Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

A reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 17:1-9

Dear friends in Christ,

Today, I want to share with you the story of a modern day saint, St. Carlo Acutis—a boy from Milan whose ordinary life became a beacon of hope, love, and faith. Carlo was not a priest or a missionary in a far-off land. He was a teenager, a student, a lover of computers, and, above all, a lover of Jesus in the Eucharist. From a young age, Carlo’s heart burned with love for God. He once said, “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” But what made Carlo’s faith truly remarkable was that he didn’t keep it to himself. His devotion to Jesus overflowed into love for his neighbor.

Carlo noticed the lonely kids at school—the ones who sat by themselves, the ones who were overlooked. He made it his mission to draw them in, to listen, to befriend, to make sure no one felt left out. His mother tells how he’d run to play with the children of their housekeeper, just to make sure they felt included and loved. For Carlo, loving God meant loving others, especially those who needed it most.

When Carlo discovered the miracles of the Eucharist, he used his God-given talents for computers to build a website cataloguing these miracles, so that people everywhere could see the beauty of Jesus’ real presence. “People have to see, people have to understand,” he said. “Jesus is always close to us.” Even as he grew sick with leukemia at just fifteen, Carlo’s hope and joy only deepened. He offered his suffering for the Church and for the Pope, saying, “I’m happy to die because I’ve lived my life without wasting even a minute on things that don’t please God.” At his funeral, stories poured in from people who had been touched by his kindness, his faith, and his radiant joy. Carlo’s life was a living answer to fear and loneliness—a reminder that, with trust in God and care for others, hope shines bright, no matter what.