The young person is ordinarily aware of his fragility as a 'pilgrim', exposed to dangers, temptations, sin, and also aware of his dependence, as a creature, on the good God who is Provident and justly rewarding and so fears separation from Him. Therefore the idea is constantly impressed upon him that he should keep God's Commandments, his counsels and, above everything else, the “new
commandment, the Gospel rule of charity”. The young man is urged to entrust himself to God's grace and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in hope and through prayer for his perseverance to the end.
This perspective is present throughout the educational process and focuses on the following exhortation: “Remember, O young man, that we are created to love and serve God Our Creator and that all the knowledge and riches of this world would be of no avail to us without the fear of God. All our temporal and eternal goods depend on this holy fear of God”.898“Whoever has no fear of God should quit studying, because he would be toiling in vain. “The Fear of God”, so say the Holy Scriptures, is the beginning of wisdom”.899
The “seven considerations for each day of the week” tend to insist on blending the two motives of love and fear.900 The frequent recitation of acts of Faith, Hope and Charity and the act of Contrition...that is
precisely what is constatnly taught.
5. Practices of piety in religious education
After having nurtured the fear of God as a supreme treasure, Don Bosco added: “Keeping the fear of God alive helps us in prayer, the holy Sacraments and the Word of God”.901The Rules for day students gives the Rector the mission of “doing his very best to instill in the hearts of the young the love of God, respect for sacred things, frequent reception of the Sacraments and a filial devotion to Mary Most Holy, for all that constitutes true piety.” 902
From the viewpoint of the number of “practices”, there is a considerable difference in the case of boarders, where the academic students have more than the working boys, and the case of day students.903For the latter, the following prescription holds: “They shall be absolutely obliged to come to Mass on Sunday and on Holy Days of obligation. If possible, they should also attend on
weekdays”.904
For those who attended the Oratory, there was a customary series of practices of piety offered on Sundays: Mass, homily, catechism classes and an afternoon service. 905
Personal participation in religious life and the maturing of one's commitment to moral behavior
presuppose an enlightened and conscious faith which is not possible without a systematic program of
Instruction and Reflection. To achieve this, Don Bosco relie s on the effectiveness of several means:
catechesis on history and doctrine, religious culture as part of schooling, preaching - generally of an instructive but also entertaining kind, always simple and down to earth, meditations and spiritual
898Regolamento per le case..., part II, Chap III Della Pietà, art 1, p. 63 OE XXIX 159.
899Regolamento per le case..., part II, Chap VI Contegno nella scuola e nello studio, art 21 and 22,, p. 73 OE XXIX 169.
There are strong expressions found here like “a proud student is stupid, ignorant”; “the proud person is hateful in God's
eyes and reviled amongst men” (Ibid, Chap VI, art 22; Chap IX, art. 6, p. 73 and 78, OE XXIX 169 and 174). 900G. Bosco, Il giovane provveduto..., pp. 31-50, OE II 211-230.
901Regolamento per le case..., part II, Chap III, art. 2, p. 63, OE XXIX 159.
902Regolamento dell'Oratorio...,per gli esterni, part I, Chap I, art. 7, p. 6, OE XXIX, 36.
903Cf. Regolamento dell'Oratorio..., per gli esterni, part II, Chap X, Pratiche particolari di Cristiana pietà,pp. 43-44, OE
XXIX 73-74; Regolamento per le case..., Chap III Della Pietà and Chap IV Contengo in chiesa, pp. 63-68, OE XXIX
159-164.
904Deliberations of the Conference of St. Francis de Sales 1875, MB X 1115.
905As for Practices of piety at Valdocco, also adopted in other similar institutions, for boarders and day students, cf P.
Stella, Don Bosco nella storia della religiosità...., vol II, pp. 303-309.