ST. JOHN BOSCO’S PROPHESY: A SIGN OF TODAY’S HOPE
I have recently been reflecting on the famous dream of St. John Bosco, my patron, regarding the great ship (you can read the original text here). Many of you are quite aware of this vision and it’s parallels to the life of today’s Church. In the dream the helmsman (the Pope) struggles to moor the great ship (Mother Church) to safety between the two columns of the Eucharist and Marian devotion. He is constantly under attack by much smaller ships and fighting the storms of the sea (persecutions and heresy). Twice during the dream, the helmsman meets with the captains (bishops) of smaller supporting ships (churches and dioceses). Each meeting (Vatican Councils I and II) takes place during a lull and is followed with a fierce attack. During the turmoil, the helmsman is gravely wounded twice, the second time taking his life. Many believe that the first attack was the foretelling of the assassination attempt on John Paul II in 1981.
So in light of these parallels in time, where does John’s prophesy put us today?
Well, if what we have already established is true, then our holy father will suffer once again at the hands of our enemy, this time taking his life. Do I think this means he will suffer a violent death? Not necessarily. His heart already suffers so much under the separation of the Church, which since the beginning of his pontificate he has striven to reunite. With news of his parkinson’s disease and his own mentioning of his preparation to stand before God, we cannot but except that his time with us here on earth is coming to a close.
However, great things await his passing. For according to the dream that “…hardly is the Pontiff dead than another takes his place. The pilots, having met together, have elected the Pope so promptly that the news of the death of the Pope coincides with the news of the election of the successor. The adversaries begin to lose courage.” The new Pope immediately recognizes the columns, recently brought to light by his predecessor with the apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae and the encyclical letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia. “The new Pope, putting the enemy to rout and overcoming every obstacle, guides the ship right up to the two columns and comes to rest between them,” fastening the ship tight with chains. It’s at this moment “a great convulsion takes place”.
“All the ships that until then had fought against the Pope’s ship are scattered; they flee away, collide and break to pieces one against another. Some sink and try to sink others. Several small ships that had fought gallantly for the Pope race to be the first to bind themselves to those two columns. Many other ships, having retreated through fear of the battle, cautiously watch from far away; the wrecks of the broken ships having been scattered in the whirlpools of the sea, they in their turn sail in good earnest to those two columns, and having reached them, they make themselves fast to the hooks hanging down from them and their they remain safe, together with the principal ship, on which is the Pope. Over the sea there reigns a great calm.”
I think what we’ll witness is those who have remained faithful to the Catholic Church and fought beside her will rush and cling to the Blessed Sacrament and our most Blessed Mother, whose eyes have constantly been upon. Those who stood by, whether as neutral or in somewhat of agreement will eventually do the same. Could this be a possible divination of the unity of the Christian faith among all denominations!?! Only then will there be the great calm among Christ’s people. God bless you.
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