A Man of Courage

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One of my best friends in Heaven is Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Last Fall, I grew very close to him and after receiving his biography for Christmas, I knew that in him I had found a very dear friend and companion. One of my absolute favorite things about Bl. Pier Giorgio is the boldness and courage with which he lived out and defended the Faith. Whether it was standing up against the facism that threatened, during his short life, to take over Italy, and which eventually did, or visiting the poor and the sick in the slums of his city of Turin, Bl. Pier Giorgio showed no signs of fear, for as he said, "When God is with us we need not be afraid." 
As I talked about in my post yesterday, greatness requires that we not settle to remain comfortable, and as I was reminded today, this choice not to settle for comfort takes courage. And not only courage to make the choice initially, but the virtue of fortitude to persevere in that choice. Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati is a great example of just that. He did not settle for comfort. He made the courageous choice, the hard choice, to follow Christ wherever He went (Luke 9:57). And through his intercession, he will help us make that choice, too. 

P.S. A prayer that I pray every single day, and which I thought was only called the "Prayer for Courage" is actually called the "Prayer for the Courage to be Great"!!!! What a great blessing, and I know, a gift from my beloved friend, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati! 
To bless God for this and for His servant, Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, I am posting the prayer below!

PRAYER FOR THE COURAGE TO BE GREAT

Heavenly Father, give me the courage to strive for the highest goals, to flee every temptation to be mediocre. Enable me to aspire to greatness, as Pier Giorgio did, and to open my heart with joy to Your call to holiness. Free me from the fear of failure. I want to be, Lord, firmly and forever united to You. Grant me the graces I ask You through Pier Giorgio's intercession, [here list intentions], by the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us. Amen.

Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.


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