On January 31 in the Roman Calendar we celebrate the Feast of St John Bosco (also called Don Bosco). He lived in the 19th century and poured out his life serving the Church of Italy. Don Bosco was the founder of the Salesian Society and walked in a wonderful and intimate communion with the Lord. He also lived during a difficult time for both the world and the Church. Among the many accounts of his extraordinary life, we read of a vision he shared on May 30, 1862.
The saint saw the Church as a great Ship of Peter surrounded by a flotilla of other vessels. They were engaged in intense warfare. At the helm of the Church was the Pope who at one point in a fierce battle fell mortally wounded. The enemies of the Church closed in sensing this was their moment. In the vision two columns then emerged from the great ocean. On one was a golden Monstrance with the Holy Eucharist exposed within it. The column was inscribed with the words "Salvation of Believers". The other column held an Image of Mary, the Mother of God, inscribed with the words "The Help of Christians". Here are words which purportedly reflect those actually spoken by the Saint in describing this vision:
This vision could well describe what is occurring in our own day. We have been blessed with holy successors of Peter who are steering Christ's Church through those two columns in very troubled waters. One, Blessed John Paul II, was even shot - but saved through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin on a Marian Feast day. Both engaged courageously in doing battle with those forces which oppose the Church. Both stood at the helm while steering her safely through the twin poles which certainly stand for orthodoxy (right teaching) and orthopraxy (right practice). Blessed John Paul II is now in the communion of Saints in the Church triumphant, interceding for the whole Church. His friend and successor, Pope Benedict XVI has continued the mission of providing heroic leadership to the Church. I am convinced he is leading the Church through these turbulent waters into a new missionary age. Throughout the Pontificate of Blessed John Paul II he called for a "New Evangelization." His friend and successor, Pope Benedict XVI, has made this a central pillar of his pontificate.
In a Motu Propio directive (which means issued on his own authority) Pope Benedict established a new dicastery (Vatican Office). It underscored the seriousness with which he views this mission of the New Evangelization. It is specifically tasked with evangelizing countries where the Gospel was announced centuries ago, but where its presence in peoples' daily life seems to be all but lost.
The New Evangelization requires an authentic renewal of the Church so that she can undertake such a new missionary outreach to the world. These two aspects of the one call are intricately connected. Only a Church fully alive in the Lord and filled with His Spirit can carry out such an evangelical mission. The Church is Christ's plan for the entire world. The early Fathers called her the "world reconciled." There is no "plan B" through which He will save this world. She is a universal sign, sacrament and seed of the kingdom of God.
Given the current state of our National moral decline we need to view the entire American continent as missionary territory, ripe for this New Evangelization. We need to view the once Christian Nations of the European continent as mission territory. Most importantly, we need to view ourselves as missionaries in a new missionary age.
Pope Benedict XVI turned 84 years old on April 16, 2011.He has proven to be an indefatigable and tireless missionary of a Pope. He made Church history, when Motu Propio, he released of the Apostolic Constitution on Groups of Anglicans which has begun the healing of the divided Western Church. Two Ordinariates have already been formed and more will follow. The fruits of these Ordinariates will be recounted by future historians as among the most important events in the Third Millennium of the Church. He has earned the great respect of Patriarchs and leaders of the Orthodox Church and is making progress toward some form of communion between Eastern and Western Christianity which could make the Third Millennium a millennium of communion. He has championed the re-christianizing of Europe and passionately promoted the New Evangelization of the Church - even establishing a new Pontifical Council on the New Evangelization. He has been a champion of the New Ecclesial movements and helped to ensure that they are rooted in the heart of the Church and received as gift for the missionary work of the Church in this hour. He has doggedly defended the Christian roots of the West and defended religious freedom as a fundamental human right. He has engaged the Islamic world with great charity and courage on the ground of dialogue in truth. He began the "Courts of the Gentiles" outreach engaging atheists and agnostics. Clearly, this is a missionary Pope.
The heroic leadership of this Pope may well represent one more fulfillment of the prophetic vision of the Saint whose Feast we celebrate on this day. He is steering the Ship through troubled waters, charting a path through those sure pillars of protection and heavenly aid. St. Don Bosco, pray for us
