SAINT DOMINIC SAVIO-



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SAINT DOMINIC SAVIO-
Patron of Youth/1842-1857/Feast:Mar.9-#78

fr:Dear Saint,you were certainly outstanding in many things,
and you can be of particular inspiration to the young people.
Although your life was short when measured by years,
it was long when measured by your spiritual accomplishments.
*Young people can thus take heart from your deeds and be led to 
cooperate in good works.
No matter how young a person may be,it is never too early to achieve 
union with God.

St:I was born in Riva,
Italy in the very heart of the nineteenth century (1842) 
and was a fortunate recipient of God's generosity.
Through His grace I was inclined to holiness,to doing good.
One immense grace was my becoming a pupil of the great 
Saint John Bosco.

fr:It is most remarkable how in a very short time you attained such a high 
degree of perfection.
You were humble,kind,and respectful toward legitimate authority.
You were prayerful and ever ready to help others.
*Saint John noticed these qualities in you and came to love you as if 
you were his son.You became his most zealous co-worker.

St:Prompted by the Holy Spirit and by Saint John,
I realized that his Oratory needed better organization and good helpers.
So I organized the "Company of the Immaculate Conception" to assist 
the work of the Oratory.
This was shortly after Pope Plus IX had proclaimed solemnly as an 
Article of Faith that Mary was conceived without sin,
conceived "immaculate."

fr:Let us not forget that you died at the age of fifteen!

St:Of course,I did not become a Religious.I took no Religious vows but 
sought to practice--in accord with what our Divine Lord Himself so 
perfectly practiced--poverty,chastity,and obedience.I accepted suffering.
And this in no way made me gloomy.

fr:Sadness does not befit Saints -- or Christians for that matter! 
You knew that the sufferings of this life are not to be compared with the 
joys and the blessedness that God will give to His faithful in heaven.
But there are many sad young people today,because they want to find 
perfect happiness where it cannot be found.
Some even give themselves up to suicide.

St:Christ also expressed what is a great source of joy and happiness 
even in this life:there is more joy in giving than in receiving.
Christ was the most joyful one upon earth,for no one gave as much as 
the Savior of the world.

pr:0 God,Pardon my sins,for I love You,and wish to love You forever.
May this Sacrament which in Your infinite mercy You permit me to 
receive blot out all the sins I have committed by my hearing,sight,
tongue,hands,and feet.
May my body and soul be sanctified through the merits of Your Passion.

fr:Dear Saint,pray for our young people who are daily deluged with 
many false philosophies of life and countless temptations.
*Make them realize that lovingly following Christ gives the greatest joy 
on earth and leads to everlasting happiness in heaven.

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