Independence Day

It is always a special time of preparation for me to pray the novena in honor of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati from June 25th to July 3rd each year.  After completing the day nine prayers, I look forward to celebrating on the fourth of July both his feast day and our independence as a nation. The evening fireworks put an exclamation point on both of these special occasions.

At the same time, I realize that July 4, 1925, was not a day of celebration at all.  There was no novena leading up to a feast day that year.  Instead, the days were stressful and exhausting as Mrs. Frassati's mother Linda slowly succumbed to her final illness and passed away on July 1. (What a coincidence that this is Canada's Independence Day.) And then after leaving her body at the cemetery in Pollone, the Frassati family returned to Turin only to spend the next 24 hours or so standing helplessly by as Pier Giorgio lost his battle with polio. Another funeral to endure, this one mixing grief with bewilderment at the masses of people in attendance.

By the end of the first six days of that fateful July, Mrs. Frassati had buried her mother and her only son.  I doubt fireworks would have consoled her.

The passage of time and the promises of our Catholic Faith, however, erase the sorrow of those days and do give us great cause for joy today.  The way I see it, being resurrection people practically obligates us to celebrate a life well lived in accordance with the teachings of the Church. As scripture reminds us, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." (Psalm 116:15)

Pier Giorgio had planned to celebrate his own freedom that summer.  "I'll be free...in July with the help of God," he wrote to a friend. 

"And thus I'll spend my last summer free, completely free."

I think of these words of Pier Giorgio often. So many of his writings the last several months of his life have an almost prophetic sense to them.  This one, most of all.  He really did spend his last summer free, completely free.  Free not only of the thesis and final exams that stood between him and his university diploma, but free of all earthly cares. So, although a heavy sorrow fell upon the Frassati household that summer, it was the beginning of an eternity of indescribable joy for Pier Giorgio.

Being able to celebrate the feast day of Blessed Frassati and the Independence Day of America at the same time is such a gift. These celebrations call to mind both our earthly freedom, paid for so dearly by the blood of our forefathers, and our spiritual freedom, paid for so dearly by the blood of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Like Pier Giorgio we can say that we are free, completely free.  That calls for fireworks any day!

Verso l'alto!  ///cmw