The Bible and the accounts of many converts testify that God can speak in dreams. Saint John Bosco had many dreams, sometimes prophetic, which were very useful to Don Bosco for explaining the truths of the faith to the boys in his care whom he tried to guide on the path of goodness. Such is the case of the famous dream about Hell which he recounted to the boys of the Oratory on May 3, 1868.
One night, scarcely had Don Bosco fallen asleep when an angel appeared to him and led him onto a wide and comfortable path, surrounded by magnificent green hedges covered in roses. Before him, Don Bosco saw the young people of the Oratory, all recognizable and identifiable.
Running towards the holy priest, some of them seemed to stumble and fall abruptly. They were dragged by a mysterious force down the slope towards the mouth of a terrible furnace.
The Dream and the Terrible Traps
Frightened by this spectacle, Don Bosco discovers snares in the ground, dangerous traps that firmly hold their prey. On the angel's order, he follows one of the ropes to the opening of the abyss. Pulling it with all his strength, he drew from the furnace a detestable monster, a demon. The creature from hell seized all the slipknots with its claws, and frantically pulled whenever a child was caught in a trap, to drag them to hell.
Observing the traps carefully, Don Bosco discovered that each one bore a name: the trap of pride, the trap of disobedience, of envy, of impurity, the trap of theft, of gluttony, of anger, and of sloth.
He noted that the most dangerous traps, those which lead children to hell most quickly, are the traps of dishonesty, disobedience, and above all, pride. There is also a particularly fearsome trap, a terrible trap into which almost all young people fall at one time or another.
Its name: human respect, that is, not wanting to do what is right for fear of what others will think of you, in other words, wanting the respect of others above all else.
The Means of Escape
Fortunately, beside these slipknots, knives and swords lay on the ground. Some children picked them up and firmly cut the bonds of sin. These instruments of salvation had names: "frequent communion", "meditation", "devotion to the Virgin" and, above all, "confession", wonderfully effective. Thanks to these aids, several boys were able to free themselves permanently from their bonds. Unfortunately, many others remained prisoners.
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It was a shocking spectacle for the holy priest, who recognized each of the boys disappearing with shrieks of horror. Each time, he wanted to rush to try to pull the unfortunate ones back again, but the demon restrained him, explaining that these boys had received all the necessary warnings.
This dream may seem harsh, even violent. But, on the contrary, it is a sign of God's great goodness. He was explaining and warning while there was still time. None of the children Don Bosco saw falling into hell were actually there, for they were all still very much alive. By revealing which boys risked a serious fall, God allowed the holy priest to help them.
This vision helped Don Bosco explain the "last things" to his charges. It helped them understand the importance of confession, sincere repentance, and devotion to the Virgin Mary, always present to support the sincere efforts of those seeking to free themselves from the chains of sin.
This article was originally published by Aleteia and then translated by LeCatho | Original Link