Introduction
The battle between good and evil is as old as time. Yet it’s a fight that continues on both a grand scale and within the depths of every human heart. In the Catholic tradition, the life of a saint often serves as a model for virtuous living and a source of inspiration in this eternal struggle. One such champion of virtue was Saint John Bosco, a 19th-century Italian priest who not only built schools and educational systems for poor children but also engaged in a personal struggle against evil, often symbolized by the Devil.
The Spiritual Warfare
Saint John Bosco’s life is a testament to the ongoing spiritual warfare described in the Bible. In the New Testament, Saint Paul urges the Ephesians to “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11, ESV). This message implies that the struggle is not just physical but deeply spiritual, calling for divine guidance and strength.
In a similar vein, the Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks about the Devil as a fallen angel who opposes God and seeks to lead humans away from Him. It states, “Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy” (CCC 391). It is against this dark force that Saint John Bosco, like many other saints, waged his spiritual battles.
The Early Struggles
Born in 1815, John Bosco experienced the trials of life from a young age. His father died when he was just two, leaving his mother, Margherita, to raise him and his siblings on a limited income. Yet, even amidst these struggles, he felt a calling to serve God. Guided by dreams that he believed were divine messages, young Bosco was determined to become a priest and help others.
Education as a Means of Salvation
For Saint John Bosco, education was not just a means to worldly success; it was a pathway to salvation. He started schools for poor boys, focusing on their overall development both as students and as children of God. The Catechism asserts that parents and society should “remember the most sublime of all the tasks of education is the cooperation with God the Creator who calls human beings to grow in all the fullness of life” (CCC 2223).
Bosco’s educational model combined practical training, religious instruction, and character development. He understood the importance of each child’s soul in the grand scheme of God’s plan.
Confronting the Devil Through Righteous Living
What sets Saint John Bosco apart from other saints are the vivid accounts of his confrontations with the Devil. These were not mere symbolic tales but real-life experiences that people around him witnessed. He himself documented some of these encounters in his letters and biographical accounts.
In one of these encounters, it’s said that Saint John Bosco was attacked in his room by an evil presence, but was saved by the intercession of his guardian angel and the power of prayer. This experience serves as a vivid example of the words from the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus says, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Matthew 16:23, NIV).
Strength Through the Sacraments
Saint John Bosco was not fighting these battles on his own. He drew immense strength from the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Confession. In these sacraments, he found the grace to continue his mission and confront the Devil’s schemes.
The Catechism states that the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life” (CCC 1324) and that through Confession, sins are forgiven and the sinner is reconciled with God (CCC 1424). It’s evident that Bosco’s devotion to these sacraments fortified him in his struggle against the Devil.
The Power of the Holy Name of Jesus
Saint John Bosco often invoked the Holy Name of Jesus as a means of protection and strength. This practice is deeply rooted in the New Testament, where Saint Paul tells the Philippians that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10, ESV).
Similarly, the Catechism emphasizes the importance of invoking God’s name in respect and honor, stating, “The name of the Lord is holy” (CCC 2143). By constantly invoking the Holy Name, Saint John Bosco was wielding a spiritual weapon that the Church has always considered to be powerful against evil.
Conclusion: A Model for Spiritual Combat
The life of Saint John Bosco serves as an example of a devout servant of God who took the fight to the Devil’s doorstep. Through education, personal virtue, and deep devotion to the sacraments, he fortified himself against the evil that sought to undermine his mission. His use of the Holy Name of Jesus as a spiritual weapon serves as a practical technique that any Christian can adopt in their daily struggle against evil.
He exemplifies what it means to heed Saint Paul’s call to “take up the whole armor of God” in confronting the Devil. He embodies the Church’s teaching that the spiritual battle is real and ongoing, but that it’s a battle that can be won through God’s grace and our cooperation with it. Through his life, we understand that this is not merely a theological opinion but a universal teaching of the Church. As we continue to wage our personal and collective spiritual battles, we have in Saint John Bosco a model whose methods and devotion we would do well to emulate.