David doesn't completely put his trust in God, so he takes a military census of the men in Israel in order to see if he has a force large enough to take into battle. Before God has a chance to rebuke him, David realizes that he has sinned. David repents and acknowledges the foolishness of his actions. Yet, he is forced to accept a punishment for what he has done. It’s ironic that David wanted to take a census to determine the strength of a potential fighting force, and now due to his sinfulness, those forces have been reduced by 70,000 men who were killed by pestilence.
The saint we celebrate today, John Bosco, put his trust in the Lord and in his call to serve the Lord as a priest. Bosco was born on the island of Sardinia in 1815. While a youth in the city of Turin, Italy, Bosco was encouraged to become a priest so he could work with youth. His service to the youth started when he met a poor orphan in Turin. He instructed this orphan in preparation for receiving First Holy Communion. He then gathered young apprentices together and taught them the catechism. After serving as chaplain in a hospice for working girls, Bosco opened the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for boys. Several wealthy patrons contributed money, enabling him to provide two workshops for the boys, teaching them shoemaking and tailoring skills. He became renowned for his ministry to youth, gathering other young priests together in this work. Under the encouragement of Pope Pius IX, he founded the religious order of the Salesians in 1859, and later founded an order of Salesian sisters to work with girls. John Bosco is one of the patron saints of children and youth, especially youth who are struggling in life. May we unite our prayers with the prayers of St John Bosco in praying for our children and youth.
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