20120723 ‘Death, but not sin’ 「寧死不犯罪」
In the last four weeks we have looked at the lives of four consecrated souls who were deeply devoted to the Holy Eucharist. This week we are going to look at the life of a lay person, St. Dominic Savio (1842-1857).
Dominic was born April 2, 1842, the second of 10 children of Charles and Brigid Savio. Dominic started to serve Mass at the age of 5. If he got to church before it had been opened, he would go up to the door, kneel, and pray fervently until the door was opened.
First Communion
In those days, children normally received First Communion at the age of 11 or 12, but because Dominic understood his catechism very well, he was allowed to receive Communion at the age of 7.
Before his First Communion, on Easter Sunday 1849, Dominic jotted down some resolutions which he carefully kept in a prayer book and often read. He wrote:
— I will go often to confession and I will go to Holy Communion as often as I am allowed.
— I will try to give Sundays and holy days completely to God.
— My best friends will be Jesus and Mary.
— Death, but not sin.
These resolutions were the guiding rule of his entire life. Cardinal Salotti wrote, “These resolutions are evidently the most remarkable legacy left by Dominic to the youth of our day.”
Life in the oratory
On Oct. 2, 1854, 12-year-old Dominic met 38-year-old St. John Bosco, and Dominic entered Don Bosco’s Oratory in Turin Oct. 29.
Pope Pius IX defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception Dec. 8, 1854. That evening Dominic knelt before a statue of Our Lady, and after renewing the resolutions of his First Communion, he prayed: “Mary, I give you my heart. Always keep it yours. Jesus, Mary, always be my friends. I beg you, let me die rather than be so unfortunate as to commit a single sin.”
Dominic had great zeal for souls. He gladly taught catechism at the oratory. If anyone needed help learning catechism, he was ready to teach at any time and any day.
One day a boy interrupted his teaching and asked, “Why bother about this stuff?” Dominic replied, “I bother because Jesus died for my schoolmates. We are all brothers and have to love each other’s souls. God wants us to help each other be saved. If I save one soul, I save mine too.”
Dominic exercised his zeal even during vacation. He saved up all the prizes he got during the school year, and during vacation he gave them away for a correct response to a catechism question or to reward a good deed, such as attending Mass, devotion, or catechism class.
Eucharistic devotion
Dominic spent quality time making preparation for and thanksgiving after receiving Holy Communion. At least once a day Dominic visited the Blessed Sacrament, taking other boys with him.
To make his Communions more fruitful and to sustain his daily fervour, Dominic drew up a list of intentions:
— Sunday: in honour of the Blessed Trinity.
— Monday: for those who help me materially and spiritually.
— Tuesday: in honour of St. Dominic and my guardian angel.
— Wednesday: to Our Lady of Sorrows for the conversion of sinners.
— Thursday: for the souls in purgatory.
— Friday: in honour of Jesus’ passion.
— Saturday: in honour of Mary most holy, to obtain her protection in life and at death.
Dominic died March 9, 1857. His last words were, “Oh, what a beautiful thing I see!”
多明我. 沙維豪生於一八四二年四月二日，是嘉祿和彼利琪大.維豪十名子女的第二兒子。多明我五歲已經開始輔彌撒，假如抵達聖堂時間過早，他會跪在聖堂門前祈禱，靜待大門開啟。
初領聖體
當時，小童年屆十一至十二歲方可初領聖體，小多明我卻因對要理十分通透明白，在七歲時被特准初領聖體。一八四九年復活節初領聖體前，多明我在祈禱經冊內，寫下他的志向：一）要常妥辦告解，在獲得許可情況下盡量勤領聖體；二）把主日及瞻禮慶日，作為完全獻給天主的聖日；三）耶穌和聖母，是我最要好的摯友；四）寧死不犯罪。
這些意向，成為小多明我一生的指引。薩樂迪樞機讚嘆說：「這些意向，確實是小多明我遺給現今年青人的至珍貴寶鑑。」
慶禮院的日子
一八五四年十月二日，十二歲的多明我，初遇三十八歲的聖若望.鮑思高神父。十月二十九日，多明我參加鮑思高神父在都靈創辦的慶禮院。
同年的十二月八日，教宗庇約九世欽定聖母「始胎無玷」的當信道理。是夜，多明我跪在聖母像前，重申他初領聖體的志向，並對聖母說：「瑪利亞，我奉獻給妳我的心，請妳常常保存它。耶穌、瑪利亞，常作我的摯友。寧賜我一死也不要讓我不幸地犯一個罪。」
多明我熱愛人靈，喜在慶禮院內教授要理；不論任何時刻或日子，他都願意為需要幫助的人教授要理。有一次，一名男孩打斷他的教授，說：「你何必要做這些事情？」多明我答說：「因為耶穌為了我們而死，因此我們都是兄弟，也應愛護彼此的靈魂。天主要我們彼此幫助去救靈魂。我深信，假如我救了一個靈魂，我自己的靈魂亦必得救。」
學年中，多明我把所得的獎品存起，假期時，分發給那些對要理問答作出正確答案的小朋友，也獎勵那些願意參與彌撒、敬禮或要理班的孩子。
恭敬聖體
多明我在預備領聖體和領聖體後感謝聖體方面，在質在量都很用心。每日至少一次，他帶同一些小朋友，一起朝拜聖體。
為了結更多靈性善果，並保持自己每日的熱心，多明我釐定一系列領聖體的意向：主日要特敬天主聖三；星期一為神形上的恩人祈禱；星期二特敬主保聖多明我和護守天神；星期三為罪人悔改而特敬痛苦聖母；星期四為煉靈祈禱；星期五特敬耶穌苦難；星期六特敬至聖瑪利亞，以求在生時死候得她庇祐。
一八五七年三月九日，不足十五歲的多明我. 沙維豪病逝。臨終時，他吐出最後的說話：「啊！我看到的是多麼美麗呀！」