life, proclaimed also in the Companion to Youth:"Serve the Lord with gladness: to make sure to be good citizens here on earth, and to be one day the lucky inhabitants of Heaven”.673
Don Bosco's life and writings are full of the formula: “The Glory of God and the salvation of Souls” and this formula is the expression of the unique passion which inspired this great activist. His most common and visible attitude ends up being the attitude of one who prays, praises, thanks, expects everything from above and always with the charity which wants to share. ”Our silence and our prayers will produce what contributes to the greater Glory of God. However, I am never inactive. Kindness to all. So many things to be done”.674 "All is going well with things. There are things that go wrong and constant troubles, however, they are all very useful. Silence, Prayer, no noise. Write to me about whatever you know”.675 "Trials teach us how to divide and separate gold from dross. We are constantly tested but God's help never failed us. We hope we will not make ourselves unworthy of his help in the future”.676 "I know you have a lot to do, but I also know that God has a lot of ways to reward us, and especially when all the work is for the greater Glory of God”.677 "That is what God wants and that is enough”.678
Really, Don Bosco's pedagogy, before being theory or precept and in some way, a system, is a lived experience, an exemplar, a personal transparency. Any complete presentation of his pedagogical vision becomes evident and relevant only if it is constantly referred to this limpid and lively source.
673 G. Bosco, Il giovane provveduto, 5-8, OE II 185-188.
674 Letter to Don Rua, 3 Jan. 1878, E III 263. The ‘greater glory of God’ is a motive running through Don Bosco’s entire
collection of letters, together with the ‘salvation of souls’: ‘manifesto’ of a life and uninterrupted conversation. 675 Letter to Don Rua, Jan. 1878, E III 267.
676 Letter to Don Francesia, 13 Jan. 1878, E III 272.
677 Letter to Count Carlo Cays, 14 March 1878, E III 315.
678 Letter to Don Giuseppe Ronchail, 20 July1876, E III 75.