in full swing, when the work of Don Bosco is consolidated, our father developed a special activity with impossible schedules, stressful and a thousand companies that had activities from one place to another with little time to rest. In July 1877, Don Bosco (62) wrote to Don Rua from Marseille confiding:
"I'm tired as could be ... " .
But not only clearly expressed himself Don Bosco to his closest associates. All around, many feared that his health failed seriously. He was also feeling Don Barberis, who so expressed in the small chronic Oratorio carrying forward. His faithful secretary Don Bosco knew that was not right and that exhaustion was taking its toll on him.
In fact, carries on at that time a tireless activity: conducts Valdocco oratory, is the Rector of an emerging congregation with 17 books and over 300 Salesians and encourages also the Institute of the Daughters Maria Auxiliadora, personally takes care of the new foundations not just outside Turin, but outside of Italy such as Nice or Marseilles interview with authorities civilians, accepts orders from Pope Pius IX delicate, can not stop looking for financial resources to sustain their work, writes and reviews new publications, begins with the publication of the Salesian Bulletin, preaching spiritual exercises, retreats, novenas and lectures here ... and there, preparing the third American missionary expedition involving first the FMA, is launching the preparation of the first General Chapter of the Salesians, prepare the second edition of the Salesian Constitutions and instructs thousand copies ! And so many other things ...
In full force, Don Bosco is a volcano erupting. It has the long look. Go the distance. It gets down to work and does all forces to promote a titanic work. And yet, the year of 1877, the attrition was great trying to reconcile positions with Archbishop Gastaldi with whom relations had become very difficult and important sentences would end with the Archbishop Don Bosco imposing latae sententiae suspension of the power confess. The physical exhaustion was added suffering even greater concern for the misunderstanding and a break with his superior.
"I'm shattered ... "write the same month of July, days later back to Don Rua from Alassio. Tired and broken, not for Don Bosco. Go ahead without slowing their activity. The tenacity and fortitude could only come from a conviction, God sustains me. An unusual interior that made him to be very close to the Lord in all circumstances. A steadfast hope sustained by a faith strong and expressed in pastoral charity heroic tones. This was the secret of Don Bosco: a life rooted in God, a theological existence. Man deeply, deeply holy.
Spent . As an old robe. So ended his day who spared no efforts to carry forward the work of God. No wonder his legacy bequeathed us: "Work, work, work ..." for the glory of God and the good of souls.
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