St. John Bosco (also known as Don Bosco) was an influential 19th-century priest. He ministered to the poor and neglected boys of Turin, Italy, who had been driven to a life of desperation and crime in the wake of the Industrial Revolution.
John Bosco became their father figure, mentor, and spiritual director, inspiring them to a life of virtue and saving them from a future of poverty and incarceration.
In his role as a director of souls, Bosco became known for his practical wisdom on how to grow in the spiritual life.
Here are his own words on how to keep the devil at bay.
How to Resist Satan, in the Words of St. John Bosco
Listen: there are two things the devil is deathly afraid of: fervent Communions and frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
Do you want many graces? Visit Him often.
Do you want Him to grant you only a few? Visit Him but seldom.
Do you want the devil to attack you? Rarely visit the Blessed Sacrament.
Do you want the devil to flee from you? Visit Jesus often.
Do you want to overcome the devil? Take refuge at the feet of Jesus.
Do you want to be overcome by the devil? Give up visiting Jesus.
Visiting Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is essential…if you want to overcome the devil. Therefore make frequent visits to Jesus.
If you do that, the devil will never prevail against you.
St. John Bosco
There you have it. It doesn’t get more simple and straightforward than that.
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