JANUARY 2

One day he said to a boy who had not been to the Sacraments for several months. "Hello, my old friend! Would you be ready to dine with me tomorrow?" To the boy's ready affirmative reply he added "but remember I dine tomorrow morning at half past seven" alluding to Holy Communion during Mass. 

It was indeed a pleasing spectacle to observe Don Bosco surrounded by many pupils passing one by one in review. To this one "how are you?" To that one "are you good?" To a third "are you truly a little angel?" Thus saying he would close his hand, straighten out the first finger and the little finger thus making a pair of small horns. The boys on seeing this used to laugh and imitate his action on the head of the companions in front of them. To one of the little boys who was leaning his head on his arm Don Bosco would say, "keep quiet" to another "Ah! You little rascal" and he would jokingly threaten him with is finger. To another boy "it is my desire that we should be friends; but really and not in fun." "Tell me are you my friend?" While to another he would say, "and when shall we have a talk?" 

The boy addressed knew only too well that he wanted to speak of things concerning his soul and his vocation. 

Sometimes he would give a piece of advice to one boy; then turning quickly to another would ask him "have you understood?" 

At other times when a boy approached him, keeping tight hold of the boy's hand he would say: "go and play". Then he would turn and continue to speak with those around him; after a little while he would turn to the little prisoner in surprise and repeat "go and play; what are you doing here?" "But if you don't let me go, how can I?" Don Bosco, as if he had not noticed the boy's remark would continue to hold his prisoner and carry on his conversation, then turning he would say: "but why are you still here?". 

Then Don Bosco would release the boy who would run away jumping with joy. He especially used these tricks with those who tried to keep away from him. 

When he noticed one whom he suspected of grumbling to himself, on seeing him silent and thoughtful he would suddenly ask, "what did you say?" 

-"I? Nothing!" -

-"Oh! I thought you had spoken." 

By surprising them he used to make some fantasy of theirs vanish. All these phrases of his would generally finish in a confidential word which the pupils called: "the word in the ear". But what was this word which we have mentioned so often in our Biographical Memoirs? It was like the echo of the word of God. "Living and effective and more piercing than any two edged sword; and reaching into the division of the soul and the spirit" (Heb 4:12)