31 Jan – Memorial for St. John Bosco, priest
St. John Bosco (1815-1888) was the son of Venerable Margaret Bosco. His father died when he was just two years old, and as soon as he was old enough to do odd jobs, he did so for extra money for his family. Bosco would go to circuses, fairs, and carnivals, practise the tricks he saw the magicians perform, and then present one-boy shows. After his performance, while he still had an audience of boys, he would repeat the homily he had heard earlier in church.
He worked as a tailor, baker, shoemaker, and carpenter while attending college and the seminary. He was ordained in 1841. He was a teacher, and he worked with youth, finding places where they could meet, play and pray. He taught catechism to orphans and apprentices, and was chaplain in a hospice for girls.
He wrote short treatises aimed at explaining the faith to children, and then taught children how to print them. He was a friend of St. Joseph Cafasson, whose biography he wrote. He was confessor to Blessed Joseph Allamano. He founded the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) in 1859, a community of priests who work with and educate boys, under the protection of Our Lady, Help of Christians, and St. Francis de Sales. He founded the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, in 1872, and the Union of Cooperator Salesians in 1875.
- Patron Saint Index
Heb 10:32-39
Mk 4:26-34
You will need endurance to do God’s will and gain what he has promised.
With one month of the year already over, I took some time to reflect on my progress towards my 2025 goals. I’ve been exercising more, eating less, and sleeping earlier.
Yet, there are signs of regression as the tempo at work picks up. The abundance of gatherings and snacks during CNY aren’t helping either. How then do I remain as resolute as the saints?
Thinking about the eventual end goal of being as fit as I was in my twenties doesn’t help. It will take me at least a year to get there. Comparing myself to others also does not bring much consolation — fitter individuals have had a headstart in their wellness journey and I begin to question my abilities. Self-loathing takes over and my mood changes for the worst.
I believe that our religious role models do not only think about the rewards in heaven that the Bible speaks of. Especially if you are young, heaven can seem very far away. Instead, they live in the moment and focus on doing the right things one step at a time. I once read that the secret to getting difficult things done is to live life in five minute blocks. If you can tell yourself to make the best use of the five minutes ahead of you, chances are that you will not see whatever task you’re doing as daunting.
Other techniques include being present, focusing on enjoying the process, and practicing mindfulness — these are just some of the hacks that I have been using to work through my task list. Hopefully, these practices will become habits after a couple of months.
As we all struggle to achieve self-mastery, may we all be like the saints and not be obsessed with the future. A good life is built in the here and now. May the next five minutes of your life bring you closer to sainthood.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Gregory Mathew)
Prayer: We ask you Lord, to give us the discipline and the strength to keep on developing our body, mind, and soul.
Thanksgiving: We are grateful for how you give us infinite opportunities to grow as whole persons. May we always be attentive to your desires for us.
OXYGEN 
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