A Eucharistic Life
2006. It was a beautiful day in Milan. The sun was shining; a group of young boys were playing soccer.None of them looked out of place; yet one of them was quietly paving his path to heaven, one ordinary day at a time. Today, he is known around the world today for his heroic virtue and his dedication to the Eucharist as Bl. Carlo Acutis.
Carlo was like any other boy. He loved his family, sports, even video games! Yet above all of them, he had an intense love of God and of Jesus in the Eucharist. This love shaped and sanctified all his other loves. He worked as a catechist, educating the children of his parish on the importance of the Eucharist. He knew that in order to love other people well, he had to love God first, always choosing prayer above play.
A Website for Miracles
As a teenager, Carlo became fascinated with computers and programming. He learned to code, and created a website (still available today) documenting eucharistic miracles, even persuading his family to take a vacation to Lanciano, Italy, the site of a prominent eucharistic miracle, for research.
Carlo’s best friend Gio didn’t understand him at times, especially when he would choose not to continue playing video games in order to stay close to God. Gio still liked Carlo, though, and was impressed by his research and dedication. While preparing his Eucharistic Miracles presentation for his catechism one night, Carlo began feeling unwell. Gio was called upon to teach the class in Carlo's absence. He was nervous, but growing in faith by his best friend’s example, he led the class.
The Ultimate Witness
Meanwhile, Carlo’s sickness didn’t go away; instead, it worsened. His parents took him to the doctor, and he was diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia. In the hospital, Carlo called his illness his ‘alarm clock’ - Christ calling him home to Heaven. He passed away less than two weeks after his initial sickness at the age of fifteen.
This week, The Saints: Adventures of Faith and Courage returns to celebrate Carlo Acutis on his birthday (May 3rd)! Grow in devotion to the Eucharist alongside Carlo and Gio as they travel the world and the internet in search of Eucharistic miracles. Hear each moment of Carlo’s dramatic story of faith and courage as he teaches those around him to love the Eucharist and pray more each day. You can listen to his story at thesaintspodcast.com!