the striking stories he told and the 'dreams' he related, appears under a number of forms, some alluring and some monstrous.

To all of the above we need to add Don Bosco's many 'Strenne' (= suggested action programs) given at the

the beginning of every year, his exhortations, the instructions given on the occasion of the 'exercise for a happy death’ and Retreats.

What is more positively carried out and clearly evidenced by the practice of the sacraments of Penance and Eucharist, is the synthesis of the human and divine, the action and 'work' of grace and the impulse given to personal collaboration between the priest-educator and the young person to be educated. This synthesis is what characterises not only the sacramental experience but also prayer, ‘devotions’, among which devotion to the Virgin Mother holds a privileged place.

The sacraments and prayer are not only a means of grace but also tools for human growth, since they provide a solid foundation for moral virtues and promote inner and exterior joy.

They may say what they like about various systems of education, but I do not find any

other secure basis for mine except frequent reception of the Sacraments of Confession and

Communion. And I believe I am not overstating things when I say that when these are

missing, then morality is 'banished'.912

A Eucharistic pedagogy, then - Mass, Communion, Visits (to the Bl. Sacrament) - is exceptionally well develo ped by Don Bosco. Its first presentation appears in the Life of Louis Comollo, but it was

proposed for the first time to seminarians (1844) and to youth in general later on (l854).

913

As was customary during Don Bosco's times, First Communion was stressed be cause of its particular moulding effectiveness, and described as “the most important act of one's life”, “the most momentous and serious of one's life”.914

The Companion of Youth dedicates several pages to the 'manner of assisting at holy Mass’, to 'preparation for holy Communion, to 'Visits to the Blessed Sacrament'915

Don Bosco loved to recall that for Dominic Savio, “It was a real delight be able to spend some hours before the Bessed Sacrament”.916The Eucharistic theme is more widely developed in the spiritual and pedagogical profile found in the Life of Francis Besucco, a more instructional 'Life', particularly in three chapters on 'Holy Communion’,’ The Veneration of the Blessed Sacrament’, and 'Viaticum'.917 Once again there is Don Bosco solid conviction thatnext to the Sacrament of Penance, “the second support for youth is Holy Communion... Lucky those youngsters who at receive this Sacrament frequently and with proper dispositions an early age”.918Added to this theme are recurring questions of early and frequent Communion.919

But the repeated exhortations to receive communion - preceded by confession - makes us think of a Don Bosco who at times had to be more modest in educational objectives . The frequent reception of

the sacraments on feast days is proposed as a 'Strenna' on December13, 1858 to the “workers”, the

912G. Bosco, Il pastorello delle Alpi..., p. 100 OE XV 342.

913Cf. [G. Bosco], Cenni storici sulla vita del chierico Luigi Comollo..., p. 24, 32-34, OE I 24, 32-34.

914G. Bosco, La forza della buona educazione..., pp. 20-21, 30, 38, OE VI 294-295, 304, 312.

915G. Bosco, Il giovane provveduto..., pp. 84-92, 98-103, 103-105, OE II 254-272, 278-283, 283-285.

916G. Bosco, Vita del giovanetto Savio Domenico..., p. 71, OE XI 221.

917Cf G. Bosco, Il pastorello delle Alpi..., respectively, pp 105-109, 109-113, 157-158, OE 347-351, 351-355, 399-400. 918G. Bosco, Il pastorello delle Alpi..., p. 105, OE XV 347

919Cf. G. Bosco, Il pastorello delle Alpi..., pp. 105-106, OE XV 347-348; Il sistema preventivo (1877), pp. 9-10, OE

XXVIII 105-106.