A Tsunami of Grace

On Sunday September 7, a tsunami of grace was sent forth from St. Peter’s Square in Rome by Our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV. He proclaimed by an infallible act of his papal magisterium that Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis are enrolled among the canon, or list, of saints officially recognized by the Catholic Church who enjoy the beatific vision, being face-to-face with God in heaven.
 
But, make no mistake about this declaration by the Holy Father. It was not simply a juridical or bureaucratic act. Rather, it was an act of faith that unleashed torrents of grace as so many people gathered for the Mass of Canonization inspired by the example of these two young men and seeking their intercession.
 
The canonization of these two holy young men was a celebration of the Communion of Saints. We see in St. Pier Giorgio Frassati and St. Carlo persons who lived a life of deep faith and immense charity in what seemed to be ordinary circumstances, not unlike our own. Both of them clearly realized that the very center and pinnacle of their lives was Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist. Each of them knew that all of his outreach to others, to the poor, to the spiritually impoverished, to those wounded emotionally, to those living on the margins, began at the altar at Mass where they received the Body and Blood of the Lord, and before the tabernacle where they adored Him. After all, the Communion of Saints springs forth from the Mystery of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ. This Paschal Mystery is made present on the altar every time the Eucharistic Sacrifice is celebrated at Mass.  
 
As St. Pier Giorgio said, “I urge you with all the strength of my soul to approach the Eucharistic Table as often as possible…. (There) you will draw the strength to fight the struggles against passions and against all adversities…, there we will find true happiness… (and) the peace which those who are happy according to the world have never tasted.”
 
Likewise, as St. Carlo Acutis opined, “By coming before the Eucharistic Christ, we become holy. The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” He also said, “The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on earth we will have a foretaste of heaven.”
 
Both of these, our brothers, newly recognized saints by Pope Leo, are marvelous examples for every one of us. They proclaim by their words and their lives that by embracing Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, we obtain the grace to live and not just exist. It is by coming to the Holy Eucharist that we are given the grace, the strength and the commitment to go out proclaiming the Gospel and changing the world by the love of of Jesus. Countless young people are seeking St. Carlo and St. Pier Giorgio as friends, companions and intercessors. What a tsunami of grace is coming over us!
 
Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh