Some years ago, my wife and I visited Assisi, Italy, joining massive crowds who came to see the tomb of the town’s most famous saint. Now crowds are pouring into this medieval hilltop town to celebrate another celebrity: a teenager named Carlo Acutis.
The Catholic church’s first millennial saint will be canonized on April 27 in St. Peter’s Square. Carlo was born on May 3, 1991, to a wealthy Italian family. He received First Communion at the young age of seven, then began attending daily Mass, teaching catechism, and serving the homeless. He also used his computer skills to create an online exhibit of more than one hundred miracles he hoped would encourage faith in Christ.
At the age of fifteen, he fell ill. Ten days later, he died of acute leukemia. His remains were later transferred to an Assisi cemetery as he had asked because of his devotion to St. Francis. His body is on view there, wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, and sneakers.
Over the last year, a million pilgrims made their way to his shrine. The teenager is so popular in large part because his story is so accessible. And because his faith was so compelling.
- Carlo urged us to fulfill God’s unique purpose for our lives: “All people are born as originals, but many die as photocopies.” His own purpose was clear: “To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan.”
- Accordingly, he taught us to seek holiness in all things: “The only thing we have to ask God for, in prayer, is the desire to be holy.”
- When we do, Carlo assured us that we can face death in faith: “Do not be afraid because with the Incarnation of Jesus, death becomes life, and there’s no need to escape. In eternal life, something extraordinary awaits us.”
“Not me, but God”
The greater our challenges, the more we need a power greater than ourselves.
A powerful earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday; the death count stands at more than 1,700 this morning, with nearly 300 others missing. More than eleven thousand acres have burned in North and South Carolina as wildfires continue to rage through the region. The Dow closed down seven hundred points on Friday as inflation fears escalate. Astronomers continue to warn that extinction-level asteroids are out there and could strike us one day.
How do we respond to such news with faith rather than fear?
According to Carlo Acutis, the key is to focus on the Lord rather than our circumstances: “Sadness is looking at ourselves; happiness is looking toward God.” His life motto was simple: “Not me, but God.”
“This was to fulfill the word”
To this end, let’s consider an element of the Easter story that is pivotal to the rest. When Jesus was on trial before Pontius Pilate, the governor tried to evade responsibility, telling the Jewish authorities, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law” (John 18:31a). However, they responded, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death” (v. 31b).
This was true. According to the Babylonian Talmud, the Romans had earlier revoked the Sanhedrin’s power to impose capital punishment. Had they executed Jesus, he would have died by stoning (cf. the mob action that murdered Stephen, Acts 7:58–60). But because they were afraid of the crowds (cf. Mark 12:12), they wanted Pilate to execute Jesus for them, which would be done by crucifixion.
John adds: “This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die” (John 18:32). Our Lord had earlier predicted that he would be “lifted up from the earth” (John 12:32), forecasting the manner of his death (v. 33).
Jesus’ death by crucifixion fulfilled remarkable Old Testament prophecies (cf. Psalm 22:7–8, 16–18; Isaiah 53:7–12), each of which would be worthy of an entire article and more. My point today is that the Holy Spirit revealed our Savior’s manner of death more than a thousand years before it took place. His betrayal, trial, execution, burial, and resurrection followed specific prophecy as part of God’s astounding plan for our salvation.
“Pray hardest when it is hardest to pray”
Our Father’s perfect providence extends not just to Jesus but to you and me today. He loves us as much as he loved his Son (John 17:23, 26) because “God is love” (1 John 4:8, my emphasis). His perfect nature allows him to want nothing less than our best, always (Romans 12:2).
The key is this: The less we understand his will, the more we need to trust it.
Oswald Chambers observed, “Faith is not intelligent understanding; faith is deliberate commitment to a Person where I see no way.” Bishop Charles Henry Brent agreed: “Pray hardest when it is hardest to pray.”
Here’s the theological logic behind this advice: When our circumstances are most difficult, we are most likely to question the love and power of God in our lives. But it is just then that we require his love and power the most. When our need is the greatest, his providential redemption is the most visible and triumphant. The doctor who stitches up a cut makes less an impression than the surgeon whose intricate skill saves our lives.
Carlo Acutis’ death at the age of fifteen is an example. Skeptics could ask how a trustworthy God could allow such a devoted Christian to die so young. Think of all he could have accomplished if he had lived to old age, they might say.
But in fact, God is redeeming his teenage death as part of his continuing allure and ministry, inviting millions to remember his story and draw closer to his Lord. You and I are in their number today.
We might consider Carlos’ early death a tragedy, but he did not. To the contrary, he testified:
“I am happy to die because I have lived my life without wasting a minute on those things which do not please God.”
Can you say the same today?
If not, why not?
Quote for the day:
“Our goal must be infinite, not the finite. The infinite is our homeland. Heaven has been waiting for us forever.” —Carlo Acutis
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