Frassati Heights Reader
Lesson 20 • Day 1
Key Words & Faith Concepts
Words to Know
Read each faith word and its meaning carefully.
The Last Supper was the special Passover meal Jesus shared with His Apostles on the night before He died. At this holy meal, Jesus gave us two wonderful Sacraments: the Eucharist and Holy Orders.
The Eucharist is the Sacrament where we receive Jesus Christ. Even though it looks like bread and wine, it is truly Jesus—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. The Eucharist is spiritual food that feeds our souls and brings us close to God.
In Persona Christi capitis is a Latin phrase that means “in the person of Christ the Head.” This means Jesus acts through ordained priests when they celebrate Mass, bless the Eucharist, or forgive our sins.
Lamb of God is a sacred title for Jesus. In the Old Testament, people offered a lamb as a sacrifice for sins. Jesus became the true Lamb of God by giving His life on the Cross to take away the sins of the world forever.
Passover is the great Jewish feast celebrating how God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. God asked His people to remember that day every year with roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and wine. The first Passover pointed toward Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross and the Holy Eucharist.
192 • What Is the Eucharist?
Lesson 20 • Day 1
Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati
Directions: Read about the life of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati and discuss his example of holiness with your class.
Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati was a young Italian man who showed a wonderful example of faith to his family, his friends, and everyone he met. He gave his time to help other people and always respected their dignity as children made in God’s image.
Born in 1901, Pier Giorgio found school difficult and had little interest in joining his family’s business. Instead, he loved the outdoors! He loved climbing high, rocky mountains with his friends.
Pier Giorgio also had a very deep love for God. Before going on any hiking trip, he always invited his friends to go to Mass or visit Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration.
His personal motto was in Italian: “Verso L’Alto.” He wrote these words on the back of a photo taken while climbing a mountain shortly before he died of polio at age 24. Verso L’Alto translates as “To the heights,” or
Mountain Climber of God
“Verso L’Alto”
To the heights!
Historical Alpine Portrait
Photo of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati.
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Lesson 20 • Day 1
“To the summit,” in English. But this English translation loses some of its special meaning.
In English, we might think it only means climbing the highest mountain peak and doing big things with God’s help. Pier Giorgio certainly climbed real mountains, but the Italian word alto means something deeper.
It is closer to the words “lift up.” Think of what happens at Mass when the priest says, “Lift up your hearts,” and we answer, “We lift them up to the Lord.”
So “To the heights” means pointing our hearts, our minds, and our whole lives up toward God. God is the true summit we climb toward every day!
Pier Giorgio loved God above everything else. On most days, he spent his free time caring for sick people, children without families, and injured soldiers who had come home from World War I.
Pier Giorgio also loved to serve the poor. At school and college, he told others about people who were suffering and collected help for them.
Several times, Pier Giorgio returned home without his warm winter coat. When his father asked what happened, he discovered Pier Giorgio had given his coat to a poor person who was freezing in the street!
When Pier Giorgio died, his parents were astonished. Huge crowds of poor and sick people filled the streets for his funeral. Only then did his family learn just how many people he had quietly helped in his short life.
Pier Giorgio lived every single day as a hero of faith. He showed us that holiness is for everyone, and he always reached for the heights of God’s love!
Living the Faith
How can you “lift up your heart” and help someone in need this week?
194 • What Is the Eucharist?
