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Summary of the Life of Mama Margherita
Mother of St. John Bosco
Introduction:
Mama Margherita was born of a poor farmer family. She was a mother of two children who also looked after a child of her husband’ first wife and a sick mother-in-law. After the death of her husband, Francis Bosco, she became the leader of her family.
She fulfilled her daily duty as mother from dawn to dark. She cooked, washed cloths, mended clothings, cleaned and made the house tidy and a pleasant place to live, looked after her sick mother-in-law (who was bedridden), fed chicken, cows, dog, etc. talked nice words to her children, and led night prayer and gave goodnight talk to her children. She accomplished her ordinary routine work with an intention to offer them to God the wonderful daily gift.
She did not have a chance to attend school, therefore, she could neither read nor write. She memorised every word that she heard from the priest’s preaching on Sunday. She taught her children catechism based on the priest’s sermons, etc. She loved God’s created nature and taught her children to be grateful to God for such a beautiful world and the universe. She had profound love and belief in God, the Father, and taught her children the same.
Mama Margherita, an ordinary housewife, a poor farmer, yet a real Christian who had great love and belief in God. She raised her children in the atmosphere of God’s Love and Wisdom. The greatest award she has earned that one of her sons, is the great saint the Church ever has, St. John Bosco, our founder and father.
Mama Margherita’ Life as the First Co-operator:
- A Good and committed Christian:
She observed and practised all the Ten Commandments and the Church’s teaching and regulations actively with commitment.
Though her family was poor, but she was generous to anybody who knocked at her door for help. She shared with her needy neighbours whatever she had, though a little share, but full of sincerity and love. No one, who approached her for help, ever left her house with disappointment.
- A mother:
She looked after her children well, physically and spiritually. She loved all her three children equally, though Anthony was not her child. Besides her constant follow up her three children’s behaviour, she was very strict to a real conversion of Anthony for being jealousy toward John. During a night prayer of one night, she stopped Anthony to recite a prayer of Our Father, unless Anthony had given up his jealousy. After a strong demand from her, Anthony did and she allowed him to finish the Our Father.
A Practioner of “The Preventive System”:
She would choose friends for her children to play with. First, she would play with children in the village to know their behaviour and conduct, then, she would recommend the good ones to her children. She would always whisper in any child’s ear that did not behave properly so that he could improve himself. She would watch them playing and made correction immediately on a spot if there were misconduct. She did that with her motherly love, kindness and good reasons.
A Soul protector: Modest in dressing:
She often found several young girls from provinces who looked for jobs and had no place to stay in the city. He welcomed them at home, instructed them to dress properly, taught them how to go away from sin, and to become self-sufficient, such as, farming, looking after houses, gardening, etc. and finally sent them home.
A Protector of Christian Morality:
Once, there was a woman in her village who stayed with a man from other village illegally. Mama Margherita could not tolerate this sinful conduct of them and she took this issue seriously by leading an attack to their house. She challenged the man to come out from the room to clarify their misconduct and demanded them for a change of their life. Her voice terrified them and he ran away from the village. Then, the girl was taught how to behave herself as a good Christian. Mama Margherita put this scandalous issue to an end.
- A Home: a small domestic church; a school; and an oratory.
A small domestic church:
Every evening, all family members prayed rosary and meditation, followed by night prayer and concluded by goodnight talk by Mama Margherita. Everybody was obliged to respect each other and live together in peace and love with a deep feeling of God’s presence among them.
A school:
Mama Margherita taught her children to work hard in the farm. She instructed them how to grow plants, corns, fruit-trees, rice, vegetables, etc. properly in accordance to its season. Most of space in her farmland was utilised to grow vegetables and plants. She taught her children how to raise chickens, cows, etc. In the evening, she sat in front of the fireplace listening to Johnny reading catechism book to her, then, she explained and commented every paragraph for their better understanding.
An oratory:
Children in the village were welcome to play at the playground in front of her house so that she could look after them well. She taught them catechism and encouraged them to go church on Sunday.
- Good preparation for her sons’ first communion and confession.
Mama Margherita chose a priest for her son to make the first confession, i.e. first, she went to confession with several priests, then, she would recommend the chosen priest to her children for confession. The first communion was so important that she prepared them well before the day and followed up with her constant reminding of God’s presence in their souls.
- Her vocation to the poor and the needy, physically, economically and spiritually.
Mama Margherita never refused to give her assistance to the poor or the needy though she did not have much to offer. Out of her generosity, she always shared whatever she had with them. At the oratory, she did all she could to help the poor boys to grow up in Christian dignity. Most of the boys shared the same feeling that Mama Margherita was their mother. She showed her exemplary way of living in co-operation with her son, Don Bosco, to look after the poor boys and the needy. Therefore she was indeed the first co-operator. Consequently, Don Bosco inherited from her a spirit of Good shepherd, loving kindness of God, having deep faith in God the Father, and a great devotion to the Blessed Mother.
Therefore, we should study the life of this woman who performed her ordinary routine work a wonderful gift to praise God everyday.
END of the document.
Francis Wichai Srisura
World Consulting Member
For Far East Asia Region
Association of Salesian Co-operators.