Saint Carlo Acutis - Season 2 Episode 19

In today’s episode of Jesus, You Take Over, we explore the inspiring life of Saint Carlo Acutis, the young millennial Saint who showed the world that holiness is possible in modern times. We reflect on how Carlo loved Jesus wholeheartedly, especially in the Eucharist, how his faith transformed his family, and how he used technology to glorify God. His life offers a powerful example of living fully for Christ in a distracted world.

"The Eucharist is my highway to heaven." - Saint Carlo Acutis

Thank you for listening. May God bless you and your family always. In Jesus' name I pray. 😇🙏❤️

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lord Jesus Christ, truly present in the Holy Eucharist, we thank you for the beautiful life of Saint Carlo Acudis, who loves you very much. Thank you for giving the world a saint, who showed us that holiness is for anyone who is willing to put you first. Saint Carloacutus You who fell deeply in love with Jesus in the blessed sacrament. Pray for us. Teach us to adore Jesus with reverence. Teach us to hunger for heaven more than the world. Teach us to love our blessed mother with tenderness through the holy rosary. Teach us to go to confession with sincerity, to attend mass with devotion and to use our gifts for God's glory instead of our own. Help us to remember your words. The Eucharist is my highway to heaven and also all people are born as originals, but many die as photocopies. Saint Carlo Acutus help us not to waste our lives chasing temporary things. Help us become saints. Help us to live with courage for Christ in a distracted world. Help us to put God first in every area of our lives. Jesus, through the intercession of Saint Carlo Acutis and the loving care of the Blessed Virgin Mary, awaken holiness in us. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Welcome listeners, thank you for joining me for another episode of Jesus You TakeOver. Now Saint Carlo Acutus was a soul that was completely in love with Jesus. He gave Jesus the center of his heart. He showed the world that holiness is possible in modern times, even through the age of technology, if it's used in the right way. Carlo did not just talk about God, he lived for God. Many people speak about faith, but Carlo put it into practice. Many people say they love Jesus. Carlo reordered his life around Jesus. Many people say that prayer is important, but Carlo actually prayed. Many people say holiness is impossible today. But Carlo proved otherwise. And perhaps one of the most moving parts of his story is this. Carlo's love for God transformed his family. His mother admitted that before Carlo she was not especially devoted and had only gone to Mass a few times a year. But Carlo's deep hunger for God awakened something in her soul. He encouraged his parents to attend mass and inspired conversion inside his own home. Now this is a child leading adults closer to Christ. This is not done through force or judgment, but through love and example. And I believe that is the best way. Holiness evangelizes and real holiness changes people. Saint Carlo Acutis was born in London on may third, nineteen ninety one and was later raised in Milan, Italy. From a very young age there were signs that his soul was drawn toward God. Carlo would often save money for the poor. If he saw a homeless person, he always wanted to help them. If classmates were ever bullied, he would always defend them, including those who were disabled. And he would often stand beside students who were mocked or who were isolated. If someone was ever lonely or excluded, Carlo noticed this and he would give them comfort. He was not self absorbed, he looked outward rather than inward. That is one of the first signs of holiness, a heart that sees others. Holiness is not only found in churches, it is revealed in how we treat people. Carlo understood that every person is made in the image of God, and that we should not ever judge anyone. We should always treat others with love and respect, and think of Jesus as the perfect example. Jesus Christ loved even those who rejected and hated him. He showed mercy instead of anger, forgiveness instead of revenge, and prayed for the very people who caused him the most pain. His life teaches us to respond to hatred with love, to forgive others, and to pray for those who wrong us by showing compassion even in the difficult moments. Carlo didn't just pray beautiful prayers, he lived his faith in every part of his life. If our faith does not make us kinder, if it does not make us more humble, more loving, and more compassionate, then we are not truly living the gospel. At the center of Carlo's life was one thing, the Eucharist, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Carlo believed with all his heart that Jesus was truly present in the Eucharist, and because of that, he treated it with awe and reverence. He once said The Eucharist is my highway to heaven. Carlo attended daily mass whenever possible. He spent time in Eucharistic adoration, and he would pray silently before the tabernacle. He understood that in silence God speaks. Now even in this loud world that we live in, Carlo teaches us the beauty of sacred silence and a real relationship with God. Not through Russian prayers, not through a religious performance that's only for others to see, but real intimacy with Christ. Carlo also created a website documenting Eucharistic miracles from around the world, using his gifts to spread devotion to Christ. He catalogued more than one hundred Eucharistic miracles. This is why he became known as God's influencer. Technology itself was not his God. Jesus was. Now the truth is that many of us today are controlled by the internet, controlled by technology, controlled by our phones. But Carlo used it to glorify God. The internet can spread darkness very quickly, but Carlo believed it could also spread light, and he proved it. Carlo had a deep love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was not an afterthought, she was his mother. He prayed the holy rosary faithfully. The rosary for Carlo was meditation, it was peace, a spiritual strength, and it was about love. In a world full of confusion, anxiety, and temptation, Carlo would stay close to Mother Mary. He found peace in praying the rosary. He found peace in holiness, and most of all he found peace in God. Carlo would always go to confession because he took holiness seriously. He desired purity. He would examine his own conscience and he would fight against sin. Holiness is not misery, it's freedom. Sin promises happiness, but it will only leave a person feeling empty. Carlo discovered that true joy comes from living close to God. In today's world the youth are told follow your desires, live for yourself. But Carlo's life says something completely different. Live for God and you will discover who you truly are. Carlo once said sadness is looking at ourselves. Happiness is looking toward God. He had so much wisdom for someone so young and so much humility and compassion for others. Carlo lived in the digital age. He understood computers, he enjoyed gaming, and he knew online culture, but he did not lose himself in it. He remained disciplined and limited distractions so that entertainment and technology would not control him. We must be extremely careful not to become slaves to technology, but to use it wisely and always remember to put God first. Carlo teaches us balance and purpose, and the internet can spread darkness very quickly, but Carlo believed it could also spread light and he proved it. Carlo saw Christ in others, especially the forgotten, the rejected and the lonely. You cannot claim to love Jesus while mistreating others who are made in his image. In two thousand six, Carlo was diagnosed with aggressive leukaemia at only fifteen years old. He faced suffering with spiritual maturity, and he offered it for the church and for the Pope. He united his suffering with Christ. Carlo was prepared, not through fear, but because he lived close to God. He died on october twelfth, two thousand six. But holiness never dies. After his death, devotion to Saint Colocudis spread worldwide. People began to pray for his intercession, asking him to bring their needs before God. Many reported spiritual conversions, renewed faith, and a return to the sacraments after encountering his story. One miracle involved the healing of a Brazilian boy named Mephaeus, who had a serious pancreas illness that caused persistent vomiting and an inability to eat normally. His condition was severe and life-threatening. During a prayer service that was led by a priest, Mephaeus and his mother venerated a relic of Carlo Acudis asking for healing. Shortly afterward, the boy's condition quickly improved and his vomiting stopped. He was able to eat again that very same day, and his health continued to stabilize. Later medical evaluations found no clear medical explanation for his sudden recovery. Another miracle involved a young woman from Costa Rica who suffered a severe brain injury after a bicycle accident in Florence, Italy. Her recovery was sudden and unexpected after prayers were offered for Carlo's intercession. On september seventh, twenty twenty five, Carlo Acudis was canonized as saint by the Catholic Church. He became the first millennial saint, a reminder that holiness is possible even in the modern digital age. His canonization moved millions around the world because Carlo looked like someone they knew, someone that they could relate to, but someone that was fully centered on Jesus Christ. And perhaps the greatest miracle is not physical healing, but the return of souls to God through his witness. People then return to confession, they returned to Mass, they returned to praying the rosary, and they went to adoration. Saints are a gift from God given to the church, meant for us to imitate in their love for God. We do not worship them, we learn from them, because they show us what holiness truly looks like in real life. And they always point us to Jesus, who is the only one who saves us and leads us to the Father. So Carlo teaches us to put God first always in our lives, to practice what we preach, that holiness is possible now, that the Eucharist, the Mass, confession and the holy rosary matter, to use our gifts to glorify God and to love people deeply and to not become photocopies of the world. We are all beautiful and unique in our own special way, and our identity is found in God through Jesus Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.

unknown 18:17

St.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

Carlo Acutis once said to always be close to Jesus. That's my life plan. Thank you for listening, and may God bless you all. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.