UPDATE

OCTOBER 10, 2020: BLESSED CARLO ACUTIS!
Millennial Generation has a Blessed

Today I learned of Carlo Acutis, Servant of God, a 15 year old teen known as a “computer geek” who cataloged all of the known Eucharistic Miracles before dying of leukemia. This was shared by Philip Kosloski in his article on Aleteia:

“According to the website for his canonization process, “Carlo was gifted at anything related to computers so that his friends, and the adults with computer engineering degrees, considered him a genius. Everyone was amazed by his ability to understand the computer secrets that are normally accessible only to those who have completed university.”

One of his most significant computer ventures was cataloguing all the Eucharistic miracles of the world. He started the project when he was 11 years old and wrote at the time, “The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of Heaven.” He then asked his parents to start taking him to all the places of the Eucharistic Miracles, and two and half years later the project was completed.”

I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about this young man who put the Sacrament of the Eucharist at the center of his life. He said the following, found on the biography page of his canonization cause website:

“Our aim has to be the infinite and not the finite. The Infinite is our homeland. We have always been expected in Heaven.” His famous quote is: “All people are born as originals but many die as photocopies.” To move towards this destination and not “die as photocopies” Carlo said that our compass has to be the Word of God, that we have to face constantly. But extreme means are required to reach such a lofty destination: the sacraments and prayer. In particular Carlo put the Sacrament of the Eucharist at the centre of his life and he called it “my highway to heaven”.

Also found on this site is an wonderful cartoon video providing catechesis on the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, told by Carlo the cartoon figure, as well as several of the Eucharistic Miracles catalogued by Carlo. This would be an excellent video to share with youth in a CCD class on the Eucharist.

I pray that you will find this video as informative and inspirational as I did. God bless you.