All Saints

 

‘How happy are the poor in spirit:

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle:

they shall have the earth for their heritage.

Happy those who mourn:

they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:3 - 4

Paul often referred to his addressees as saints, or the holy ones. He wasn’t writing about those 'holier-than-thou', canonised variety of saints, but the regular every day faithful who chose to live out Christian lives with conviction. And, they weren’t perfect by any means.

I have known some great saints; people of patience, honesty, trustworthy and trusting, compassionate, kind, gentle and loving. Oh yes, some even liked to party. And yes, they were not or are not perfect.

The people who impact on our lives for the better, are those who challenge us by the way they live their own lives. They may be great teachers, great academics, sports people, financiers, military, clergy, religious, artists, musicians, builders, librarians, or office workers – they are good at what they do, but they have an enormous capacity to care about others, they want others to dream dreams, reach for the stars, be healthy and know love.

But most saints are not the 'out there' kind of person. The everyday saint is humble, if not almost invisible. They visit the sick and lonely, feed the hungry, give their time and money to charity, work for Vinnies, Lifeline or Red Cross, visit prisoners, those in detention centres or refuges and welcome strangers to our community. These saints are our neighbours, relatives, friends and colleagues. Most are` not motivated by the Great Commandment, but by genuine love and respect of their fellow human beings. Some might even be church-going Christians. Or Muslims. Or Buddhists. Or gay. Or Trump-voters.

Matthew (5:1 – 12) sets out his criteria for ‘sainthood’ – the Beatitudes. To whom does the kingdom belong? It belongs to the poor in spirit, the gentle, mourners, those who hunger and thirst for what is right, the merciful, the pure in heart, peacemakers, those persecuted in the cause of right, those who are abused and persecuted on account of their faith. They are indeed saints.

Such saints are within our grasp. We know them, they are not superhuman beings, but they are superb human beings. Such a human being was young Carlo Acutis, beatified in Assisi on 10 October 2020 (see article below).

This coming Sunday, is of course, All Saints Day, in recognition of God’s grace so generously bestowed on us through the exemplary lives of our forebears in faith. This is followed by All Souls Day during which we recollect our many loved ones who have gone before us. I remember my grandparents, my parents, my brothers Brett, Richards and Shaun, holy ones indeed, each chosen by God, and loved by him – and they will be made perfect by him.

 

Peter Douglas

 

London-born teen on path to sainthood

 

Junno Arocho Esteves, CNS

A London-born teenager beatified in Italy yesterday showed that heaven is an “attainable goal”, according to the cardinal who read the papal letter proclaiming him “blessed”.

Carlo Acutis was born on 3 May 1991 to Italian parents and was baptised at Our Lady of Dolours in Fulham on 18 May 1991 by Fr Nicholas Martin OSM. Soon afterwards, the family moved to Milan, Italy. He died of leukaemia in 2006. Skilled on computers, among other achievements during his short life, he created a website listing eucharistic miracles.

During the beatification Mass, Italian Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the papal legate for the Basilicas of St Francis and St Mary of the Angels in Assisi, read Pope Francis' apostolic letter proclaiming Acutis “blessed” the step before canonisation.

“With our apostolic authority, we grant that the venerable servant of God, Carlo Acutis, layman, who, with the enthusiasm of youth, cultivated a friendship with our Lord Jesus, placing the Eucharist and the witness of charity at the centre of his life, henceforth shall be called blessed,” the pope decreed.

Thousands sang and applauded as he was beatified. Assisi was a town particularly dear to him during his life.

After the reading of the apostolic letter, the newly beatified teen's parents, Andrea Acutis and Antonia Salzano, processed toward the altar carrying a reliquary containing their son's heart.

The reliquary was engraved with one of the teen's well-known quotes: “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.”

Pilgrims flocked both to the Basilica of St Francis for the beatification Mass as well as to the Shrine of the Renunciation at the Church of St Mary Major, where the newly beatified teen's remains were on display for veneration.

Men and women, boys and girls passed by the tomb quietly, some stopping to pray the Our Father. A young toddler blew a kiss goodbye to the young blessed as she passed by.

Known as the site where a young St. Francis renounced his father's inheritance and embraced poverty, the shrine, like the city of Assisi and St Francis himself, held a special place in Acutis’ heart.

The teen loved St Francis very much, said his mother, Antonia Salzano. St Francis “was a very Eucharistic soul who used to attend Mass twice a day” and her son sought to imitate that same Eucharistic devotion throughout his brief life.

Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi reflected on the link between the two saintly figures, and proclaimed that by “providential design, Francis and Carlo are now inseparable.”

He said: “Carlo's life – always united to Jesus – his love for the Eucharist, his devotion to the Holy Virgin, his making friends with the poor, brought him closer to the spirituality of the Poor One,” St Francis, Archbishop Sorrentino said at the end of Mass. “Both invite us to live according to the Gospel.”

The liturgy was held inside the Basilica of St Francis, but measures to prevent the spread of Covis-19 meant that most of those attending sat outside on seats set three-feet apart, watching on big screens.

Many young men and women came to Assisi for the beatification. For many of them, the fact that a normal teen could be beatified was a source of hope and inspiration.

“With his life, Carlo made me see that despite the small or even great difficulties, like his illness, that we could live a full and happy life if we keep our eyes looking up toward heaven,” said 19-year-old Rosanna, who was among those attending the beatification.

In his homily, Cardinal Vallini said that Acutis’ beatification “in the land of Francis of Assisi is good news, a strong proclamation that a young man of our time, one like many, was conquered by Christ and became a beacon of light for those who want to know him and follow his example.”

Reflecting on the teen’s life, Cardinal Vallini said that like most young people his age, Carlo was a “normal, simple, spontaneous, friendly” teenager who used modern forms of communication to transmit the “values and beauty of the Gospel”.

For him, “the internet was not just a means of escape, but a space for dialogue, knowledge, sharing and mutual respect that was to be used responsibly, without becoming slaves to it and rejecting digital bullying,” the cardinal said.

Cardinal Vallini said that Blessed Acutis was a model of virtue for young men and women today, reminding them not to seek gratification only in ephemeral successes but in the perennial values that Jesus proposes in the Gospel.

“He gave witness that faith does not distance us from life but immerses us more deeply in it and showed us the concrete way to live the joy of the Gospel,” the cardinal said. “It is up to us to follow it, attracted by the fascinating experience of Blessed Carlo, so that our lives may also shine with light and hope.”