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LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH
of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience” (2). Mincing no words, Pope Francis warned that even believers can fall into this trap. Our lives can come to resemble a Potemkin village — a façade of religiosity concealing our flimsy relationship with God and with others. “Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns,” Pope Francis wrote, “there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades” (2). Among the reasons why Father Michael J. McGivney founded the
HOLY FATHER’S PRAYER INTENTIONS
POPE FRANCIS: CNS photo/Paul Haring — FRASSATI: Photo © Associazione Pier Giorgio Frassati, Rome. Used with permission.
Offered in Solidarity with Pope Francis GENERAL: That sports may always be occasions of human fraternity and growth. MISSION: That the Holy Spirit may support the work of the laity who proclaim the Gospel in the poorest countries.
Knights of Columbus was to help Catholic men practice the faith and thus become better husbands and fathers. He made it a requirement that every Knight be “a practical Catholic,” yet wisely did not demand that a man be a perfect Catholic to enter the Order. Rather, membership in the Knights is meant to help men progress in making God the first priority in their lives. Father McGivney knew that men would have a greater opportunity to put God first if they engaged in works of charity and experienced fraternity with other men who are striving to take their faith seriously. Making God a priority, in turn, would help them to find the
inner strength to love the Church and their families more deeply. The original vision of the Knights of Columbus is perhaps even more important today, amid a culture that is far more hostile to faith than it was in the late-19th century. Father McGivney was deeply in love with God, and he would want the same for Knights and their families. But more than that, he would want us to know that God has made us — each human being and the entire human race — his top priority. God loves each of us infinitely. He sent us his Son to save us from our sins. We love because God loved us first (1 Jn 4:19). He loves us best.♦
C AT H O L I C M A N O F T H E M O N T H
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925) BORN APRIL 6, 1901, in Turin, Italy, Pier Giorgio Frassati was raised with his sister in an aristocratic family. His mother was a painter, and his father, an agnostic, was founder and editor of the newspaper La Stampa. A handsome and vibrant youth, Frassati had a passion for sports and mountain climbing. He relished laughter and practical jokes, as well as beauty and art. To the bewilderment of his parents, he developed a vibrant faith, which he shared with ease and enthusiasm. Friends described him as “an explosion of joy.” In 1913, Frassati failed Latin and was sent to a Jesuit-run school. It was there that Frassati’s devotion to the Eucharist and to Our Lady blossomed, and he obtained permission to receive daily Communion, which was rare at the time. In 1918, Frassati began to study mining engineering at the Royal Polytechnic Institute of Turin. Deeply committed to charity toward the poor and neglected, he wanted to “serve Christ better among the miners,” who toiled in conditions of constant danger and
misery. While dedicated to his studies, he immersed himself in social and political activities. He was an active member of the Popular Party, which promoted the social teaching of Pope Leo XIII, and he enrolled in numerous Catholic groups, including the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. He likewise became a Third Order (Lay) Dominican and had an intense prayer life. At age 24, Frassati suddenly contracted polio from the sick whom he cared for. Serene to the end, he died after six days of excruciating pain. His parents were astonished when thousands attended the funeral, most of them poor people whom their son had served. Pope John Paul II beatified Frassati in 1990. His feast day is July 4.♦
JULY 2014
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