The 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has shot to fame for his brilliant performance in the IPL. He is the talk of the day. He has caught the imagination of everyone! There are celebrities in all walks of life – the film world, science and technology, music and art, sports and games, magic and AI, medicine and literature, computer science and Aerospace engineering, and whatnot.

In Christian circles, there are teenagers and even little kids who are specialized in sanctity. The three little kids of Fatima surprised the learned and the intelligent with their remarkable consistency when cross-questioned by the learned ecclesiastics.  Two of them who died very young have already been canonized.  There is another hero in the Christian circle. He is St Dominic Savio (1842-1857), who was brought up in the school of Don Bosco, a great educationalist and pedagogist.  This teenager remained in the hostel of Don Bosco at Valdocco (Turin). After about three years with Don Bosco, he had to go back to his village due to poor health. However, before leaving Don Bosco’s hostel, he had already started walking the path of holiness. Pius XII called the little teenager a giant of sanctity and raised him to the altars in 1954.

Learning from St Dominic Savio

Dominic – the little young saint – teaches not only his own age group but also the elders. We want to learn from him the following

1. On one occasion two little chaps collected stones to hurl at each other. It was to be a duel. They would be battling until one is dead! Little Dominic rushed to the scene holding a little crucifix in his hand. He shouted, Throw at me first”. The rest is history. The two little guys became friends.
2. The innocent Dominic thought it befitting to ask pardon from his parents before going for first confession and first communion. The simplicity of the little one who hardly ever did anything displeasing, brought tears to the eyes of the God-fearing parents.
3. In Italy it is customary to say grace before meals. A guest in his home started off eating the food without prayer. The little Dominic withdrew from the table to the embarrassment of everyone. It was a lesson that all picked up including the guest.
4. Dominic did not succumb to the unhealthy invitations of the peer-group, harmless per se though certain things were. He obeyed meticulously whatever Don Bosco had forbidden, setting an example for his friends.
5. Little Dominic thought that sanctity was to be acquired through severe penance. Dominic would put stones and other rough objects between the bedsheets to make his sleep uncomfortable. He discontinued them in obedience to Don Bosco, his spiritual father.
6. Companions in the class wanted to have some innocent fun. Therefore, one naughty one would ice and snow into the fireplace in the classroom. The teacher went into a fury. He wanted to know who the guilty one was. One got up and pointed his finger at Dominic, who was instantly put out of the class. He had to stand in the cold for hours. Late in the evening, the guilty one regretted and confessed his guilt. The teacher was amazed when Dominic said that he had not defended himself since he recalled Jesus standing silent in front of Pilate when he was falsely accused!
7. Dominic remained ever docile to his spiritual father (Don Bosco), who said that the path to sanctity was piety, study, fulfilment of daily duties, and cheerfulness.
8. On one occasion, Dominic surprised a man who had brought to the playground a book with obscene pictures. Dominic called away all his companions who were drawn to him by morbid curiosity, which could certainly be harmful as well. The man was left alone in the playground. Embarrassed and mortified, he fled the scene and never returned again to the playground of Valdocco (Turin).
9. 1854 was a special year in the Catholic Church because during that year, Pope Pius IX defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Dominic formed a small association to honour the Madonna in various ways. Regular Confession and devout reception of Holy Communion were among the practices he advocated to his friends. Dominic, though tender in age, was an apostle. He had picked up a celebrated keepsake of Don Bosco – save yourself by saving others (salve! salvando salvati).
10. During the last days of his illness, he had to suffer a lot due to the non-professional medical practices prevalent in those days. The little boy accepted all sufferings cheerfully. He edified everyone with his calm acceptance of intense pain. After receiving the Sacraments, he breathed his last with a smile on his face.

Conclusion

In the early centuries of the Church, sanctity was considered something meant for the elderly, particularly for Popes, Bishops, priests, monks and nuns. It is Vatican II that popularised Sanctity as an ideal to be pursued by everyone, irrespective of their age. Dominic Savio – thanks to the insight of Don Bosco, an educator par excellence – set an example of sanctity a hundred years before Vatican II. The young can excel in all spheres of life, including holiness of life. Dominic, the little giant, leads the way for us all.