Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
They call him “God’s influencer,” and the “patron saint of the internet.” I am talking about Carlo Acutis. He was merely fifteen years old. He was born on May 3, 1991, in London, England and died of leukemia on October 12, 2006. In 2020, Pope Francis beatified him in Assisi, and very recently cleared his way for canonization in 2025 during the upcoming Jubilee year. He is hailed as the first millennial saint.
Carlo Acutis was a devout Catholic. Known for his cheerfulness, computer skills, and devotion to the Eucharist, Carlo taught himself programming from an early age and created and designed websites that documented Eucharistic miracles and approved Marian apparitions. He is also credited with helping homeless people and defending victims of bullying. Carlos had a life plan. He said, “To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan”. His short life is characterized by the simple words, “To live with Jesus, for Jesus, and in Jesus.”
What cleared the way for Acutis’ canonization was a miracle attributed to him. On July 8, 2022, Liliana, a Costa Rican mother prayed at Blessed Carlo’s tomb in Assisi. Her daughter Valeria was studying at the university in Florence and had fallen off a bicycle. She suffered a severe head trauma. It required and very complicated brain surgery and her doctors gave her a very low chance of survival. Liliana made her pilgrimage to Carlo’s tomb in Assisi and left a note on his tomb describing her prayer. That same day, the hospital informed her that Valeria had begun a miraculous recovery. She began to breath spontaneously. The very next day regained some of her movements and partially regained her speech. Ten days later, a CAT scan showed that her hemorrhage had disappeared. Within a month, Valeria was moved to rehabilitation therapy. Then on September 2, merely two months after Liliana has prayed at the tomb of Carlos Acutis, mother and daughter made another pilgrimage to Assisi to thank Blessed Carlo for his intercession.
Today’s scripture readings are all about “the call.” Carlo’s life emphasizes some very important themes about God’s call. In my three points today, I would like to reflect on three of these themes.
Prophets, Apostles and Disciples
In the Catholic tradition, there are prophets, Apostles, and disciples. In today’s first reading we hear the about Prophet Amos’ prophetic call. He says, “I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me, Go, prophesy to my people Israel” (Amos 7:14-15). This is also true of prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah. And then, in today’s gospel we have the account of Jesus sending forth the Twelve Apostle he has appointed (Mk 6:7-13). The prophetic and apostolic offices was all consuming. A prophet and an apostle left everything and followed their call.
But God’s call includes more than prophets and apostles. During his ministry and even into his death and resurrection, besides apostles, Jesus was surrounded by other followers, both men and women. They were called disciples. On one instance Jesus sent seventy-two ‘disciples’ to go forth and preach the good news of God’s kingdom (Lk 10:1-23). These disciples were people like us who stayed at home but followed Jesus closely and bore witness to God’s reign.
Our baptism may make us Christians, but our calling is to discipleship. At baptism we die to sin and rise with Christ, but we are called in Carlo Acutis’ words to, “live with Jesus, for Jesus, and in Jesus.” The new life we embrace in baptism is a life of Christian discipleship.
Every Christian a Missionary
There is something common to the calling of a prophet, an apostle, and a disciple – that all are missionaries. Amos was sent by God on a mission. Jesus too sent for his disciples on a mission. And we too are sent forth as missionaries. I do not mean by this that we pack our bags to head to remote areas to convert people to Christianity. Being a missionary is about positioning our lives in such a way that it to bring glory to God.
Perhaps an illustration will help. Do you remember the old-time televisions where you had to position the antenna in a way that it could direct the signal to the television screen? To be a missionary is to position, to fashion, to live our lives in such a way that Christ shines forth in our words, our actions, and daily living just like a picture on the television screen. To be a missionary is not so much about ‘doing’ things but ‘being’ the person Christ calls us to be. In fact, to be a disciple is to be a missionary and to be a missionary is the essential characteristic of a disciple.
Carlo Acutis’ brief life is a great example. His love for Christ led him to let Christ shine through. It was him, his computer screen, and his love for Christ. The rest is history. Our call is not different in way.
Missionary Discipleship
I have used both the terms disciples and missionary. In a stroke of creative genius, it was Pope Francis who brought the terms ‘missionary’ and ‘discipleship’ together as “missionary discipleship.”
What does “missionary discipleship” mean? Who is a “missionary disciple”?
Missionary discipleship, first and foremost, invites us to a deep intimacy with Christ. For a missionary disciple, Christ is all and everything. In Carlo Acutis’ language, a missionary disciple “lives with Jesus, for Jesus, and in Jesus.” Without this intimacy with Christ, a person may be a Christian but is far from being a disciple.
The second dimension of missionary discipleship is bearing witness. Over the ages, bearing witness has meant different things. There are times we have even gone to war in the name of Christ. Missionary discipleship is not about proselytization, winning religious arguments, converting others, or condemning them. Rather, missionary discipleship is a two-way process. Missionary discipleship involves a mutuality, a respect for the other, an openness to them. With missionary discipleship we share our genuine faith experience with others while we remain open to other people’s faith stories. As missionary disciples, we let Christ’s light shine in us but are also open to seeing ways in which other people shed that light. The result of such an encounter is not predetermined but is left to the Holy Spirit.
Today, let us become aware of our call as Christians, follower, disciples, missionaries, and missionary disciples and renew our commitment to be faithful to our call. If Carlo Acutis can do it by the time he was fifteen, so can we.
I would like to end the homily with the words of St. Paul in today’s first reading: “… We were chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory…” (Eph 1:11-12). Amen.
- Fr. Satish Joseph