Our culture is obsessed with superheroes and stories about young people saving the day. But what’s more heroic than choosing to be a saint?
In a world where it’s easy to become discouraged, distracted and disconnected from what truly matters, the lives of Blesseds Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati offer a radiant reminder of what it means to live fully and courageously — with eyes fixed on heaven.
These two young men, both on the cusp of sainthood, lived in very different times — Frassati in the early 20th century and Acutis in the digital age of the early 2000s — but both of these Italian young men responded wholeheartedly to God’s call to live lives of heroic virtue. Their witness has personally changed my life and inspired my new song, Highest Home, which will be released on the Queenship of Mary feast day, ahead of their Sept. 7 canonizations.
I spent much of my youth making excuses — telling myself I wasn’t holy enough, strong enough or wise enough to live a life of radical faith. But then I encountered Blessed Pier Giorgio and Blessed Carlo. They showed me — as they show all of us — that you are never too young to become a saint.
Blessed Pier Giorgio, a mountain climber and lover of the poor, once said, “Verso l’alto” — “to the heights.” It wasn’t just a motto for him; it was a way of life. He climbed mountains not only with his feet, but with his soul. Every act of charity, every sacrifice, every joyful moment with friends was a step closer to heaven. He was a man of action, love and contagious joy who spent his short life pouring himself out for others, particularly the poor and the sick.
Blessed Carlo, often called the “Cyber Apostle of the Eucharist,” used his tech skills and love for Jesus to create a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles from around the world. He was only 15 when he died of leukemia, but his legacy is one that continues to lead thousands to encounter the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. One of Carlo’s most powerful quotes is the inspiration behind the second part of my song’s chorus: “The infinite will be the goal.”
At a young age, Carlo understood what so many of us take a lifetime to learn —that we were made for more than comfort, popularity or success. We were made for heaven. That’s our homeland — the only destination worth living and dying for.
Pope St. John Paul II once reminded young people, “Do not be afraid to be holy!” And I think about that often when I consider the lives of Blesseds Carlo and Pier Giorgio. Our culture is obsessed with superheroes and stories about young people saving the day. But what’s more heroic than choosing to be a saint? What’s more radical than giving your whole life to Christ? To be holy is to participate in God’s great plan — to actually save the day, or even save the world — through love, virtue and sacrifice.
When I sat down to write Highest Home, I imagined what it feels like to look up at the great mountain of holiness and wonder if I could ever make the climb. “It would be easier to stay on the foothills looking up,” the lyrics go.
The saints show us that we don’t climb alone. Christ calls us higher, and his love is the path that leads us home.
The song is a prayer of courage, inspired by their example:
So I will climb / Straight to the heights / The infinite will be the goal / I’m reaching for the highest home that I’ve ever known.
I believe that’s what these two soon-to-be saints would want for each of us: not to settle for mediocrity, not to stay stuck in fear or distraction, but to live fully, love radically, and keep our eyes on heaven.
As the Church prepares to canonize Blessed Carlo and Blessed Pier Giorgio, my prayer is that their lives would spark a fire in the hearts of young people everywhere. May we no longer see holiness as something far off or reserved for a chosen few. May we see it for what it truly is: the adventure of a lifetime, the only one worth living.
To the heights. To the infinite. Let’s go.
Marie Miller is a singer/songwriter whose music blends her Catholic faith with folk, pop and Americana sounds. Her new song Highest Home, inspired by Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, released Aug. 22. Learn more about Marie Miller at MarieMillerMusic.com.
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