In less than two weeks, the holy season of Lent will be upon us. There are numerous testimonies of how disciplined Pier Giorgio was during Lent, especially when it came to fasting. He regularly ate smaller portions at meals, gave up sweets, went on spiritual retreats, all in an effort to be able to, as he explained to his sister Luciana, "better celebrate a Holy Easter."
This year, Pier Giorgio's birthday will fall on Good Friday. The timing seems ideal to propose a different sort of birthday celebration that will last throughout the season of Lent, rather than just one day. If you are contemplating a Lenten sacrifice or practice, why not join The Pact? More than 10,000 people have already signed on.
The Pact was really an inspiration of Pier Giorgio as a way for his friends to be "spiritually united in God." Information is available on the FrassatiUSA website but the requirements are very simple: one act of charity a day and one daily prayer. It would be tremendous if we could together offer our prayers and good works this Lent for the canonization of Pier Giorgio as a spiritual bouquet on his birthday. A miracle from the United States is currently under investigation. Wouldn't it be awesome for that to be the one that leads to sainthood?!
The Pact is something everyone can do and is perfect for individuals and groups, people of any age. It doesn't cost you anything but time. You can still give up chocolate or TV or Facebook or the internet. You can still make an effort to attend Mass more, pray the rosary more, etc. But with The Pact, you can go one step further and imitate the example of Pier Giorgio by living out your Faith in works of charity.
"I would like for us to pledge a pact that knows no earthly boundaries or temporal limits: union in prayer," wrote Pier Giorgio in 1925. How beautiful that his desire for spiritual unity truly has no limits of time or space and that, all these years later, we can still fulfill it. Verso l'alto!
