Yesterday, September 7th, was an exciting day in the Catholic Church. Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati were canonized. These two newly declared saints seemed to have brought more excitement and noise than usual. I think one of the main reasons is because of how young they both were and also the fact of how ordinary they were. They were normal and ordinary but their love for God was extraordinary. They lived their faith boldly and followed God wholeheartedly. In Pope Leo XIV’s homily, he stated that, “the greatest risk in life is to waste it outside of God’s plan” (homily, Rome, September 7, 2025). These two saints clearly did not waste their lives. As we reflect on our lives, can we say the same?
Knowing what God is calling us to do each day and in particular moments can be really hard. How do we know if we are doing what He is asking? How can we be sure we’ve heard Him correctly? Are we following His plan? What if we are wasting our lives?
God has given every single person specific gifts and talents that He wants us to use for Him and for His glory. I think if we are using those gifts and talents to serve Him, we are not wasting our lives. The challenging part can be knowing and understanding what those gifts and talents are. It’s easy to compare ourselves to others and start to doubt what they are. But God equips each and every one of us with what we need in order to serve Him.
St. Carlo and St Pier Giorgio should inspire in us a desire to love God extraordinarily through our ordinary lives. In our work, in our interactions with family members, friends, and others, in receiving the Eucharist and in our time spent in Eucharistic adoration, and in our commitment to living our faith daily; these are the ordinary ways that God asks us to serve and follow Him.
If we are striving to use our gifts and talents for God, to love and serve God and others wholeheartedly, and to live our faith daily, we will be on the right path. May we all follow the examples of these two saints and countless others who did not waste their lives but loved God with everything.
- Pope Leo XIV, “Homily at the Canonization Mass of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati” (homily, Rome, September 7, 2025), https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/homilies/2025/documents/20250907-omelia-frassati-acutis.html
Faith and The Good Stuff 