and the superiors as those who take on the role of their parents.975
The community of students and teachers is a continuous education in action to learn how to practise
charity. Don Bosco urges everyone, young or old, just as was the case for Dominic Savio, to make all
games, classes, assignments and just living together a training ground for self -education in charity and apostolic friendship.
976
Good example and apostolic z eal are the highest expressions of charity, but The Power of a Ggood Education had already dedicated several pages to these things. Peter, the main character, first of all defends himself from less trustworthy companions; then, in the workplace, during games, inthe military barracks, he succeeds in gaining esteem and a ready listening ear.977
The boys' 'Lives' Don Bosco wrote between 1859 and 1864 indicate an explicitly lived and reflex
pedagogy of apostolic charity. It would appear to be an essential part of what salvation is all about.
978 Don Bosco also insistently proposed mortification to the young. An explicit pedagogy involving
mortification can be found in the well -known biographical notes on young people.
979Generally, Don
Bosco does not advise anyone to pr actise extraordinary mortification, just the kind that comes from
daily life. He urges them to accept these lovingly: “Diligence in studies, attention in the classroom, obedience to superiors, putting up with the discomforts of life such as heat, cold, draughts, hunger, thirst etc.” and endure suffering for the love of God and, of course, to fight against temptation, be vigilant, and “custody of the external senses, especially the eyes”.980Mortification is insisted upon especially in reference to the virtue of chastity, which we will deal with later on in this book. Within this overall and relatively simple scheme of things Don Bosco also acknowledges an aspect typical of the Catholic tradition of education: good upbringing, good manners, politeness were considered essential for a solid moral education from Erasmus to Jean Baptist de la Salle. This kind of civilised behaviour boils down to cleanliness, orderliness, and banning all kinds of coarse behaviour which is an obstacle to purity itself. “You should take cleanliness very much to heart. External cleanliness and orderliness stand for cleanliness and purity of one's soul”.981
2. The Queen of virtues: chastity and its pedagogy
Chastity is the Queen of virtues; the virtue which safeguards all the other virtues. It is the virtue Don Bosco nurtures, desires, defends and protects the most. He insists on it with evident anxiety and a strongly protective attitude. Without chastity the mind and the heart do not heed exhortations regarding goodness and grace and hence, productive growth.
What Don Bosco practised and recommended others to do included clean surroundings, moral uprightness of people in those surroundings, good example from the teachers and other educators. He dedicated a whole series of advice and exhortations relating to the morality of the assistants, teachers,
975Regolamento per le case..., part II, Chap II Dell'accettazione, art. 5, p. 61, OE XXIX 157; Chap IX Contegno verso I
compagni, pp. 77-78, OE XXIX 173-174.
976G. Bosco, Vita del giovanetto Savio Domenico..., Chap XI Suo zelo per la salute delle anime, pp. 53-56, OE XI 203-
206.
977La forza della buona educazione, pp. 18-20, 35, 47-48, 55-62, 75-80, OE VI 292-294, 309, 321-322, 329-336, 349-354. 978On the theological and pedagogical importance Don Bosco gave the apostolate as a vehicle and expression of human
maturity see A. Caviglia, Domenico Savio e Don Bosco. Studio, book III, Chap II Vocazione di Santo: L'apostolato, pp.
129-142, and Chap III L'apostolato in azione, pp. 143-156.
979Cf. Chaps XV, XIII, XXIII respectively of Vita del giovanetto Savio Domenico, Chap XV Sue penitenze, pp. 72-75, OE
XI 222-225; and Pastorello delle Alpi, Chaps XIII and XXIII with their titles, Mortificazioni – Penitenze – Custodia dei
sensi – Profitto nella scuola e Sue penitenze, pp. 68-74 and 119-124, OE XV 310-316 and 361-366.
980G. Bosco, Il pastorello delle Alpi..., pp. 120-121, OE XV 362-363.
981Regolamento per le case..., part II, Chap XI, art. 1, p. 80, OE XXIX 176; cf. Chaps X and XI,Della modestia e Della
pulizia, pp. 78-81, OE XXIX 174-177.