Blessed Carlo Acutis is one of my new favorite Saints. He is the first Millennial Saint, which – as a fellow Millennial – makes me feel drawn to him even more. I think we would probably have been friends if I had grown up in Milan, Italy. Carlo was born in 1991, and from an early age showed an interest in the Catholic Church, even though neither of his parents were regulars at Mass. But even as a kid, Carlo insisted on attending Mass and would even go to the Church on his own. He was convinced of Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist and thus tried to receive Him often. He once said that it saddened him that people would wait in line to go to concerts, but wouldn’t line up to go to Mass.
Carlo became fascinated with the various Eucharistic miracles that have happened over the centuries and insisted on traveling to many different sites of those miracles all across Italy. He came from a wealthy family, so his parents were able to afford the travel. During these trips, young Carlo would learn all he could about the various different miracles–hosts miraculously bleeding, chalices overflowing with blood and staining altar cloths, floods stopping at the door of a church, hosts miraculously surviving attempts by witches to desecrate them. He wanted to share these stories with others in the hope that they would also come to the same faith that he had in Jesus’ Real Presence. Carlo was uniquely gifted in computer programming, so he decided to create a website dedicated to the Eucharisitic Miracles of the World. That website has now been expanded and made into a traveling exhibit which has been taken all over the world and displayed at tens of thousands of parishes and other Catholic sites. Some of you probably took the opportunity to go to this exhibit when we brought it here to St. Peter just a couple of years ago.
I love the example of Blessed Carlo Acutis because he shows us what Christian joy looks like. Although he enjoyed the good things of this world, he didn’t seem to be overly attached to them. As a good Millennial, he loved video games, but limited himself to playing them for only an hour a week. When I think back on my own childhood years, I definitely wasn’t playing video games for just an hour a week. But Blessed Carlo’s holy detachment from the things that distracted most young people his age allowed him to be more attached to Jesus and opened his heart to love others more fully. He was known to befriend the workers at wealthy homes along his walk to school, and to stand up for those in his school whom others picked on, including those with disabilities. When staying with his grandparents by the coast, Blessed Carlo would enjoy the beach, but come back in time to join a group gathered at the nearby parish to pray the Rosary. One might think that limiting some of the pleasures of childhood would have made Carlo sad, but the opposite was true. He became a light to others, including his own parents. His example of faith in Jesus in the Eucharist drew his mother to embrace her Catholic faith more deeply. Blessed Carlo allowed Jesus to be the source of His joy, and thus lived his life with a verve and energy that inspires people to this day.
This is what the example of every saint shows us. They remind us that true joy comes not from conformity with the world, but by being transformed by laying down our lives in service to Jesus and others. One of Blessed Carlo’s most well known quotes is: “All are born as originals, but many die as photocopies.” Blessed Carlo was not afraid to live his life in contrast to what the world promoted because he recognized that God was everything. Once, when asked what his life plan was, he said, “To be close to Jesus is my life plan.” He did this by receiving Jesus in the Eucharist as often as he could.
Blessed Carlo Acutis’ life reminds us of the truth that our lives are not just meant to be spent for ourselves. He was a young man of joy who died speaking longingly of Heaven because he recognized where his joy came from: serving Jesus by loving Him and others. He lived out that love by using his gifts and talents to promote faith in Jesus and by pouring himself out for others in loving service. In giving himself, he found himself.
The story of the rich young man that comes before Jesus in today’s Gospel reminds us of what it looks like when we turn away from an opportunity to give ourselves more fully to Jesus. He comes before the Lord desiring eternal life and asking Him how to get there. Jesus reminds him of the importance of the commandments, which he says he has followed since his youth. Then comes the pivotal moment. Let’s ponder it again:
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
“You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
Jesus is laying down a challenge, but not one that is too great for this young man if he would just cooperate with Jesus’ grace. Jesus looks at him with love, He sees down to his core and recognizes the potential in him to enjoy the true riches of Heaven by giving away the riches of this earth. Jesus offers him the joy of saying ‘yes’ and living a life of selfless love in His power, but the life of self-seeking also knocks at the young man’s door. Unfortunately, we see him go away sad because of his worldly wealth and his refusal to let it go for the sake of the Gospel.
Letting go of our riches and entrusting them to the Lord and His plan is not an easy thing, but it is possible with Jesus’ help. When tempted to cling to the things of this world, we face the ancient temptation that goes back to the Garden of Eden–seeking out the fleeting and ultimately illusory happiness that comes from pride and self-reliance. But if we would just answer the call of Jesus, enter into His grace and love, and give control over to Him–what joy and true happiness awaits! The glowing smile and serene confidence of Blessed Carlo Acutis and all the Saints remind us that the life of Jesus is worth it, that the joy of the Lord is what we are made for, that Heaven is worth giving up everything for in order to gain true riches. Will God call all of us to the same level of abandonment when it comes to the riches of this world? Obviously not. We are not all called to be religious brothers or sisters who take a vow of poverty, but all of us are called by Jesus to be poor in spirit, to have hearts which entrust our riches, our gifts, and ultimately ourselves to Jesus so that He can direct us how to use them best and thus enter into joy.
Jesus looks at each of you with Divine Love just as He looked at the rich young man. He invites you to that trusting surrender of your riches and yourself to Him and His plan today. Will you say ‘yes’ to the joy that comes from that surrender?
+ Heavenly Father, thank you for offering us the great joy of a life lived in surrender to your Son. Jesus, help us by your grace not to walk away sad from Your invitation to sell all to follow You. Holy Spirit, help us to recognize and enter into the joy that comes from living for Jesus in poverty of spirit. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen. +