Although the young St. John Bosco often lacked money, God always helped him. Once, there was a festival game at his village; in the public square, a tall wooden greasy pole was set up and whoever could climb up could claim the prizes at the top. Cheered on by the crowd, many ambitious youths excitedly clambered up, only to slide down exhausted halfway. John Bosco had good observation skills, and realized that they failed to conserve their energy for the whole climb; he made his own climb, crawling up slowly and stopping frequently to rest. His snail’s pace initially led the crowd to laugh at him, until he finally reached the top. In order to let others have a chance too, he only claimed a bag with 20 lira, a sausage, and a handkerchief. 20 lira was a sizable sum and helped John Bosco meet his financial needs—even in crises, God always provided for him.
Spiritual Talk – Fr Ho talks about St. John Bosco (21)
