ST DOMINIC SAVIO, "I AM GOD'S AMBASSADOR"

On March 9th, 1857, Dominic Savio breathed his last. He lay in his cot, locks of his brown hair fanned across his pillow as the light left his dark brown eyes. 

He'd had an illness that was like pleurisy, but which had baffled the doctors of the 1800s. They had come often to drain his blood, a process called bloodletting, where they pierced his veins with a scalpel in the vain attempt that the illness would leave with the rivulets of carmine hemoglobin. 

When Dominic died, he was 14, just 24 days shy of his 15th birthday. Before the illness that took his life, he had been preparing to become a priest under the care of Don John Bosco. 

20 years after his death, Dominic came in a dream to his great mentor who was overawed by Dominic's heavenly raiment. Dominic was clad in a glowingly white-gold tunic that touched his feet. Precious gems decorated his tunic, and a wide red sash was tied at his waist which also had many precious gems and thousands of rays shone forth from them. His neck was adorned with a  necklace of gems fashioned into wild flowers that sparkled in a way that threw light onto Dominic's fine facial features and made him all the more radiant. His hair was down to his shoulders and a crown of roses sat on his head. 

Behind Dominic were many, many men and boys, like an army following their sergeant major. They followed behind Dominic, not one dared to steal ahead of him, and they all had the same red sash around their waists. 

Dominic and his team of saints were so awesome that St John Bosco was struck dumb. John Bosco knew it was Dominic, and yet he did not know it was Dominic. Dominic had to assure him that it was indeed him, after which he said, "I have come to talk with you. We spoke together so often when I was alive; you were always so kind and generous to me, and I responded to your love with my complete confidence and affection."

Bosco regained his composure enough to ask Dominic, "Why are you wearing that dazzling white tunic?" Dominic did not answer, instead many angelic voices were heard singing in reply, "They had their loins girt and have washed their tunics in the Blood of the Lamb." Bosco understood that the brilliant white was a symbol for the soul that had never seriously offended God. Then Bosco asked as to the red sash, and the angelic voices chimed in, "They are virgins and they follow the Lamb wherever He goes."  It dawned on Bosco that the red symbolized the martyrdom that a pure soul inflicts on itself to tame the flesh and live in purity. 

Bosco's attention shifted from Dominic to the army of men trailing behind, and he asked who they were, and as to their purpose. An answer rose up from the boys themselves who sang, "These are like the angels of God in Heaven..."

It puzzled Bosco that Dominic was their leader even though he was clearly the youngest. Bosco asked him why he was their boss and Dominic simply said, "I am the oldest." But Bosco objected, "But you are not, there are many here older than you." To put Bosco right, Dominic declared, "I am God's ambassador."  Bosco grasped that Dominic was the holiest, he had made the most of his 14 years on earth to gain such merit that he was the senior Saint leading a squadron of similarly pure souls, who were like him, but he was still their better, and the only one worthy to speak on behalf of God Almighty.

As a good ambassador, Dominic relayed special messages from the Lord. He foretold that the Pope of the time, Pius IX would die soon, and that in the coming year Bosco would have much suffering and hardships to bear. But Bosco was most curious as to the state of the souls of the boys in his care. Dominic said the boys fell into 3 categories, excellent, mediocre and sadly those whose sin was serious. 

He gave Bosco a sheet of paper on which was written the names of the boys whose souls were in jeopardy, but he warned Bosco that a foul smell would be given off when Bosco opened the sheet to read the names, and Dominic stressed that such a smell is intolerable to God and His Angels. Bosco was perplexed, and he questioned as to how it could be possible that a smell, however nasty, could impact God and His angels because God and His angels are pure spirits. 

Dominic revealed the nature of the stench of sin, "It means that just as you seek to put the greatest distance possible between yourself and what nauseates you, so those who reject God by serious sin are separated from Him more and more."  He then invited Bosco to make good use of the sheet of names, that it was to inform him as to which boys needed extra support in finding their way back to a state of grace. 

When Dominic had left him, Bosco gingerly opened the sheet and was assaulted by the stench that made him vomit so uncontrollably that he thought he was dying. He was in for a shock when he read the names, some of the boys he had thought were the best were in fact just pretending as to purity and piety and were in fact the worst. Disappointed though he was, Bosco was no longer likely to be played by boys who were putting on airs of being pious and good. He had been led to the truth by the boy who he had nurtured, and who was now God's ambassador. Bosco was taught reality by the same boy who had been his student. 

What was true in Bosco's time, is true today, Dominic Savio is an ambassador of God, and he may be an ambassador for you as he was to John Bosco. He may relate to you divine messages from Our Lord about your life and future, and about the people in your life and inform you as to their true nature. Even though he died young, he has a very senior position, that of a leader; Dominic may lead loved ones of yours who have left this life and are now in Heaven in the company of Dominic's followers.

March 9th is the anniversary of the death of Dominic Savio. 97 years after his demise, Dominic was canonized. He was the youngest ever non-martyr to be raised to the altars, 'til the Fatima seers Jacinto and Francisco were canonized and overtook him as the youngest among those declared Saints. 

The dream that informed this post is available in 40 Dreams of St John Bosco which is available in the Spirit Daily store. 

Prayer: O Saint Dominic Savio, a model of purity, piety, penance and apostolic zeal for youth; grant that, through your intercession, we may serve God in our ordinary duties with fervent devotion, and attain the grace of holy joy on earth, that we may one day love God forever in Heaven. Amen.