Tempora: Sabbato infra Hebdomadam III post Epiphaniam
III Classis – In honor of St. John Bosco, Confessor
On this Saturday within the Third Week after Epiphany, the Church in her traditional calendar commemorates Sanctus Joannes Bosco, Confessor—a father to the poor and a light for youth in a darkening world. The chosen readings for meditation—Philippians 4:4–9 and Matthew 18:1–5—resound with the very heart of St. John Bosco’s apostolic mission: to draw young souls to Christ through joy, simplicity, and purity.
✠ “Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)
St. Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians breathes the spirit of holy joy. Rejoice in the Lord always—not in passing pleasures or vain distractions, but in the Lord. St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this verse, writes:
“He bids them rejoice in the Lord, not in wealth, nor in glory, nor in anything external. For this is joy unmixed with any sorrow.” (Homily XIV on Philippians)
This inward joy was the wellspring of St. John Bosco’s tireless labors. He understood the secret of divine joy: that it is not incompatible with suffering but is born from union with the will of God. Amid trials, he would often say, “Servite Domino in laetitia!” — Serve the Lord with gladness!
The apostle’s counsel continues: Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh. Don Bosco instilled in his boys this very moderation and gentleness. In his Preventive System, he taught through kindness and reason, rather than through fear, reflecting the nearness of the Lord as a source of peace and guidance.
St. Augustine speaks of this peace which surpasses all understanding:
“The peace of God which surpasseth all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds: this peace, not as the world gives, but as God gives, guards not your body, but your heart, that is, the thoughts and affections of the soul.” (Epistle to the Philippians, Commentary)
✠ “Unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
This Gospel passage is especially dear to the soul of Don Bosco. In gathering poor boys from the streets of Turin, he was not merely performing a work of mercy—he was fulfilling the very command of Christ to honor and cherish the little ones.
To “become as little children” is to be humble, trusting, and pure. St. Hilary of Poitiers writes:
“The child is humble, innocent, and lovable. These are the signs of the kingdom of heaven.” (Commentary on Matthew 18)
Don Bosco saw in each child a soul beloved of God, a tabernacle of grace, called to eternal glory. Like the Divine Master, he placed them at the center of his pastoral care, and protected them from scandal and sin with all the zeal of a true confessor of Christ.
In another place, St. John Chrysostom warns:
“The humility of a child consists in forgetting injuries, being free from arrogance, and loving simplicity. Thus, unless we are like children in these things, we cannot enter into the kingdom.” (Homily on Matthew 18)
Don Bosco’s oratories were schools of such simplicity and charity. He did not seek to raise geniuses or merchants, but saints. His methods were paternal and spiritual: teaching prayer, frequent Confession and Communion, devotion to Our Lady, and lively joy as marks of a holy life.
✠ “Whatsoever things are true… just… holy… think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
Here lies the ascetical program that Don Bosco instilled in his boys. Instead of being conformed to a corrupt world, they were invited to contemplate what is beautiful and pure. He often urged them to guard their eyes, their speech, and their companions—fostering a moral imagination fed by the lives of saints, catechism, and music.
St. Gregory the Great comments:
“The mind that is distracted with worldly cares cannot hold fast to what is true. But the mind that pursues virtue is able to contemplate divine truths with ease.” (Moralia in Job, Bk. XXV)
Thus, Don Bosco’s formation was not only moral but profoundly doctrinal and liturgical. He knew that without the truths of the Faith, joy degenerates into frivolity; and without virtue, innocence collapses into sentimentality.
✠ Conclusion
The readings today invite us to contemplate joy and humility as twin foundations of the Christian life. St. John Bosco, by his very life, interpreted these Scriptures in action. Like the Apostle Paul, he rejoiced in the Lord and taught others to do the same. Like Christ, he welcomed the child and became himself childlike in faith.
In the darkening age of rationalism and anti-clericalism, Don Bosco built sanctuaries of light—Domus Dei et Porta Caeli—where Christ was known and loved. May his example teach us to cherish innocence, labor for the good of souls, and always rejoice in the nearness of God.