Bl. Carlo Acutis and the Universal Call to Holiness
On May 23rd Pope Francis formally recognized a second miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Carlo Acutis which was the last step needed before he could be officially canonized as a Saint in the Catholic Church. If you have not heard of Bl. Carlo Acutis before, he was a 15-year-old Italian teenager who passed away in 2006. Bl. Carlo was a child of deep faith in our Eucharistic Lord and when he is canonized he will be the first millennial Saint! After he started high school, he began to curate, create or design websites, including one for a local parish and for his Jesuit-run high school. He was a normal kid who enjoyed playing saxophone, soccer and videogames, and loved making videos with his dogs and cats. He also used his computer skills to create an online database of Eucharistic miracles around the world. Throughout his life and even now Carlo is teaching the entire world a very important lesson, holiness and sanctity is not for the few and the far between but that it is for each and every person! He was a normal kid who chose that he was going to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and through that decision despite his age God used that yes to affect millions of people around the world.
In the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, the second Vatican Council proclaimed that, “in the Church, everyone whether belonging to the hierarchy, or being cared for by it, is called to holiness…the Lord Jesus, the divine Teacher and Model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to each and everyone of His disciples of every condition. He Himself stands as the author and consumator of this holiness of life: ‘Be you therefore perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect’. Indeed He sent the Holy Spirit upon all men that He might move them inwardly to love God with their whole heart and their whole soul, with all their mind and all their strength” (LG 39-40) Holiness is not for just the nuns who serve the poor in Africa, and it is not just for the priests, but holiness is the calling of each and every single person. Because you have been created by God in His image and likeness. In our journey of faith, we often ponder the question: What does holiness look like? This question is profound because it invites us to consider not just our actions, but the very essence of our lives as followers of Christ. In our families, workplaces, and neighborhoods, holiness can be seen in the way we treat others—with respect, honesty, and generosity. It shines forth when we stand up for justice, speak out against injustice, and strive for reconciliation and peace.
As we reflect on what holiness looks like, let us remember that it is ultimately a reflection of God’s presence in our lives. It is through, and only through, His grace that our lives are transformed and enabled to live according to His will. Let us pray, particularly through the intercession of blessed Carlo Acutis, that we may have the courage and the humility to embrace this call to holiness as individuals, but also as a parish family!
Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever! All you holy saints of God, pray for us!
In Christ,
Seminarian Sean Lee