Spiritual Talk – Fr. Ho talks about St. John Bosco (2)

While St. John Bosco was a child, his mother Margherita loved to talk of God to her children. Once, while gazing at the beautiful night sky, she said, “How much more beautiful is heaven.” During a thunderstorm, she exclaimed, “How much mightier is God.” When hail destroyed the harvest, she accepted that God was retrieving His own blessings; when the harvest was bountiful, she praised God for the daily bread He gave. However, her step-son Antonio had a bad temper that Margherita had to deal with for many years. Once, she instructed him to no longer pray “as we forgive those who trespass against us” in the Our Father, as he could no longer ask for God’s forgiveness when he gave none to his brothers. Realizing his errors, Antonio apologized. At another time, Antonio threatened Margherita with his fists. Margherita replied that Antonio was entrusted to her care by her late husband and she loved him. In the end, Antonio realized his fault and apologized. Rita’s patience and love for Antonio eventually paid off, as he grew into a filial son and a trustworthy man later in life.