Carlo Acutis, known for his love of Christ in the Eucharist, is set to become the Catholic Church's first millennial saint. Catholics can participate in a novena to Acutis, starting April 18 and concluding on the day of his canonization. The novena is a series of prayers said over nine days. The novena includes an opening prayer, daily meditations, and the recitation of specific prayers.
11 days ago
Blessed Carlo Acutis, known for his deep love for Christ in the Eucharist and tech savviness, is set to become the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint 1. He will be canonized on April 27 during the Church’s Jubilee for Teenagers in St. Peter’s Square 1.
Catholics can participate in the novena to Acutis starting on April 18 and concluding on his canonization date, April 27 1. The novena includes an opening prayer, daily meditations, and the recitation of five Our Fathers, five Hail Marys, and five Glory Bes 1. These prayers are intended to thank God for the graces bestowed upon Acutis during his 15 years of life 1.
Each day of the novena focuses on a specific theme inspired by Carlo Acutis's life and virtues 1. These themes include renunciation of unimportant things, unity with Jesus, seeking help from one's guardian angel, the importance of confession, finding happiness in God, desiring holiness, love for the Virgin Mary, fervor for the Eucharist, and perseverance to the end 1. The novena, including the prayers, is also available on the EWTN Travel Jubilee app 1.
Sainthood in the Catholic Church is a recognition of extraordinary holiness and serves as a testament to the transformative power of faith and God's grace . The Church, through the process of canonization, identifies individuals who have lived lives of heroic virtue, offering them as models and intercessors for the faithful .
The canonization of saints is a solemn declaration by the Church that a deceased person lived a life of remarkable holiness and is worthy of veneration . This process involves a thorough examination of the person's life, virtues, and any miracles attributed to their intercession . Saints are not merely figures of the past but represent the present and future of the Church, embodying the radical newness brought by Christ . They demonstrate caritas in veritate, the supreme value of Christian life, and reflect the light of Christ in various ways .
The Church emphasizes that the call to holiness is universal, rooted in Baptism and renewed in the Sacraments . All members of the Church are called to pursue holiness by following Christ, embracing the Beatitudes, and practicing love and service . Holiness is not achieved through extraordinary actions alone but through a constant effort to live according to the Spirit and imitate Christ .
Sainthood, therefore, reflects the Church's understanding of holiness as a call to all believers to strive for perfection in love and to live as witnesses to the Gospel. The lives of the saints demonstrate that holiness is possible for everyone through God's grace and a commitment to following Christ . By canonizing saints, the Church recognizes the power of the Holy Spirit and provides models and intercessors to inspire and guide the faithful on their own journey to holiness .