Today is July 31, the Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest.
We read at today’s Mass, “The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away” (Mt 13:47).
Today, as young people from around the world gather in Rome for the Jubilee of Youth, we conclude our month-long reflection on the life of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. It feels especially fitting to end our journey alongside so many young Catholics making pilgrimage — seeking Christ, seeking joy, seeking purpose.
One thing I’ve seen again and again in my work with young people: Those who practice their faith today do so with real conviction. Fewer in number, perhaps, but more focused, more committed. Pier Giorgio would have recognized them. His was a faith not of compromise or lukewarm living but of deep joy, real sacrifice and steady service.
Still searching for Christ
So as we finish this month, I invite you to pray. Pray for the young people gathered in Rome today. Pray for those who could not go. Pray for all young people around the world — those who already know Christ, and those who are still searching.
Blessed Pier Giorgio once said, “To live without faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for truth, that is not living, but existing.” May he walk with each young person today, guiding them toward true life in Christ. And may he remain for each of us not just a figure from history but a companion, urging us always verso l’alto — to the heights.
Let us pray,
O God, protector of those who hope in you, without whom nothing has firm foundation, nothing is holy, bestow in abundance your mercy upon us and grant that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may use the good things that pass in such a way as to hold fast even now to those that ever endure. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
