Where There's a Will

Earlier this year, we had planned our first family international trip to coincide with the canonization of Bl. Carlo Acutis. With the death of Pope Francis, the canonization was postponed and we, like many, kept our travel plans, both to be a part of history and because of the lack of a refund.

Our eldest, Annie, is particularly passionate about Carlo’s cause and almost instantly asked me if we would be taking the family back to Rome for the canonization. It didn’t help that she asked me as I looked at my credit card bill — and I was emphatic in my “no way.”

When the date for the canonization was rescheduled, it turned out I would be back in Rome that same week for work. This prompted Annie to resume pestering about another trip to Rome. “How many teenagers go to Rome twice within six months?” I asked her and then reminded her of school and where money doesn’t grow. At some point, her persistence triggered me to insist that I had already explained why it wouldn’t happen. “Dad, it’s important to me,” she said with a calmness beyond her years, “and I understand your reasons why you think it can’t happen, but could we spend at least some time imagining how it could?”

As we talked about the different roads that could lead to Rome and the barriers to overcome, I couldn’t help but feel a little shameful in failing to do with my own daughter what I encourage Church leaders to do all the time. In life, leadership, and especially faith, why am I saying “no?” Is it because it’s fundamentally wrong or immoral, or is it because I don’t have the patience or bandwidth to think about what “yes” might mean? It might not be important to me, but have I given those I love and lead the opportunity to process how to achieve what’s important to them? What might the Lord be asking of me that I continue to decline or defer because assisting would require too much from me?

Thanks to a lot of extra shifts and babysitting, not to mention Christmas and birthday presents for the next decade, Annie Cellucci will now be in that square cheering on the first Millennial saint. As we strive to help each other on the road to sainthood, let us be people who help others not to be afraid to explore the most important yeses.