You will be surprised to know that a modern teenager is well on his way to being declared a saint. Like all teenagers, he was tech-savvy; in fact, some of his friends thought he was a computer genius. But what sets this youth apart is that he linked his technological expertise to the greatest spiritual treasure we can think of – the Eucharist.
Carlo Acutis was an Italian Catholic, born on 3 May 1991 in London, as his parents were working there at that time. A few months after his birth they moved back to Italy and lived in Milan. That is where Carlo grew up. He did his high school studies in the Jesuit-run Istituto Leone XIII. A cheerful student, he was a daily communicant. When asked why, he is reported to have said, “The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of Heaven.”
Carlo had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and so loved praying the rosary. He regularly spent time in prayer before the tabernacle either before or after Mass. “To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan,” he remarked. Once every week he made his confession.
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Fr M A Joe Antony SJ