One practical way that Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati lived like “holy water” for Christ was in his frequent devotion to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Among his friends, Blessed Pier Giorgio was known to regularly speak about how grateful he was for Confession. For example, in a letter to his friend Enrico Gamba, Frassati wrote:
“I go to confession often because I am weak and I need the help of God’s grace to overcome my faults and sins. Confession is a source of healing and renewal for me, and I always leave the confessional feeling lighter and more at peace.”
What an encouraging statement! Although everyone else saw him as a heroic role model for living like Christ with “hands of love”, Blessed Pier Giorgio knew deep down inside how completely reliant he was upon God’s grace to live this way of life. In another letter to a friend, Frassati wrote:
“Confession is not just about acknowledging our sins, but also about receiving the grace needed to live a life of love and service to others.”
For Blessed Pier Giorgio, the priests in the confessional always showed him Christ’s “hands of love” and inspired him to go and do likewise. In a letter to his mother, Frassati wrote:
“I have a great love for priests, who are the hands and voice of Christ in the world. Through the sacrament of confession, they bring God’s mercy and forgiveness to us, and they help us to grow in holiness and love.”
For Blessed Pier Giorgio to truly live like “holy water” for Christ, he knew that he needed Christ to regularly purify him through his priests or else he would get dirty and be unable to share the abundant life of Jesus with others.
Frassati’s commitment to frequenting the sacrament of Confession was also evident in his advice to others. He encouraged his friends to go to the sacrament frequently, and he saw this sacrament as a means to encounter God’s mercy and spread God’s love to others. In a letter to his sister, Luciana, Frassati wrote:
“Confession is a sacrament of mercy and love, and we should not be afraid to approach it. God’s mercy is greater than our sins, and he is always ready to forgive us and to help us grow in holiness.”
In effect, Frassati saw Confession as a guaranteed way for God’s abundant mercy and love to turn us away from the self-centered Dead Sea way of life and into the self-sacrificial Sea of Galilee way of life. As a result, he tried his best to encourage others to frequent the sacrament as well.
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati’s devotion to the sacrament of Reconciliation serves as a powerful example of the importance of humility, self-awareness, and spiritual renewal in the Christian life. His commitment to Confession was not just a personal practice, but a witness to others of the grace and mercy offered by God through the sacraments. Through his example, Frassati continues to inspire Catholics to seek God’s forgiveness and to strive for holiness in their daily lives.
To conclude: What is 1 thing you want to remember from this reflection?
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