Heavenly Millennial saint: Carlo

 I'm sure I am not the only one who has lost a dear friend who was far too young and beautiful to die. Great depressing introduction, huh? No doubt the shock of losing someone so young leaves us feeling the space and time of that beautiful fresh young person froze in time for all eternity, their childlike face engraved and forever young in the eyes of our heart. Today is the feast day of one of those young people: Carlo Acutis, and yet, he is alive in heaven and ready to help intercede in our prayers!

Fr Dan Leary, my prior parish priest, said that we don't pick which saints we like, rather they pick us and send us help, we just have to look for those special moments where we can connect to them or they with us. I have a few saint "Friends" that I talk to and ask for intercession and also saint friends I think are incredible, but haven't clicked with me in the ways other saints have, or maybe we will click a little further down the road in life, who knows.

Among my "saint team" that I turn to for intercession (especially with this blog), is this 14 year old boy who died in 2006 and is on the path to being canonized a saint. Why him? He was pure of heart and helps me with computer and blog issues, that alone will keep him on my "saint team" forever! Seriously, who doesn't want the Patron Saint for Computers on their team? Not only did he die young, but he couldn't wait to die in order to pray for us in heaven. Let that hit you like an explosion of sparkles, and revel in it's beauty. Some saints are craving for us to ask for their help through their prayers and Carlo is certainly one of them! 

Carlo Acutis, was born on May 3, 1991 to Milanese Italian parents, he was an only child. At the age of 4 he began surprising devotions for love of God despite his parents not being practicing Catholics: he would ask to go into the church and pray as a little child and lovingly kiss the cross. 

He was a normal child and loved to play video games and go out with friends, however there was one friend he was especially fond of: Jesus. Before and after each Holy Mass, Carlo would spend time with Jesus in prayer and reflection of the effect of His life on Carlo's life. He began to fall deeply in love with Jesus and asked at the age of seven to receive his first Holy Communion a year early. As he grew, he began learning to program computers. At the age of eleven, he began to design websites to catalog each Eucharistic Miracle in the world as well as each apparition of Our Lady. He tried to always live in a holy way in the presence of God and seemed to have the right thing to say, without pressure on his friends, when they would talk about their problems. He said our "Aim has to be in the infinite, not the finite."

Soccer team: Carlo, second from the left at the top.

He noticed a lot of his friends had a hard time understanding the Eucharist, and he knew the Eucharist was his "highway to heaven". He traveled to many sites of Eucharistic miracles to study them and document them on his website. He believed the sacrament of the Eucharist was a font of mercy that helped us to carry our sufferings, and the more frequently we received the Eucharist, the closer we would remain to Jesus. He said, "All people are born as originals but often die photocopies of who Jesus meant for them to be."

When Carlo was 15 he came down with the flu and it didn't go away. He was diagnosed with leukemia and which became immensely painful. He knew he wouldn't leave the hospital alive and said he would die happy because he spent his life in ways pleasing to God. He offered his pain for the Pope and the Church. He died on October 12, 2006. 

As soon as he died, people began to pray for his intercession in heaven and healing miracles began to happen.  Carlo Acutis was beatified in 2020. Four years to the day he died, his mother gave birth to twins.

So, what is it about Carlo that I especially like? Here are three messages he left for us on earth:

1. Frequent confession: Carlo, like many saints, went to weekly confession to stay in the grace of God. Confession can feel overwhelming or make us even shudder at times, but it is truly the gate of grace from God to shine His mercy on our weakness and help us start fresh.

"I went from bad to worse...help me."

"Go and sin no more."

2. Love the Eucharist: His website of Eucharistic Miracles is AMAZING. It is unbelievable that a child put this together. The real and vibrant presence of Jesus is in the Eucharist for each of us. 

3. Love Our Lady: Mary is such an incredible woman, mother and friend. I really think that Carlo knew how powerful she is and wanted people to know of her love for all of the world. His website vividly captures the apparitions of Mary through the world. 

Carlo, prega per noi. Aiutaci a riconoscere il vero amore di Dio nella nostra vita. Prega per noi, per vivere nella conoscenza della presenza di Dio in ogni momento della nostra vita. Perga per tutti i giovanni e per coloro che sono dipendenti dal computer. Grazie mille per il tuo auito con il mio blog.

Carlo, pray for us. Help us to recognize the true love of God in our life. Pray for us, to live in the awareness of the presence of God in each moment of our life. Pray for all young people, especially those with adiction to computers. Thank you for helping me with my blog.