Sunday, July 09, 2006

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati



Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in the year 1901 in Italy, unfortunately his parents did not share a great love for God. This did not stop the young Pier Giorgio from loving God and the Catholic Church with all his heart.

He was given special permission from a young age to receive the Eucharist daily, this filled the heart of Pier Giorgio with such love for God and for the poor.

Just like Jesus, Pier Giorgio longed to serve the poor and help them to live good lives, so he would often visit the poor and give them food and clothes.

Pier Giorgio was always a very happy young boy, this attracted many people to him as he was always joyful and loving to everyone he met. At about 17 years of age Pier Giorgio joined St. Vincent de Paul so that he could continue to help the sick and the poor in his area.

Pier Giorgio loved the poor people so much that when he graduated from school, rather than receive a car as a present he instead asked for money. His father gave his son the money unknowing that Pier Giorgio intended to give all that money to the poor people rather than keep it for himself.

His heart was filled with the love of God and so he tried to share this love with all those around him. He also loved to go mountain climbing and would often like to pray in the mountains and talk to other mountain climbers about the love of God.

Oneday when he was walking with his father, Pier Giorgio saw a poor man shiving in the streets and so Pier Giorgio took his own coat off and gave it to the poor man. This made his father angry but Pier just replied, 'But you see, Papa, it was cold.'

Pier Giorgio also loved to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament for he loved God with all his heart and soul. Sometimes this holy young man would spend the entire night praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Oneday a very nasty leader tried to take power in Italy Pier Giorgio did not like him, and tried to warn other people that this leader Benito Mussolini was not a good or kind man.

Till oneday Pier Giorgio came down with a very bad cold which soon turned out to be worse he became very ill with polio. Even though Pier Giorgio was very sick and near death still he begged his sister to go and help the poor families who had been relying on him for help. Even when he was so sick Pier Giorgio never forgot the poor.

When Pier Giorgio died the streets were full of all the people that this young man had helped, for the poor people truly loved Pier Giorgio with all their heart.

Even though Pier Giorgio loved the poor he loved God more and so God called this loving young man to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

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