The Higher We Go

“The higher we go, the better we shall hear the voice of Christ.” This quote was said by a Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, a well-known figure among youth in the Catholic community. Frassati today is heralded as a patron for the youth. One thing that intrigued me about this individual is that he is a Third Order Dominican, a branch of the Dominican Order that is designated for lay men and women who feel called to follow the Dominican way of life. Furthermore, the picture above of Frassati says a lot about his character as a person.

What I like about him in the picture is his sense of adventure. He was known for his love for the mountains. A similar thing can be said for me, not that I am a mountaineer, but that I have a love for the outdoors. Looking at Frassati, I see many aspects of this life that I really resonate with. Frassati had an ardent love for the poor, he himself a member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. He also had a strong Eucharistic and Marian devotion. These three aspects are something that I am trying to cultivate myself as a Catholic man. A couple years ago, I left the Dominicans after discerning a call to religious life and priesthood for 4.5 years. It was a tough decision to leave, but I know that God is calling me to be a husband and a father.

I recently joined the Knights of Columbus, which is fitting being a Catholic in the state of Connecticut. Being a knight has given me an opportunity to be part of a community and feel that sense of fraternity that I once had when I was a Dominican brother in studies. One of the things that I am currently yearning for now is more intellectual formation, for which the Dominicans have been a great inspiration for me. Coming across Frassati is truly a blessing. This Advent, I want to spend some time getting to know Frassati more in depth as his life really speaks to me. How fitting that he passed the age of twenty-four, about the same age that I entered the Dominican novitiate.

As we continue the third week of Advent,  I reflect on those words of Frassati. The higher we go, out of ourselves and continue to seek Christ in our daily life, the more we experience. Like climbing a mountain, we feel the exertion with each step up, but the beauty and splendor that we encounter is all the more. Frassati, I ask for your intercession, to grant me the courage to follow the Lord as you have.