Blessed Chiara Badano

One amazing person for young people to look up to is Blessed Chiara Badano, who was a very normal person, yet extremely holy.

She was born on October 29, 1971, to Ruggero and Maria Teresa Badano in Sassano, Italy. When she was little, she would give her snacks to kids who didn’t have any, and when her mom sent her with more so that she could eat too, Chiara just gave the extra one away too. At age 9, she joined the Focolare Movement, the goal of which was to erase division in the world and to live the Gospel. She later wrote, “I have rediscovered the Gospel.., I was not an authentic Christian because I did not live it fully. I won’t and cannot remain illiterate of such an extraordinary message. Now I want to make this wonderful book the only goal of my life.” Chiara was also a very active person, and loved tennis, hiking, singing, dancing, and swimming, like many teenagers do today. When she was 16, she was playing tennis and felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, which turned out to be osteosarcoma, which is a very rare form of bone cancer. Even while she was sick, she made it a priority to make other people, especially other patients, happy. Chiara even denied pain medication, because she felt that she couldn’t fully live her life if she was sleepy because of it, and she felt closer to God in suffering. She died of cancer on October 7, 1990, when she was only 19 years old. Her funeral was attended by hundreds of people, and she was buried in a white dress, “Like a bride going to Jesus.” Her feast day is on October 29.

Here are a few of her quotes:

“If I had to choose between walking again and going to heaven, I wouldn’t hesitate. I would choose heaven.”

“For you, Jesus. If you want it, I want it too!”

“I suffered a lot, but my soul was singing! I have nothing left, but I still have my heart, and with that I can always love.”

Blessed Chiara was certainly a reverent woman of God. Just look at how generous she was! She always put other people’s needs before her own, even in her time of suffering! Many people today, including myself, should strive to become more like her, and form our will to God’s, just as she did. Also, she loved to live! She was a normal teenage girl, just like you or me, yet she loved God with every fiber of her being. Though it might be a task, you and I can do the same thing.

Lord, thank you for giving Blessed Chiara Luce Badano such a loving and generous spirit, so that we can try to follow in her footsteps! Blessed Chiara, pray for us!!!

Fiat Voluntas Dei (God’s Will be Done)

-Therese