From Forums of the Virgin Mary [translated from Portuguese]:
That angels exist is not something fanciful, it is evidenced by their fruits.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, entry 330, says that angels are purely spiritual creatures, they have intelligence and will, and they surpass all visible creatures in perfection.
In numeral 328 it says that an angel’s existence is a truth of faith.
And number 336 says that each faithful has an angel at his side as a protector in life, the so-called Guardian Angel.
Don Bosco instilled devotion to the Guardian Angel, exhorting his young people to “rekindle faith in the Guardian Angel, who is with you wherever you are.”
Here we will talk about the amazing experiences and teachings of Don Bosco with the Guardian Angels.
Saint John Bosco said to his young people, become good and it will give joy to your Guardian Angel.
In every affliction and misfortune, even spiritual, turn to the angel with confidence and he will help you.
“How many, being in mortal sin, were saved from death by their angel, so that they had time to make a good Confession!” the powerful saint said.
He explained to them that angels love us out of consideration for Jesus and Mary and are with us throughout the journey of our life.
Also: that we have special assistance from the Guardian Angels in prayer time.
That we have it especially in times of temptation. [Do we think of invoking angels when temptations arise?]
The saint emphasized that we are firmly supported by angelic hands when we pray, so that our feet do not stumble upon the snares of the enemy.
That we have their special assistance in tribulations, where they infuse our hearts with sweet comfort.
And after having assisted the human creature throughout his life, the angel presents the soul to God, at the moment of death. [scroll for more:]
When the Guardian Angel presents to the Creator the soul that died in the grace of God, he will say: “Lord, my work has been fruitful, here are the good works carried out by this soul.”
Saint Bosco also explained to the young people the tenderness of a guardian towards the sinner.
One’s angel does not withdraw or abandon a person who wronged him, but rather suffers and does not omit any means in order to recover the unfortunate soul, who he continues always to love.
Bosco also spoke to his students about the assistance of the Guardian Angel to the soul in Purgatory, consoling it.
And he gave the youngsters examples on how to turn to their Guardian Angel.
If you can’t go to church for Eucharistic adoration, he said, then tell your angel, “Go visit Jesus, praise and thank him in my name.”
And the soul usually feels something mysterious inside at that moment, a sweet peace.
You have a journey to make and dangers may arise, so speak with angels, put yourself under his protection, and remember the angel accompanies you on the journey of life and into the afterworld.
This is a spirit who knows all about you, there is no news. He can transmit information and lessons for you to others. Send them!
And the Guardian Angel can awaken in the minds of the distant.
The same if you fear that someone is in danger; give the task to your angel. (“Please go, to help that person and do what I cannot do,” might be one way of saying it.)
If you want to convert a sinner, pray to that person’s Guardian Angel, to act in his soul.
Who knows how many good thoughts the angel will raise in the mind of the sinner, to call him back to God, due to your invocation.
And so he gave his young people many more examples to turn to the Guardian Angels.
And this had immediate fruits in the physical world.
One day Don Bosco gave each boy a card with a prayer to the Guardian Angel.
And he exhorted them, “Pray to your Guardian Angel. Invoke his help if you find yourself in any serious danger of body or soul, and I assure you that he will help you and protect you.”
And a few days later, a boy who was an apprentice mason and was working on a new building on a scaffold that suddenly broke.
Falling from the fourth floor meant certain death.
But as he fell, he remembered Don Bosco’s words and called out his Guardian Angel. “My good Angel, help me!”
And his prayer saved him.
The other two died while he was in such good shape that he immediately went back to work.
It was a wonderful confirmation of Don Bosco’s promise, which increased the confidence of the young people in their Guardian Angels.
And Don Bosco himself experienced during his life the visible presence of an envoy from his Guardian Angel who took the form of a dog, whom he named “Grigio.”
This huge gray dog appeared suddenly in moments of danger and then disappeared.
The dog appeared for the first time in his life in 1852.
One dark night Saint Bosco was returning home alone, with some fear, and discovered a large dog next to him, which at first sight frightened him because of its size.
But the “animal” did not threaten him; on the contrary, he showed him affection as if he were his owner, and he accompanied Bosco to the Oratory.
This happened many other nights, and Grigio rendered him important protective services.
Once, walking alone at night towards the Oratory, he was surprised by two men who tried to rob him.
And out of nowhere Grigio appeared growling and launched himself at one of the men.
“Call off your dog!” the thief shouted to Don Bosco.
“I’ll call him if you let me go,” he replied.
“Yeah, anything, just call it.”
“Come, Grigio”, said Don Bosco, and the dog immediately obeyed, while the two terrified men quickly disappeared.
Every night since that time, when Don Bosco was out late, he would always find the dog waiting for him when he had to cross a lonely part of town.
One night, instead of accompanying Don Bosco, Grigio went to the Oratory and refused to let him out, throwing himself at the door of his room, growling and showing bad humor towards Don Bosco. [scroll for more:]
“Don’t go out, Juan,” said his mother, “listen to that dog.”
Don Bosco finally gave in, and a quarter of an hour later, a neighbor came in to warn him that he had overheard that two thugs were planning to attack him.
For 12 years Grigio was his inseparable friend and companion on long journeys.
The last time he saw him was in 1864 when he accompanied him for three kilometers.
He had to go through some farms and vineyards where there were wild dogs.
“I would like to have Grigio here,” he said to himself.
And suddenly, Grigio appeared with a sign of joy, to meet his friend and walked all the way with him.
But it did not appear again until 20 years later.
Don Bosco was returning to the Salesian house with another Salesian, after a visit to the bishop of the city.
It was a rainy afternoon and they were walking through poorly lit streets.
And the dog appeared in front of him and preceded him at a certain distance until he reached his destination.
His friend saw nothing.
Don Bosco thought that it couldn’t be Grigio 20 years later, that surely it was the dog’s son or grandson.
And at the beginning of May 1959, when some Salesians were returning from Rome to Turin with the urn containing the remains of Don Bosco, a dog appeared out of nowhere and accompanied the religious.
And at dawn they saw the dog lying inside the church, under the urn, when the church was closed.
But the next day the dog was gone.
Well up to here, what we wanted to talk about the amazing experiences and teachings of Don Bosco with the Guardian Angels.
And I would like to ask you if you think that the Grigio dog that protected Don Bosco was his embodied Guardian Angel or an envoy from him.
[resources: books on angels]
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