A Homily about Frassati
The Death and Funeral of Frassati
This was a homily given during the To The Heights retreat (June 20th).
"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Much of this retreat has focused on the life of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, when his heart was beating. I would like us to focus on the moment his heart stopped beating and his funeral.
Frassati contracted polio, likely from someone impoverished in the city of Turin. Remember, Frassati frequently served the poor and marginalized.
Rapidly, within days, Frassati became ill and bedridden.
Even in his final days, Frassati’s focus remained on the poor and marginalized, as he requested specific items to be given to particular individuals whom he intended to visit but was unable to.
Frassati’s mother withheld numerous visitors since the illness was highly contagious. Just days before Frassati died, his grandmother died in the same home. Frassati mustered up the strength to go to her room and pray for her, although he was declining rapidly.
As his illness progressed, a priest visited Frassati and administered the sacraments to him.
The one who was often serving the poor in good health was now bedridden and dying.
Frassati died on July 4, 1925, in his home in a bed.
Numerous people came to the Frassati home begging to visit the corpse of Frassati and to pay their respects. Frassati’s sister, Luciana, recalls the magnitude of people who mourned the loss of her brother. It was overwhelming.
At the funeral, the city of Turin saw something amazing. Thousands showed up.
Remember, Frassati’s family was of high social standing. His father owned La Stampa, an influential newspaper in Italy. Also, his father served as a senator and an ambassador to Germany.
At Frassati’s funeral, two social classes encountered each other. The poor and marginalized came to know that Frassati was from a powerful family and social group.
The upper class observed the poor and marginalized present and realized that Frassati had been serving them with exceptional fervor.
Both classes of the city were beginning to realize that they each knew Frassati, yet they were learning more and more about him.
Frassati’s funeral united the city of Turin. That is what the saints do: they unite, or bring people together, like Jesus did.
Here with us today, we have a second-class relic of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. This relic is a piece of the bed on which Frassati died.
Following the homily, these Frassati medals will be blessed, and each person here will have the opportunity to take their blessed Frassati medal and place it upon the relic, the piece of Frassati’s bed, in which he died.
"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
All of our hearts will eventually stop beating like Frassati’s heart stopped beating. However, we must determine where our treasure is, for there will our hearts be also.
Is our treasure in serving God or not?
For Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, his treasure was in serving God.
"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Fr. Luke Daghir
