In this article, Friar Alfonso Davila invites us to look at Pier Giorgio Frassati, proclaimed a saint today, not as a pious memory, but as a young man who continues to speak to a restless heart. A testimony that connects with Augustinian spirituality and inspires us to live the faith with passion, joy and commitment.
A young man of flesh and blood
A few months ago I was invited to give a talk to the young people of the diocese of Alcalá de Henares, in preparation for the Jubilee. I spoke about a name that you may already know: Pier Giorgio Frassatiwho today has been proclaimed a saint by the Church. But I am not here to repeat his biography, but to invite you to look at him with Augustinian eyes.
I want to introduce you to someone. Not a holy card saint. Not a tragic martyr. But a young man like you… or like you were.
Simple love, passionate life
Pier Giorgio was born in Turin in 1901. His family was influential: his father, a diplomat and newspaper editor; his mother, an artist. But he chose another greatness: that of silent and committed love.
He loved the mountains, the Eucharist, politics, friendship. And above all, he loved the poor. He would walk for miles to bring medicine or coal. He returned with broken shoes and a burning heart.
It wasn’t perfect. He didn’t need to be. He had doubts, stumbles, a sense of humor, ideals. He studied engineering, although his grades sometimes faltered, because he gave his time to those who suffered. When asked why he did it, he answered:
“Jesus visits me every morning at communion; I return the visit by visiting the poor.”
A restless heart
He lived with restlessness. Like St. Augustine. He knew that his life did not belong to him. That it had been created for something greater. That’s why he repeated:
“To higher things! Because we were born for greater things”.
He died young, at the age of 24. Poliomyelitis struck him down, most likely caught in one of his encounters with the poorest of the poor. On his deathbed he did not think of himself, but of making sure that “the sick lady with the children” was taken care of .
When he died, Turin was full. But not of personalities, but of the poor. They were his true cortege. His true legacy.
What it has to do with you
Now, what does this have to do with you?
Much more than you imagine. Because we all carry concerns. It doesn’t matter how old we are. At 17 or 47… something inside us is still burning. It is the desire for fulfillment that God sowed.
Pope Francis expressed it forcefully in Dilexit nos:
“The love with which Christ loved us is not a memory, but a living flame.”
A flame that sometimes burns… but also illuminates.
We live amidst screens, urgencies and promises of immediate happiness. But we never end up being completely satisfied. What if what you are missing is not more, but more of the real thing?
Recently, Pope Leo XIV said to young people:
“Do not be afraid. God calls you to live life with passion, to risk it for the good, for the Gospel, for others”.
Restlessness that turns into a gift
Don’t be afraid to be restless. Don’t be afraid if you don’t have all the answers. The important thing is to keep searching. Walk. Like Pier Giorgio. Like Saint Augustine. Like you.
Because God doesn’t ask you to be someone else. Only that you be you… completely. That you give your person to the world. That changes everything.
And if there are days of fatigue, doubts or fear… remember them:
God loves everyone… and evil will not prevail.