Good morning and happy Saturday.
This weekend, we are blessed to see the canonization of the Church’s first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis. If you don’t know much about this young man, I encourage you to check out this brief biography here.
There has been some consternation online among some who think Acutis did not live a life worthy of the title of saint and does not compare to the likes of John of the Cross or Catherine of Siena.
Yet it is actually in his simple Christian life that we see that he does, in fact, merit that title of saint.
By his Christian life and witness to the Church, Acutis spread the good news about the Eucharist, converted non-believers, and cared for the poor.
Did he have the visibility of St. Teresa of Calcutta? Or did he found an influential lay organization like Bl. Michael McGivney? No. But if that is the bar to be counted among the saints in Heaven, most of us have no hope.
As I have written here and spoken about on the radio before, our personal “yes” to Jesus every day has lasting effects on those around us. If we are following Him and living the life He has called us to live, others will notice that. If we have a happy face while doing it (and we ought to), that attracts others to the Christian life.
This is what Acutis did. This is why it is right that he is honored with the title saint. He is a modern example of what the lay Christian life can look like for the vast majority of us.
Carlo Acutus, pray for us.
Watch the canonization Mass here on EWTN (coverage begins Sunday at 3a eastern):
And click here to watch on CatholicTV (coverage begins Sunday at 4a eastern).
Tomorrow on Death Comes for the Archbishop:
Father Vaillant prepares to travel to Colorado to preach to the influx of gold miners there and Bishop Jean Marie Latour begins his retirement.
Paying subscribers get access tomorrow; everyone else will receive it on Wednesday.
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
This Sunday at Mass, we will hear from Wisdom 9:13-18; Psalm 90; Philemon 9-10, 12-17; and Luke 14:25-33.
Here is a calendar for the rest of the week:
Monday, September 8 - Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Tuesday, September 9 - Memorial of St. Peter Claver, priest*
Friday, September 12 - Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (optional)
Saturday, September 13 - Memorial of St. John Chysostom, bishop and doctor
*In dioceses in the United States.
Make thy face shine upon thy servant,
and teach me thy statutes.
Psalm 119:135
In the news:
The United States
For those who need some red - Opinion: Annunciation Catholic Church shooter will not be memory-holed - Peter Wolfgang in Catholic Culture
For those who need some blue - Opinion: American troops do not belong on American streets - The Editors of America Magazine
Praying to avoid stupidities - Fr. Jerry Pokorsky in Catholic Culture
The Vatican
Pope Leo XIV meets with Israeli President Isaac Herzog - OSV News
The World
Vietnamese Catholic migrants subject of international webinar in Bangkok - LiCAS News
Have a good weekend,
Matthew
