One of the beautiful things about St. Carlo Acutis and his message of love for the Eucharist is that it can appeal to both young people and adults. In Eucharistic Fire: A Retreat with St. Carlo Acutis, Fr. Rich Conlin and Msgr. Anthony Figueiredo provide three days’ worth of reflections on St. Carlo’s life and the importance of the Eucharist that is designed to be used by children preparing for First Communion through adults yearning to deepen their love for Jesus, although some adaptation may be needed for use with children under the age of ten.
St. Carlo Acutis was “God’s Influencer”
The Introduction provides a brief biography of St. Carlo Acutis’ life. He was born in 1991 and died of leukemia in 2006. In his short life, he created a Eucharistic miracles display and website, as well as websites about the apparitions of the Blessed Mother; Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven; and angels and demons. “His mission was simple yet profound: to be ‘God’s Influencer,’ leading as many people as possible onto the ‘highway to Heaven,’ which he believed to be the Eucharist” (4).
His influence was not limited to the online world. He “also taught catechism classes, tutored classmates struggling with homework, and counseled friends dealing with addiction and family problems” (40). He was determined to “share the warmth of God’s love to everyone he met” (44).
Three Retreat Days
Eucharistic Fire is divided into three retreat days: Catching Eucharistic Fire, Spreading Eucharistic Fire, and Living Eucharistic Fire. After the instruction for each day, there are reflections and prayers.
Catching Eucharistic Fire encourages participants to follow St. Carlo’s example of having a “heart-to-Heart conversation with Jesus before, during, and after every Mass” (21). Even if he did not feel any consolation when he received the Eucharist, “he chose to live with great faith that Jesus had truly ignited his heart with Eucharistic fire” (24).
Spreading Eucharistic Fire invites participants to share their faith with others. “Carlo understood that the Eucharistic fire burning in his heart at Mass was not just for himself but meant to be shared with others after Mass” (35). Just as he shared that love with others, so we too are called to share God’s love with all we meet.
Living Eucharistic Fire provides a Prayer for Eucharistic Fire in which those taking part in the retreat can sign their own names and date. This is similar to the type of consecration prayer used when making a Marian consecration. This section also instructs participants to come up with their own three resolutions to help them continue to keep the Eucharist as the focus of their lives.
The Appendix includes inspirational quotes about the Eucharist, including some by St. Carlo, as well as information about the two miracles that led to his canonization.
Use This Book in Families or Religious Education Programs
Eucharistic Fire: A Retreat with St. Carlo Acutis can be used by an individual, but it is ideal for use with a group, whether that be in a family or a religious education program. The illustrations are geared toward children (which might be off-putting for some teens and adults), but the text material is easily adaptable for all ages.
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