Memorial of Saint John Bosco, priest
(II Samuel 15:13-14.30, 16:5-13; Mark
5:1-20)
Teen suicide worries many today with good
reason. Its incidence has increased dramatically
over the last couple of decades.
Adolescents are experiencing much more anxiety in this era of instant
communication. They appear in some respects
like the demoniac in today’s gospel.
Whatever the demon is, it is torturing the
man it possesses. Mark describes the man
as “crying out and bruising himself with stones.” The people may have feared him, but Jesus
does not recoil in a confrontation. Jesus
is in such control that he extracts the demon’s name. From that point on, the demon submits to
Jesus’ authority.
Today’s patron, St. John Bosco, possessed a
similar control over adolescents. In his
day they may not have had great anxiety issues but faced their own challenges. John Bosco urged that his followers always treat
youth with patience and understanding.
He realized that children are never bad but need adult guidance to grow
in the right ways.
