By Father Garrett Braun
From Fields Afar
While most of Aviano Air Base was gearing up for a Fourth of July “vigil” fireworks show on Friday, July 3, I was on a high-speed train bound for Turin, Italy. I was not avoiding the fireworks or the Fourth (though many veterans do), rather, I was taking advantage of the opportunity to visit Father Tyler Tenbarge (still on sabbatical) in the home city of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati on his feast day … also on the Fourth of July.
As part of our prayerful celebration of the still newly canonized saint, we visited Beata Vergine della Grazie or “Blessed Virgin of Graces” parish which was St. Pier Giorgio’s home parish. The pastor allowed us to look at the parish registry, which listed St. Pier Giorgio’s Baptism and death, venerate one of his relics and even to celebrate a Mass in a private chapel St. Pier Giorgio prayed in. On our way out the door, he also handed us a handful of holy cards, one of which had the following prayer to St. Pier Giorgio:
Prayer for the Courage to be Great
Heavenly Father, give me the courage to strive for the highest goals, to flee every temptation to be mediocre. Enable me to aspire to greatness, as Pier Giorgio did, and to open my heart with joy to Your call to holiness. Free me from the fear of failure. I want to be, Lord, firmly and forever united to You. Grant me the graces I ask You through Pier Giorgio’s intercession, by the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
This prayer spoke to me in a number of ways! First, I am just over a year into the mission field of serving as a priest and chaplain for our active duty service members, and this all occurred on the day of our nation’s 250th birthday — a day to celebrate the courage and bravery not only of our founding fathers, but of all those who have served. Furthermore, the whole weekend trip was not done in isolation but with a dear friend and priestly brother who inspires me to greatness, just as St. Pier Giorgio’s witness of holiness has done ever since I first learned his story as a discerner in college.
As we remember our stories, as we give thanks to God for the doors he opens and the ways he invites us to grow in the midst of life’s challenges, we can always strive to greater heights of holiness — “verso l’alto” as St. Pier Giorgio Frassati was famous for saying! Let us aspire to greatness, and let us ask the Holy Spirit for a renewed gift of courage to do so.