Stepping out in Faith

“What wealth it is to be in good health, as we are! But we have the duty of putting our health at the service of those who do not have it. To act otherwise would be to betray that gift of God.”

These words of Blessed Frassati have been on my mind quite a lot in recent days.  It was for love of God that he poured out his life in service of the poor and the sick - the many souls that he cared for physically and spiritually.  

Naturally, when he contracted the virus - poliomyelitis - that took his life, everyone assumed it had to have been from an encounter in some slumlike area of Turin.  The virus ravaged his athletic body so swiftly that no cure was possible.  In fact, it was considered a small miracle when none of his family members contracted this disease.

The sordid nature of the places Pier Giorgio visited was confirmed by his friends who voiced how uncomfortable they were going with him.  But he reminded them that there, among the sick and the poor, was where the light of Christ shone most brightly.  "You are visiting Christ," he told them. And so it was without fear that he set out on each of his visits. 

As Pier Giorgio showed us, sometimes serving the physical and spiritual needs of others is not convenient, and even risky.  Through his intercession, may God grant those of us in good health the grace and courage to not betray this gift.

Blessed Pier Giorgio, comfort of the sick, pray for us.


Verso l'alto!  ///cmw