On October 10, 2020, Carlo Acutis, a boy who died of leukemia at the age of 15, was beatified in Assisi: it was, and continues to be, a great celebration.
The Church celebrates and remembers Carlo on October 12 and sets his example before young people, because he, a perfectly ordinary young man full of the desire to live, truly raced toward Heaven, knowing how to make every moment of his life a gift to God and to others, while fully living his age and his time.
A great friendship
The secret of Carlo’s life, so brief yet perfectly fulfilled, lies in the profound friendship he shared with Jesus: for Carlo, Jesus is the Friend with whom he speaks every day; he is the guest to welcome into his heart at the moment of Communion, inviting him familiarly: «Jesus, make yourself at home. Act as if you were in your own house», Carlo says after receiving the Eucharist.
The dialogue between Jesus and Carlo is an unbroken one, leading this young man to give himself to others in the everyday simplicity of his life, without reservation: at school, Carlo is close to classmates who have difficulties with their studies or relationships with others; Carlo has a greeting and a smile for everyone he meets; Carlo brings food and blankets to the poor in his neighborhood… Carlo knows how to give of himself, and teaches us to do the same, with simplicity.
A great passion
One of Carlo’s great passions was computers, but he used them in a very particular way, as Cardinal Agostino Vallini emphasized during the beatification ceremony: «Carlo felt a strong need to help people discover that God […]. To communicate this spiritual need, he made use of every means, including modern means of social communication, which he knew how to use extremely well, especially the internet, which he considered a gift from God and an important tool for meeting people and spreading Christian values.
This way of thinking led him to say that the internet is not merely a means of escape, but a space for dialogue, knowledge, sharing, and mutual respect, to be used responsibly, without becoming enslaved to it and while rejecting cyberbullying; in the limitless virtual world, we must be able to distinguish good from evil. From this positive perspective, he encouraged using the mass media as means at the service of the Gospel, to reach as many people as possible and help them discover the beauty of friendship with the Lord».
Carlo Acutis has the power to speak to young people and not only them… He has touched and continues to touch the lives of many because he teaches us that holiness is possible even in our own time, hurried and always connected… Even by using the means that technology offers us, we can strive for Heaven!
Have you ever thought about how you use social media? Have you ever thought that it can become a means of communicating love and hope? If you like, share your ideas, reflections, and experiences on this aspect here; we will be happy to read them!
