Quotes of Saint Carlo Acutis

A selection of Carlo’s most loved sayings, grouped by theme and briefly explained so they can guide your prayer, your teaching, and your daily life.

Identity, Eucharist, joy, Mary, and modern lifeIdeal for youth groups, catechesis & prayer

How to use these quotes

Carlo's words are short, direct, and surprisingly deep. He wrote and spoke them as a teenager, but they carry a wisdom that has helped thousands of people – especially young people – rediscover the joy of following Jesus in everyday life.

You can use these quotes in:

  • Personal prayer or Eucharistic adoration
  • Youth group talks, catechesis, and school assemblies
  • Social media posts or parish newsletters
  • Posters, prayer cards, or slides for retreats

Each quote below comes with a short explanation to help you unpack it with others or meditate on it more deeply yourself.

Identity and vocation

Carlo often spoke about uniqueness and holiness. He knew that many young people feel pressure to conform – and he wanted them to dare to be the original God created them to be.

“Everyone is born as an original, but many die as photocopies.”
Carlo warned young people not to copy everyone else or chase trends, but to discover their own unique path to holiness in Christ.

Identity & Vocation

“Our goal must be the infinite and not the finite. The Infinite is our homeland. We are always expected in Heaven.”
For Carlo, success was not measured in grades, likes, or achievements, but in aiming for Heaven and living every day in that direction.

Identity & Vocation

“Not I, but God.”
This simple phrase sums up Carlo’s spirituality: less ego, more grace. He wanted God, not self-love, to be at the centre of everything.

Identity & Vocation

“The only thing we have to ask God for, in prayer, is the desire to be holy.”
Carlo believed that once we truly want holiness, God supplies everything else: strength, opportunities, and the grace to persevere.

Identity & Vocation

Eucharist and the sacraments

At the centre of Carlo's life was Jesus in the Eucharist. Daily Mass, adoration, and frequent confession were not pious extras for him – they were the normal way to live as a friend of God.

“The Eucharist is the highway to Heaven.”
For Carlo, daily Mass and adoration were not “extras” but the main road that led him straight to Jesus and to holiness.

Eucharist

“To always be close to Jesus, that is my life plan.”
This was Carlo’s simple rule of life: stay near to Jesus in the Eucharist, in prayer, and in charity toward others.

Eucharist

“The more Eucharist we receive, the more we become like Jesus, and already on this earth we have a foretaste of Heaven.”
He saw Holy Communion as a real transformation: receiving Jesus slowly reshapes our heart to resemble His, even before we reach Heaven.

Eucharist

“By standing before the Eucharistic Christ, we become holy.”
Simply spending time silently before the tabernacle, Carlo said, allows Jesus to change us from the inside.

Eucharist

“Our soul is like a hot air balloon. Mortal sin makes it fall to the ground. Confession is the fire that helps it rise again.”
Carlo used this vivid image to explain why regular confession is essential if we want to keep moving upward toward God.

Confession

Joy, suffering, and hope

Carlo knew both ordinary teenage happiness and the intense suffering of a sudden illness. He never lost hope, because he saw his pain as something he could offer for others and live with Jesus.

“Sadness is looking at ourselves, happiness is looking towards God.”
Carlo knew that self-obsession leads to misery. Looking up to God, and outwards to others, opens the heart to real joy.

Joy & Hope

“There are people who suffer much more than me.”
Even in the pain of leukaemia, Carlo refused to feel sorry for himself. He thought of those who were worse off and offered his pain for them.

Suffering

“Do not be afraid. With the Incarnation of Jesus, death becomes life, and there is no need to flee: in eternal life something extraordinary awaits us.”
Carlo saw death not as a wall but as a doorway into the fullness of life with God, thanks to Jesus becoming man.

Hope

Mary and everyday devotion

Carlo's faith was warm, concrete, and Marian. He prayed the Rosary daily, entrusted his life to Our Lady, and believed that even small acts done with love could lead to great holiness.

“The Virgin Mary is the only woman in my life.”
This affectionate line shows Carlo’s deep Marian devotion: he entrusted his purity, his future, and his holiness to Our Lady.

Mary

“When we face the sun we get a tan, but when we stand before Jesus in the Eucharist, we become saints.”
Carlo used humour and simple images to explain profound truths: spending time with Jesus gradually marks our soul with His light.

Holiness

Carlo in the digital age

Carlo has been called a patron of the internet age because he knew how to live holiness in a world of screens, games, and constant distraction. These quotes are especially helpful for anyone who works with media, technology, or youth culture.

“We are all born with our own originality, but many live as photocopies.”
In a world of trends and algorithms, Carlo’s challenge is especially relevant: do not let the culture flatten your God-given uniqueness.

Digital Age

“Jesus is my friend, and the Eucharist is my highway to Heaven.”
At a time when many look for connection online, Carlo found his deepest friendship and direction in Jesus truly present in the Eucharist.

Digital Age