refused to tell the full story in the presence of his mother. Fortunately, John Bosco was able to recover about three months later.
Spiritual Talk – Fr. Ho talks about St. John Bosco (7)
