Customer Reviews

A Man of the Beatitudes: Pier Giorgio Frassati

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Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925) may not have seemed like your typical saint. He smoked cigars, liked hanging out with friends, loved the outdoors--especially mountain climbing, he came from a wealthy family, and engaged in political activism. In other words, he was not unlike many university students today.

What made him different? He totally gave himself to Christ. Before he went climbing or skiing, he would go to Mass. Even though he could afford to ride trains first class, he rode third class in order to give the difference to the poor. Although he was an average student, he studied hard to become an engineer so that he would work with and witness to the working class miners. He actively opposed fascism because of its anti-Christian prejudice.

There is so much more to this amazing young man who died at 24 and the best person from whom to hear about it is his sister Luciana. In this book, translated from Italian, Luciana tells her brother's story-- of how he struggled against the world, his own weaknesses, and even the worldly expectations of his parents in order to follow Christ as best he could.

While the translation could have been better, it's not bad enough to disrupt comprehension. And since it's the only biography of the man in print in English, it's well worth reading it. Trust me, you will not regret getting to know Pier Giorgio.

I don't remember the first time I heard of Bl. Pier Giorgio. I saw the book at the Novalis booth at 2002 World Youth Day in Toronto and I am glad I bought and am reading the book. His life is a reminder that holiness is for everyone, even for young people and (college) students -- like me! Thank you Bl. Pier Giorgio for following God's will like you did!

Every now and then there is an exceptional and unique soul, a Gospel artist whose sancity officially gets acknowledged by the Church because of his or her intimate and intense love for the Holy Trinity and our Blessed Mother, and one soul in particular is Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young lay Catholic man who took to heart the message of picking up the cross and following Jesus Christ. Pier Giorgio was born into a life that had all the trappings that could make one's head spin and outsiders green with envy: a moneyed and priviledged background combined with athletic prowess, good looks and popularity. These are the ingredients that a majority of guys strive for, and why not, for in their own right, they are all good things. However, they become bad when they are not shelved in their proper places of priority in the short life that we have. All through his life, Pier Giorgio's parents tried to cram an unhealthy life philosophy into their son's head, that his various religious involvements were a waste of time and that he was with people who tried to indoctrinate and mold him into a larger religious collective whereby he was not the fully independent man that they thought he should be. But independence has different interpretations for different people, and his family could not see nor comprehend that. Or maybe they did; they saw it as scary and unsettling, and it was understandable. Yet, there was also a kind of awe that they had for their son, because Pier's love for the Gospel emanated forth so palpably that there was almost an aura that sprang forward and cut through the numerous criticisms and cruel remarks that he received, and there were many.

To be a co-carrier of the cross is quite unpleasant, not fun or pleasurable at all. And by all rights, it should be that way. But fortunately, Grace through the Holy Eucharist is the sustenance that helps to combat and deal with the daily toils and ills of life, and Jesus Christ in the Eucharist was Pier Giorgio's religious and emotional muscle; he suffered in quite privacy, especially in respects to Laura Hidalgo, a young woman whom he developed a private love for. But atop that, he could not follow through with his own will of being a missionary for miners, as his father had him already pre-situated as a paper pusher for La Stamper, the liberal newspaper that he founded. Pier Giorgio humbly submitted to almost all that befell him. The memoir written by his sister Luciana is quite different from the other book-An Ordinary Christian-on Pier Giorgio, as it is written in chapters that offers fragments of memories of who Pier Giorgio was and what he wanted to be and how he viewed things. Yet, it is a lot more penetrating in respects to insight, all the more so because the jottings and remembrances come from a direct family member who bore witness to the Beatitudes actually being lived out. And it makes the Gospel message truly come to life for all of us laity and non-Catholics. As we are all children of God, whatever our religious affiliations and denominations may be, Pier Giorgio Frassati's actions illustrate that in a time of strife, upheaval, turmoil and all the things that make us question the how and why but especially the why of human existance, one just has to try to live out the Beatitudes to the best of their ability, as Pier Giorgio did, in order to fully comprehend that not so complex question, for if God lives out the Beatitudes for our benefit, should we not do it for each other?

This book was written by Pier Giorgio's sister and illustrates beautifully this life which though ordinary in many ways, was really truly extraordinary. She shares accounts of their growing up together, and the many activities and acts of charity in which her brother was engaged.

Pope John Paul II in one of his speeches, which are included in the appendix, points out how Pier Giorgio is a saint for our times. His life was touched by suffering, family troubles, and many other things which we struggle with today.

Pier Giorgio is a great example for us of the love we should have for Christ and how that should affect the love we share with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Pier Giorgio is a wonderful example of how one can and should live out their faith through the Beatitudes. It is sad that he was called God at such a young age. I am planning on using portions of the the book with my 8th Grade Religion classes.

I loved reading about this man's life and his passion and holiness. It's so refreshing to see so much youth in this man. I gave it only four stars because I guess I was hoping for something more in depth, but I guess that would have to be an autobiography.

Follow Bl. Pier Giorgio's example! Great book, great man! The reason I gave it only four stars was because this doesn't talk about his process to sainthood.

As far as I know, Luciana is the only relative to write a book on Pier Giorgio. In this book, Luciana, Pier Giorgio's sister and best friend, offers an intimate portrait of his life and death. She also reveals how misunderstood Pier Giorgio was by his parents.

Their father was an atheist, and their mother was nominally Christian, but both were uncomfortable with Pier Giorgio's piety. They were extremely worried that their son might become a priest and were also troubled by his mingling with the poor.

This discomfort regularly boiled over into frustration. Pier Giorgio's mother often scolded him for showing up late to dinner after serving the poor (he usually had to run home after giving away his bus-fare money.) His father chastised him for coming home without a coat, a regular occurrence since Pier Giorgio gave away his own clothes to anyone in need.

Besides revealing the tension with his parents, the book also frames Pier Giorgio's life in light of the eight beatitudes, which I found both interesting and appropriate. At Pier Giorgio's beatification, Pope John Paul II deemed him a "man of the beatitudes" and it's clear why. Pier Giorgio was meek, he was a peacemaker, he was poor in spirit, he hungered and thirsted for righteousness, and he embodied all the rest of the beatitudes. The core of Jesus's most famous sermon was the core of Pier Giorgio's entire life. That's why he's a saint. And that's why his life is so attractive.

Of the all books and articles I read on Pier Giorgio throughout the year, A Man of the Beatitudes was definitely my favorite.