The Young Catholic Who Feels Too Ordinary for God: Carlo Acutis
Look at the statues and stained-glass windows in almost any Catholic church, and it is easy to feel completely unqualified for holiness.
You see medieval martyrs standing unflinchingly before lions, mystics floating in ecstasy, or heroic missionaries crossing oceans barefoot. They look larger than life, flawless, and profoundly ancient.
Then you look at your own life. You are a regular young person trying to survive high school or college, struggling with algebra, wearing sneakers, playing video games, occasionally losing your temper, and forgetting to pray. You look at your routine—scrolling through your phone, eating pizza with friends, studying for exams—and a subtle, quiet voice whispers in your head:
“Holiness is for extraordinary people, saints, and religious sisters. I’m just too ordinary, too flawed, and too average for God to do anything great through me.”
If you have ever felt like you don’t fit the “saint mold,” Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991–2006) is here to shatter that lie forever. Grounded in Sacred Scripture, Catholic theology, and the life of a modern 15-year-old who loved halo 2, action movies, and Nike shoes, this guide reveals how God transforms the most ordinary lives into extraordinary lights.
Table of Contents
- The Lie of the “Superhuman Saint”
- The Pressure of Modern Youth Culture and Perfectionism
- Biblical Foundations: God’s Habit of Choosing the Ordinary
- Catholic Church Teaching on the Universal Call to Holiness
- Carlo Acutis: The Extraordinary Power of an Ordinary Life
- “To Always Be United with Jesus: That Is My Life Plan”
- 5 Practical Steps for the “Ordinary” Catholic Youth
- Prayer to Carlo Acutis for the Ordinary Teen
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Reflection
The Lie of the “Superhuman Saint”
One of the devil’s most effective traps for young Catholics is convincing them that holiness requires a radical, superhuman personality shift.
When you believe that saints were born perfect, never made mistakes, and lived lives completely alien to your own, two dangerous things happen:
- Spiritual Discouragement: You assume your ordinary daily routine—homework, sports practice, hanging out with friends—is inherently unspiritual or disconnected from God.
- Perfectionism Paralysis: Because you know your internal flaws, temper, or awkwardness, you feel like a hypocrite even trying to grow closer to Christ, so you stop trying altogether.
The Pressure of Modern Youth Culture and Perfectionism
Today’s youth live in a world obsessed with performance, optics, and hyper-achievement.
Social media reinforces the idea that if you aren’t exceptionally talented, famous, aesthetically perfect, or ultra-successful, you are invisible. Sadly, many young Catholics import this exact mindset into their faith, believing they need a heroic story or a flawless reputation before God can care about them.
Biblical Foundations: God’s Habit of Choosing the Ordinary
If you feel completely average, you are in excellent company. Throughout salvation history, God intentionally bypassed the powerful, wealthy, and impressive to choose the most ordinary people:
- Gideon the Unlikely Leader: Gideon was hiding in a winepress when an angel called him a “mighty man of valor.” Gideon replied: “Pray, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family’s house” (Judges 6:15).
- The Shepherd Boy David: When Samuel came to anoint the next king of Israel, David was not even invited to the lineup because he was just the youngest kid tending sheep. Yet God told Samuel: “The Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
- Uneducated Fishermen: Jesus did not recruit scholars, political leaders, or religious elites from Jerusalem to form His core team. He walked down to a muddy lake shore and chose ordinary, rough-around-the-edges fishermen like Peter, Andrew, James, and John (Matthew 4:18–22).
- The Simplicity of Mary: The Blessed Virgin Mary was an unknown teenage girl living in Nazareth—a small, obscure village about which people asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Yet her simple “Yes” changed human history forever.
Catholic Church Teaching on the Universal Call to Holiness
The Catholic Church explicitly teaches that holiness is not reserved for a spiritual elite. It is meant for everyone—including you, right now, in your regular life.
1. The Universal Call to Holiness (Lumen Gentium, 40)
In the Second Vatican Council, the Church reaffirmed that every single baptized person, regardless of their state in life or profession, is called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity. You do not need to enter a monastery to become a saint.
2. Holiness in the “Next Door” Neighbors (Gaudete et Exsultate, 6–7)
Pope Francis writes about the “saints next door”—ordinary people who live their daily lives with love and faith. Holiness is found in the parents raising their children, the students studying faithfully, and the young people who bring Christ’s kindness into their schools.
Carlo Acutis: The Extraordinary Power of an Ordinary Life
This is why Blessed Carlo Acutis is the saint for our generation.
Carlo did not found a massive religious order, suffer a dramatic ancient martyrdom, or perform public miracles during his lifetime. He was a normal, modern boy who lived in Milan, Italy.
- He Had Normal Hobbies: Carlo played PlayStation (his favorites included Super Mario and Pokémon), loved playing soccer, owned pets, wore jeans, and listened to music.
- He Faced Normal Challenges: He struggled with self-discipline, noting in his journal that he had to fight the urge to overeat Nutella or spend too much time gaming.
- He Transformed the Ordinary: What made Carlo special was not that he did strange or impossible things, but that he did ordinary things with extraordinary love for Jesus.
“To Always Be United with Jesus: That Is My Life Plan”
Carlo did not wait until he was older, wiser, or “perfect” to become a saint. He understood that holiness is not about accomplishing massive feats; it is about staying close to Jesus in the present moment.
Carlo kept his life plan radically simple: “To always be united with Jesus, this is my life plan.”
He accomplished this through what he called his spiritual kit:
- Daily Mass & Holy Communion: Calling the Eucharist his “highway to Heaven.”
- Daily Rosary: Honoring Mary as his celestial mother.
- Weekly Confession: Cleansing his soul regularly, comparing it to taking a shower.
- Adoration: Spending quiet time before the Blessed Sacrament.
Carlo proved that an ordinary teenager, living in a modern world full of noise, can become a powerhouse of grace simply by opening his daily life to Christ.
5 Practical Steps for the “Ordinary” Catholic Youth
If you feel too average or flawed for God, implement these five practical steps to discover the extraordinary grace hidden in your everyday routine:
1. Offer Up Your “Boring” Daily Tasks
Sanctity happens in the mundane. Turn your everyday obligations—doing your homework, washing dishes, studying for tests, or practicing an instrument—into a prayer by offering them up to God with a loving attitude.
2. Practice Small, Hidden Acts of Kindness
Follow Carlo’s lead by looking for the person who is left out. Sit with the lonely student at lunch, defend someone being gossiped about online, or offer a genuinely kind word to an exhausted teacher or family member.
3. Keep Your “Spiritual Kit” Simple
Do not overwhelm yourself with complicated prayer regimes you won’t stick to. Pick one or two steady habits: pray a decade of the Rosary on your way to school, visit a chapel for 5 minutes, or read one chapter of the Gospels each night.
4. Stop Comparing Your Spiritual Journey to Others
God created you as an original, not a copy of someone else. Your path to holiness will look like your personality, your gifts, and your daily environment. You don’t need to mimic another person’s personality to be holy.
5. Take Your Flaws to Confession Frequently
Never let your mistakes convince you that you aren’t made for sainthood. Carlo went to Confession weekly because he knew that grace cleanses our average, fallen nature and makes us strong where we are weak.
The 30 Days with the Saints Collection is a devotional series created to lead readers into a deeper, more consistent, and transformative life of prayer, inspired by the example of the great saints of the Church.
Each book offers a 30-day spiritual journey with brief reflections, prayers, and practical teachings designed to strengthen faith, renew hope, and deepen intimacy with God in everyday life.
Prayer to Carlo Acutis for the Ordinary Teen
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Blessed Carlo Acutis, you walked the streets of our modern world as an ordinary teenager, wearing sneakers, playing video games, and hanging out with friends!
Look upon me today when I feel too average, too weak, or too flawed to be of any use to God. You know how easy it is to feel invisible and discouraged in a world that demands perfection and fame.
Intercede for me before the Lord. Help me to realize that God does not look for extraordinary talents, but for hearts that are open to His love. Teach me to find holiness in my daily routine, in my studies, in my family, and in my friendships.
Grant me the grace to love the Holy Eucharist as my own highway to Heaven, and give me the courage to stay true to who God created me to be—an original, never a photocopy.
Blessed Carlo, friend of ordinary teens and model of everyday holiness, pray for me! Amen.
(Recite 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary, and 1 Glory Be)
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t feel a deep emotional connection when I pray?
Faith is an act of the will, not an emotion. Feeling “nothing” in prayer does not mean you are too ordinary or failing. God values your effort and fidelity far more than temporary emotional feelings. Keep showing up, even when it feels dry.
Can I still play video games, watch movies, and have fun if I want to be a saint?
Absolutely! God created human joy and recreation. Blessed Carlo loved PlayStation, comedy films, and playing soccer with friends. The key is balance and moderation—making sure your entertainment never replaces God, hurts your relationships, or exposes you to immoral content.
What if my friends make fun of me for taking my Catholic faith seriously?
Carlo faced peers who didn’t understand his devotion, but he won them over with genuine joy, kindness, and authenticity. You don’t need to preach at your friends; simply live your faith with quiet joy and charity. True friends will respect your integrity.
Final Reflection
You do not need a halo, a habit, or a time machine to become a saint.
God did not place you in this century by mistake. He knew the world you would face, the noise you would hear, and the ordinary life you would live—and He chose you for this exact moment anyway.
Follow the footsteps of Blessed Carlo Acutis. Give your ordinary days, your average talents, and your flawed heart to Jesus, and watch Him turn your life into something extraordinarily beautiful.
About the Author
Wander Venerio C. de Freitas is a Brazilian Catholic theologian, educator, and author dedicated to promoting authentic Catholic spirituality through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the witness of the saints. Through The Lord of Peace, he publishes in-depth articles designed to help readers deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ, grow in faith, and discover the timeless wisdom of the Catholic Church.