My Family Prayer Book

 Jan-31: Feast of St Don Bosco  St. John Bosco also known as Don Bosco (Don being the familiar name for a priest in Italy), was born on August 16th, 1815 in a farm located in the hills of Becchi,near Castlenuovo d’Asti (today Castelnuovo Don Bosco) at the bottom of the Italian Alps. At a very young age, the future saint knew God called him to serve youth. When he was just nine years old, he was inspired by a dream that would change his life forever. He saw a multitude of very poor boys who were fighting and cursing amongst each other. Suddenly a man of majestic appearance emerged and told him: “With meekness and charity, you will conquer these your friends.” The boys then turned into the wild animals that they had been acting like. Once again the man then told John that the field was John’s life’s work and that once John changed and grew in humility and faithfulness, he would see a change in the children as demonstrated in the dream. The wild animals suddenly changed into gent...

  Jan-24: Feast of St Francis de Sales St. Francis Bonaventure de Sales was born to a noble family at Chateau de Sales in Thorens in the duchy of Upper Savoy near Geneva, Switzerland on August 21, 1567.  Francis was a gifted young man: of brilliant intellect, persevering, purposeful, serene, affable, irresistibly charming, and above all, consumed with a strong desire to serve God. From a very early age he had a vocation to the priesthood, but kept it from his family. His father wanted him to enter a career in law and politics. In 1583, Francis attended the Jesuit College of Clermont at the University of Paris, Francis, and wrote, "In Paris, I studied many things to please my father, and theology to please myself." As a 24-years-old, he received his doctorate in civil and canon law at the University of Padua. All the time, he never lost his passion for God. He studied theology and practiced mental prayers, but kept quiet about his devotion. To please his father, he also studie...