By Brenda Hopf, Connecting Liturgy and Life
Editor’s note: For 2026, the weekly “Connecting Faith and Life” column has been renamed “Connecting Liturgy and Life.” The column consists of reflections on Part Two of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), which focuses on the Liturgy and the Sacraments.
cf. CCC 1369-1377
Our neighbor shared a conversation she recently had with her six-year-old son. Son: “I want to go to Italy.” Mom: “Me too, buddy.” Son: “Yeah, they have dead bodies there.” Mom: “Yeah, you’re right. They have a lot of saints there.” Son: “Yeah, they have Carlo ‘the cutest’ there! He is my favorite, and I want to see his body.”
Oh, my goodness! What a cute story. We all need light-hearted stories like this to brighten our days and bring joy to our souls. As I smiled and reflected on this sweet exchange between mother and son, I was reminded of the profound influence St. Carlo Acutis is having on our world. He has not only become a beacon for the young, like my sweet neighbor boy, but he is also a bright ray of hope for older folks like myself. Our hearts ache for those who no longer worship with us at the table of the Lord. The disregard for the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist has become a true crisis within the Church.
St. Carlo truly understood that the Eucharist is where we encounter the Risen Lord who gives us himself — body, blood, soul and divinity — as food for the journey. Through reception of Holy Communion, our friendship with Christ is strengthened and our communion with others deepened. At the Eucharist, we are joined with Catholics throughout the world, the saints in heaven and even those who are being purified in purgatory. Carlo got it. He knew that our faith is not something we live alone. He understood that we are all a part of something much bigger than ourselves. We belong to a family of faith that stretches across time and eternity.
St. Carlo had an intense relationship with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This led him to spend long stretches of time in adoration before the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, either in Eucharistic adoration or before the tabernacles in churches. Carlo liked to say, “When we stand in the sun, we get a tan, but when we stand before the Lord in the Eucharist, we become saints.” This constant closeness to Jesus profoundly shaped his life, but he also understood the effect of attending daily mass where he received Jesus in Holy Communion. He said, “To celebrate the Eucharist is not a mere rite, it is a real encounter with Jesus. The more we receive the Eucharist, the more we become like him.”
St. Carlo also knew the importance of bringing attention to the many Eucharistic miracles that have taken place over time. He understood that shedding light on these miracles could make a huge difference for those who doubt or denounce the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Using his knowledge of computers, he spent hours upon hours developing a website that is dedicated to those Eucharistic miracles. Can you imagine the countless number of people he has influenced through this thoughtful work?
While St. Carlo is one of the most inspirational and influential saints of modern times, he was also just an ordinary young boy who wore jeans, a sweatshirt, sneakers, loved to play video games and hang out with his friends. He knew that in God’s eyes, each one of us is unique and has a special place in God’s heart. St. Carlo was also aware that we each have special talents to share and that we could do nothing with those gifts on our own. He would say, “Not I, but God. Without him, I can do nothing.”
Like my young neighbor, I too count St. Carlo “the cutest” Acutis among my favorite saints. It is my hope and prayer that Carlo will intercede for all of our family members, friends and neighbors who no longer receive or believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. What a joy it will be when they once again gather with us around the Lord’s table!
As Carlo always said, “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” May it be so for all of us.
Brenda Hopf is a member of Divine Mercy Parish.