.jpg)
They are living reminders that holiness is possible here and now — in every age, culture, and circumstance. And in our own times, God has given us a powerful sign of hope in the life of Carlo Acutis, a London-born teenager who grew up in Milan, and whose love for the Eucharist and for souls has captured the attention of the whole world.
Carlo is being recognised as the first saint of the digital generation, a child of the new millennium who knew computers, video games, and the internet, yet never lost sight of what really mattered.
His canonisation, under Pope Leo XIV, is not only a moment of joy for the Church but also a profound reminder: holiness is not confined to monasteries or ancient times. It can flourish in the heart of a teenager, even amidst Wi-Fi signals and mobile screens.
A Child with an Unusual Clarity of Vision
Carlo Acutis was born in London in 1991 to Italian parents but spent most of his short life in Milan. From the outside, he might have seemed an ordinary boy — bright, playful, fond of football, computer programming, and even video games like Super Mario. Yet, beneath these ordinary interests lay an extraordinary devotion.
From a young age, Carlo showed an unusual hunger for God. When his family was not particularly devout, it was Carlo who insisted on entering churches, asking questions about the Mass and the Sacraments.
At the age of seven he received his First Holy Communion, and from that moment, he made daily Mass and Eucharistic adoration the centre of his life. He once said:
"The Eucharist is my highway to heaven."
This was not a pious slogan for him — it was his reality. Every day he oriented his life around Christ truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.
Using Technology for the Glory of God
Carlo's generation grew up alongside the internet. Many young people spend hours scrolling, gaming, or becoming absorbed in online distractions. Carlo was well aware of the dangers of this digital world. He limited himself to playing video games for no more than an hour a week. Instead, he channelled his fascination with computers into something deeply constructive.
With great skill, he designed websites and digital exhibitions. His most famous project was a catalogue of Eucharistic miracles from around the world. In 2005, during the Vatican's Year of the Eucharist, his online exhibition was launched in multiple languages. It has since travelled globally, inspiring countless Catholics to rediscover faith in the Real Presence.
This was Carlo's genius: he saw technology not as an enemy of faith, but as a tool for evangelisation. He became what Pope Francis later called a true "influencer of God."
A Life That Radiated Charity
It is easy to focus on Carlo's digital achievements, but his sanctity was far deeper. He lived with a great simplicity of heart. Despite being bright and talented, he had no trace of arrogance. He helped classmates with homework, defended those who were bullied, and volunteered in soup kitchens.
His spirituality was practical and accessible. He once said:
"All are born originals, but many die as photocopies."
By this, Carlo meant that every person is created unique in God's image and is called to become a saint in his or her own way. The tragedy is when we conform to worldly expectations rather than living out our God-given calling.
This message has an urgent relevance in our own times. How many of us feel pressured to "fit in," to measure success by likes, followers, careers, or possessions? Carlo reminds us that true fulfilment comes only in following Christ with authenticity.
A Short Life, A Lasting Witness
In 2006, at just fifteen years of age, Carlo was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia. He offered his suffering calmly and with deep faith, even telling his parents:
"I offer all the suffering I will have to undergo to the Lord, for the Pope and for the Church, so as not to go to purgatory but to go straight to heaven."
He died on 12 October 2006. His body was later interred in Assisi, the city of St Francis, whose simplicity and love for Christ had always inspired him.
Soon after his death, reports of miracles began to circulate. A Brazilian boy suffering from a rare digestive disease was healed after touching a relic of Carlo's. A woman in Italy was cured of cancer after asking for his intercession. These miracles led to his beatification in 2020 and have paved the way for his canonisation.
The First Millennial Saint
Why has Carlo captured the imagination of so many? Part of the answer lies in his age. For the first time, the Church is preparing to canonise someone who grew up in the world of social media, smartphones, and online culture. Carlo shows that holiness is possible even amidst these challenges.
As Pope Francis wrote in his exhortation Christus Vivit:
"Carlo was well aware that the mechanisms of communication, of advertising, of social networking, can be used to seduce us into a self-absorption. But he knew how to use them to spread the Gospel, to communicate values and beauty."
Carlo's life therefore becomes a mirror for our own. Do we use technology passively, letting it consume us, or do we use it as an instrument of love and truth?
Lessons from Carlo for Our Times
1. Put the Eucharist First
Carlo reminds us that the Eucharist is not an optional devotion but the beating heart of our faith. If a fifteen-year-old boy could make daily Mass the centre of his life, can we not at least strive to deepen our own Eucharistic devotion?
"He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him" (John 6:56).
2. Sanctify Technology
Carlo did not reject the digital world, but he refused to be enslaved by it. Instead, he transformed it into a vehicle of evangelisation. In our homes and parishes, we too can find ways to bring Christ into the online sphere.
3. Authenticity is Holiness
Carlo's phrase about being "originals" rather than "photocopies" is more than a catchy line. It is a profound spiritual truth. God has given each of us a unique path to sainthood.
4. Offer Suffering with Love
In his short battle with leukaemia, Carlo showed that suffering, united with Christ, can be redemptive. This is perhaps the most counter-cultural witness he leaves us.
Carlo's Message to the Young — and the Not-So-Young
Carlo is often seen as a patron for teenagers, but his message goes far beyond youth groups. His life challenges all of us to examine how we live, how we use technology, how we approach the Eucharist, and how we view the brevity of life.
For parents and educators, he shows that children can become saints even when family life is not especially religious — so long as we leave space for God's grace. For priests and catechists, he shows the power of presenting the faith as something beautiful and alive. For all Catholics, young or old, he reminds us that sanctity is possible today.
A Highway to Heaven
Carlo once said that the more often we receive the Eucharist, the more we will become like Christ, just as people who stand in the sun become sun-tanned. What a beautiful and simple way to describe sanctification!
In an age when many Catholics neglect the Mass or treat Holy Communion casually, Carlo calls us back to the awe and love that should accompany the Sacrament. His "highway to heaven" is open to us all.
A Prayer through the Intercession of Blessed Carlo Acutis
Heavenly Father,
You gave us in Blessed Carlo Acutis
a shining witness of love for Your Son in the Eucharist.
Through his example, help us to cherish the Mass,
to spend time before Your Presence with faith and devotion,
and to use every gift — even technology — for Your glory.
Grant, we pray, through his intercession,
the grace to live authentically as the saints You call us to be.
Strengthen the young, encourage the searching,
comfort the suffering, and guide us all along the highway to heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessed Carlo Acutis, pray for us.
Devotional Reflection
Take a moment today to imitate the heart of Carlo in one small way:
Visit the Blessed Sacrament — even for five minutes — and renew your love for Jesus present there.
Examine your use of technology — ask yourself whether your online time draws you closer to God or pulls you away.
Do a hidden act of charity — like Carlo helping classmates with homework or serving in soup kitchens, choose one small deed of kindness without seeking recognition.
Finally, reflect on Carlo's words: "The Eucharist is my highway to heaven." Ask the Lord to deepen your faith in the Real Presence and to set your heart on fire with longing for eternal life.
A Poem in Honour of Blessed Carlo
O youthful heart, so pure, so true,
Who walked the road we walk today,
You found in Christ your guiding star,
The Eucharist your holy way.
Amidst the noise of screens and light,
You chose the silence of His face;
A humble life, a burning love,
A child of God, adorned with grace.
Teach us to see, with eyes made clear,
The Lord who waits in Bread and Wine;
To use each gift, each fleeting hour,
For purposes that are divine.
Blessed Carlo, pray for us,
That we may run, as you have run,
The highway bright, the path of saints,
Until our earthly race is done.
************
Note: Image of Carlo Acutis - By Unknown -https://cruxnow.com/search?q=carlo+acutis
************Visit Our Parish Website
ourladyoflourdes.co.uk
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, New Milton
************Thank you for visiting this blog here at
the247catholic.blogspot.com************
View And / Download The Ordo
for the 2024 - 2025 Liturgical Year
For The Diocese Of Portsmouth
************
Click here for the very latest
and up-to-the-minute Catholic News
from The 247 Catholic
************
Let's stay prayerful, let's stay faithful, let's stay Catholic
– 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.