For the past two weeks I’ve shared the stories of St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frasatti. This week I’d like to reflect on what these new saints can teach us about living Christ-centered lives in challenging times. As we witness war and violence, political division, and everything playing out in social media, our anxiety rises, and we are not exactly our best selves. Carlo and Pier Giorgio offer Christlike ways of navigating a complicated world and remind us that Jesus dwells in uncertainty and messiness and can bring us to a place of peace.
When teenage Carlo started researching Eucharistic miracles, he had already been attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion daily. He called the Eucharist his “highway to Heaven” and was moved to share the Good News and the truth of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist with the entire world. He exuded the energy and enthusiasm of a typical teenage boy, but his mature wisdom and his online presence inspired many to return to the Church and the Sacraments. When he knew he would soon die from leukemia, Carlo was not fearful because he had spent his time on earth wisely: “I am dying peacefully because I have lived my life without wasting a single minute of it in things that displease God.” As we scroll through social media, are we wasting time? Are we getting sucked into rants that anger us when we could be reaching out to someone in need who might experience healing because we were a compassionate presence?
Pier Giorgio had a special friendship with the poor. As a college student he would spend time and money taking care of the poor he met on the way to class and would often give away his bus fare to someone in need requiring him to walk home. On his deathbed he asked that his medicine be brought to a sick man that he had been helping. Jesus talked about giving that cup of cool water to someone and what that could mean for the health of our own soul. Pier Giorgio hiked with friends and talked about faith along the way. Scripture tells us to seek the things that are above. As Pier Giorgio shouted to his friends, “To the heights!” we might reflect on where our thoughts and comments go – to the heights of heaven or to some dark place.
Through the intercession of these two saints, may we have the wisdom they had to direct our thoughts and actions to truth and goodness in the name of Jesus who brings peace to restless hearts. Saints Carlo and Pier Giorgio, pray for us!
