Master Magician of ‘Gospel Magic’
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them.
There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served.
There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God
gives ability to all for their particular service.
—1 Corinthians 12:4-6
John Bosco is the patron saint of school children, apprentices, editors, magicians, and juvenile delinquents. In 1859 Dom Bosco founded the Salesians, formally known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales, a religious congregation of men in the Catholic Church. The congregation was named after Francis de Sales, a 17th-century bishop of Geneva. Dom Bosco was canonized in 1934 by Pope Pius XI for his work with Youth during the Age of the Industrial Revolution.
During the latter half of the 19th century, as Europe’s poor were suffering from the effects of industrialization, St. John Bosco saw how most of the children in his village remained uneducated and without faith in God. John grew up poor, but whenever he had an extra penny, he would go to the many circuses and fairs that visited his region of Italy. He watched in rapt attention when magicians performed the impossible. Being a precocious child, he reasoned some tricks out. Sometimes he would beg magicians to teach him. With this knowledge, he put on free magic shows for the village children. Being devout, he would take the opportunity to repeat the homily he heard at church on the previous Sunday to his audience.
As John Bosco grew up, he chose to became a priest. He was ordained in 1841 and dedicated his priesthood ministry to teaching and working exclusively with the poor children and youth in the city of Turin. He served as chaplain for a hospice for wayward girls and feeding and clothing the poor was his main concerns.
When Don Bosco became a priest, he dedicated himself to helping children.
He needed a way to get kids to church, back in school and accepting the aid he offered. He remembered his early success with the children in his village and realized magic would best catch the kids’ attention. He used to perform a trick where he turned three separate ropes into a single rope to illustrate the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. He also would pull coins from ears and change pebbles into candy, delighting the children in his care. It’s not a great stretch of the imagination to understand why magicians consider Don Bosco their patron saint.
Don Bosco’s efforts at teaching spiritual values with magic tricks was the beginning of the birth of what magicians refer to as “Gospel Magic” — the tailoring of a magic performance so that it can be used to teach catechism. Magic is an excellent means by which to get across a point, including religious ones.
Don Bosco wasn’t merely a magic dilettante who did a card trick here and there. He was Master Magician who invented many tricks, several of which very few professionals still understand.
In his diary, John Bosco described performing the classic tricks like the Cups-and-Balls. He vanished coins, read minds and knew the exact amount of money in a volunteer’s pocket. He was able to fool volunteers into mistaking black for white. He would multiply balls and eggs, change water into wine, and kill and chop up a rooster before bringing it back to life again so that it crowed better than before.
Don Bosco’s spirituality centered around an educational system of joyful hope.
To him, education was a means to direct oneself toward God. He wanted Christians to delight in the Lord and to take to heart Christ’s admonition that we should all become “as small children.” (Matthew 18:1-4)
Prayer for the Protection of Young People
St. John Bosco, protector of the youth,
we come to you with trust and humility, seeking your intercession
for the children and young people in our world.
Guide them on their journey, and help them grow
in faith, wisdom, and love.
Shield them from temptation and harm, and fill their hearts
with the joy of your presence.
We implore your assistance in leading our young ones closer
to the heart of Jesus, who loves them unconditionally.
May they become beacons of light in this world,
spreading kindness and hope to all they encounter.
St. John Bosco, pray for us and for the young people of our earth,
that they may be a source of strength and inspiration for generations
to come. Amen.
Song: Saint of Youth Saint John Bosco
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