JANUARY 18

For Don Bosco one of the most serious faults was disobedience when it took the air of revolt. It happened once that a big boy after having been commanded, begged and patiently exhorted, was disobediently and insolently refusing to obey in a very important matter. The other boys were present. In the circumstances Don Bosco could not and must not give way; it was necessary to avoid scandal but on the other side he could not reconcile himself to the idea of sending away the boy, exposing him to lose his soul. Consequently, after having concentrated himself for a while and after having invoked the Lord, Don Bosco gave him a slap. All were as if struck by lightening. An intense horror for that disobedience overtook the boys, as they had never seen their superior punish in such away. Meanwhile Don Bosco covered his face with both his hands; the boy all confused lowered his head, obeyed immediately and from that moment became one of the best boys of the Oratory. Many years afterwards Don Bosco telling that incident used to add: "well the thing ended well, but I would advise nobody to take the risk." But it was most difficult for Don Bosco to check himself whenever he heard certain insults against God that rather seemed to have been taught to men by the devil.  

Mgr. Cagliero wrote: "Once on a Sunday evening a very shameless ragamuffin just to tease him, uttered in front of him an ugly blasphemy. Don Bosco then abandoning his unalterable calm and meekness set on fire by holy zeal gave him several slaps saying: "This is for you little rascal, and learn never to profane the Holy Name of God otherwise the Lord will in His time give you other blows and a little stronger." I do not remember Don Bosco having used this means on any other occasion whether at home or outside.  

"On another occasion" Don Rua narrated "towards the beginning of my stay with him I saw him give some slaps to a certain insolent boy who had uttered a blasphemy". At that moment you could read on his face the horror he felt for such a monstrous sin. He told me once: "Even at Confession when the penitents repeat the blasphemy they accuse themselves of, I feel a stroke in my heart and my strength fails. Apart from that, by force of his admirable temperament and fortitude I never saw him upset during the thirty or more years we spent together." 

Until now we have spoken about the punishments inflicted on individuals; but when the question of offenses incurred by one whole class or by a great part of the community how did Don Bosco recall all to order or punish the culprit? Let me hasten to advance that the Oratory never witnessed these unpleasant scenes such as insubordination which happens in certain schools What happened were boys' pranks and nothing more; but, of course, a remedy had to be taken on the great maxim: "Nip it in the bud" (Principiis Obsta).