The Feast of Blessed St. Carlo Acutis was celebrated on the 12 October 2025 with a touching homily delivered by Cardinal Vincent Nichols at Westminster Cathedral, during the Votive Mass in honour of the young saint. In his sermon titled “Heaven Through the Eyes of a Child,” the Cardinal offered a profound and timely reminder: “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.”
Carlo Acutis, the young saint newly enrolled among the Church’s holy ones, had a sincerity of faith that cut through modern distractions. He proclaimed the Eucharist as the essential path by which we can meet Christ ever more deeply. Cardinal Nichols draws attention to that simple yet powerful phrase: staying before our Lord in the Eucharist leads us to holiness, and in turn to the fullness of heaven.
Through the Eucharist, Christ draws his people heart to heart, not only during Mass but in adoration and silent prayer. He calls us to step onto this sacred highway and suggests two ways to do so.
First, when we approach Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, we must bring everything: our anxieties, our joys, our sufferings, our hopes. We hold back nothing. In that freedom, we allow our hearts to pour forth in his presence, trusting that he welcomes us as we are.
Second, and perhaps most foundational, we must begin with receiving Christ’s delight in our presence. Our prayer should start with the awareness that Jesus rejoices to see us, that he yearns for our company. Let his love flow into us, allowing us to be rooted and grounded in the affirmation that we are loved, even as we struggle to accept and love ourselves. Thus, the Eucharist is not a simple ritual, but a living engagement.
In offering himself through suffering and death, Christ makes present to us the burdens of the world. Cardinal Nichols invites us to gather our tears, our griefs, our longing, and present them before him. Especially in these days, he calls us to pray for peace and for the people of Gaza and the Holy Land, that suffering may not become normal and that reconciliation may take root.
When we commit to remaining on this highway of love, we grow together as people of faith. We become less anxious, less inward, more open to serving others because the grace of Christ draws us beyond ourselves.
The life of St. Carlo Acutis shows us that true holiness is not solely for the church or saints of old, but can flourish in the heart of the world today. His legacy tenderly calls us to discover the sacred in the secular, to love dearly, and to allow our lives to be a witness of faith for the divine light.
For a deeper reflection on the Eucharist and the inspiring example of St. Carlo Acutis, we invite you to follow this prayerful journey: https://www.youtube.com/live/MxEa_D_JqB4?si=d8KSpZCxOlOeIW-y
