By Susan Ciancio
Like so many parents, Ruggero and Maria Teresa Badano longed for the gift of a child, and for more than a decade, this Italian couple prayed to conceive. Their prayers were finally answered with a yes, and in 1971 they gave birth to a baby girl, whom they named Chiara. They were overjoyed and dedicated her to God.
Little did they know that she would have a very short life but impact so many, even after her death.
Early years
In many ways, Chiara was a typical child, but when she was just nine years old, she learned about the Focolare Movement—”a lay ecclesial movement established in Italy by Chiara Lubich, intended to promote ecumenical and global unity on a local level and to build peace through developing relationships.” It moved her heart, especially the image of Christ that the group promoted.
From this point on, Chiara’s faith matured and deepened. She was often seen counseling her friends, listening to their worries, and showing them Christ’s love, always encouraging them to strive for sainthood.
Chiara excelled in tennis, and it was on the tennis court when she first felt pain—a pain that would lead her to doctor appointments and soon to a bone cancer diagnosis. She was just 17.
The next couple years consisted of treatments, surgeries, prayer, and of a complete trust in God. Chiara offered up her pain, encouraged others to focus on God’s goodness and mercy, and never once complained about her suffering.
A cure was not to be had. Just a few weeks before her 19th birthday, Chiara passed away.
Hundreds of people attended her funeral, hoping to honor her memory and the way she lived her life.
Chiara was beatified in 2010, just 20 years after her death.
As we celebrate her feast day, we want to reflect on just a few of her quotes. Though Chiara was young, she inspired others with her faith and her wisdom. In a time today when most teens her age can’t pry themselves away from their phones, examples like Chiara’s help us focus on what’s truly important in life; that is our faith in God.
We can take nothing with us when we die, but our faith and how we live our lives will determine where we spend eternity. Chiara understood that. And now we can be assured that she is in heaven, ready and willing to intercede on our behalf. We need only ask.
Words to live by
What does it mean to live life well? It certainly doesn’t mean acquiring riches or material goods. Those things often make life easier, but they don’t bring us closer to God. To truly live life well, we must live as Christ taught and as His Church now teaches. We must follow the commandments, go to Mass weekly, receive the sacraments, and do good for others and teach them about Christ, always respecting the value of each individual and glorifying God in all we do.
Suffering is a part of life; we all face it in some form or another, whether physical or emotional. What we do with our suffering is up to us. We can learn from Chiara and offer up our suffering for the souls in purgatory, for sinners here on earth, or for someone we know who is also suffering in some way. Christ sees our pain. He doesn’t compare or expect us to compare our suffering to others’ or to downplay our own suffering because others are suffering “more.” Of course there are varying degrees of suffering, but God only asks us to deal well with what we are enduring, to give Him our pain, and to trust in Him.
3. “At this point I have nothing left. But I still have my heart and with that I can always love.”
Love costs nothing, and it’s something everyone can do. Love is more than a feeling; it’s an action. If we truly love someone, we want what’s best for them, and we work toward that goal by showing the love of Christ. We feed the hungry, clothe the poor, pray for a respect for life, speak proudly and boldly of our faith, and so much more. We live every day giving of ourselves and pointing others to God.
4. “I care only about doing the will of God, doing it well, in the present moment.”
Imagine if we all lived caring only about doing the will of God. Our world would be more peaceful, kinder, and more loving. And more people would attain heaven. Yes, this seems like a fantasy, especially when we look around the world today and see so much hatred and disdain for others. But doing the will of God must start somewhere, so let it begin with us and in our homes. We should teach Catholic values to our children, live our faith proudly, care for those around us, and become faith-filled examples to others. We must always remember that our family and friends are watching us and how we behave, so everything we do must point others—especially our families—to God.
Today and every day, let us contemplate Chiara’s life and words, and let us never stop striving to become saints.
To learn more about Blessed Chiara, download our lesson booklet entitled Embracing a Culture of Life: Blessed Chiara Luce Badano. In celebration of her October 29 feast day, it’s on sale for just $2!