(CNA).- In October of 2006, Carlo Acutis was 15 years old and was fading fast from leukemia. A native of Milan, Acutis touched family members and friends with his witness of offering the sufferings of his illness for the Church and the Pope. His testimony of faith, which could lead to his beatification in the coming years, has moved Italy.
“The Eucharist: My Road to Heaven: A Biography of Carlo Acutis” is the title of the book by Nicola Gori, a writer for the L’Osservatore Romano, and published by Ediciones San Pablo.
According to the publishers, Carlo “was a teen of our times, like many others. He tried hard in school, with his friends, [and] he loved computers. At the same time he was a great friend of Jesus Christ, he was a daily communicant and he trusted in the Virgin Mary. Succumbing to leukemia at the age of 15, he offered his life for the Pope and for the Church. Those who have read about his life are moved to profound admiration. The book was born of a desire to tell everyone his simple and incredible human and profoundly Christian story.”
“As a little boy, especially after his First Communion, he never missed his daily appointment with the Holy Mass and the Rosary, followed by a moment of Eucharistic adoration,” recalls his mother, Antonia Acutis.
“With this intense spiritual life, Carlo has fully and generously lived his fifteen years of life, leaving a profound impact on those who knew him. He was an expert with computers, he read books on computer engineering and left everyone in awe, but he put his gift at the service of others and used it to help his friends,” she added.
“His immense generosity made him interested in everyone: the foreigners, the handicapped, children, beggars. To be close to Carlo was to be close to a fountain of fresh water,” his mother said.
Antonia recalls clearly that “shortly before his death, Carlo offered his sufferings for the Pope and the Church. Surely the heroism with which he faced his illness and death has convinced many that he was truly somebody special. When the doctor that was treating him asked him if he was suffering a lot, Carlo answered: ‘There are people who suffer much more than me!”
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8 comments:
The pope presumably died and so did this 15 yrs old.
"There are people who suffer much more than me !"
Are not those the words (more or less) of the young Bernadette Soubirous, better known today as St. Bernadette, of Lourdes.
ffn,
Carlos died in 2006, the Pope then reigning is reigning now!
Er, FFN, offering your sufferings for people or causes doesn't mean those people never die (though as Father pointed out, Pope Benedict XVI is still very much alive) or that you never die.
It is a uniting of your pain and suffering to that of Christ on the Cross, to join with His sufferings.
Google "redemptive suffering", will you?
You have a terrible misunderstanding about the reasons we pray and offer things up.
Its stories like these that make me think why all the hysteria for JP II. Surely the brave example of this fine young fellow, should capture the hearts of all Catholics?
Pious though Carlos probably was, this story tells us more about his mother than him.
Right on, Anonymous 9:36 AM.
How very true.
"The pope presumably died " ffn.
I do hope not. Carlo and I and a few others are praying that he lives to be at least 100. Mind you, He's getting through the tasks at a slick old pace. At this rate he might be ahead of contract.
I do love Pope Benedict. It's just shame that his name doesn`t rhyme with a good slogan: JP 11 we Love YOU.. Papa B-you're the key..?
Doesn`t quite work. I know, why don't we fund a Bus Poster Campaign with a slogan to support The Pope ?? You only need four or five buses to take it up and you've scored. I understand you only pay per bus.
Photo of Carlo, Cross, Pope, Dome of St Peter's - some words...? ideas ?
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