Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality is a new documentary film produced by Castletown Media in association with Wahl St Productions. Distributed through Fathom Entertainment, the film will premiere in over a thousand theaters nationwide on April 27, 2025, the day of Carlo Acutis’ canonization. (Tickets available now at CarloAcutisFilm.com.)
In instituting the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, Christ unveiled to us the very structure of reality itself. On this night, Jesus offered his Body and Blood to his disciples and, through them, to every generation. In an age dominated by screens, scrolling, and superficial connection, this sacred moment invites us to rediscover what is genuinely real. Our identity does not come from what we create or express online. It comes to us as a gift from God, who entered our world as flesh and remains tangibly present among us.
From a Catholic perspective, the Eucharist is not a mere symbol, but truly Christ himself, hidden beneath the humble appearances of bread and wine. This sacrament shows that God works through the ordinary, tangible elements of our world. Saint Thomas Aquinas taught that grace does not destroy nature, but rather elevates and perfects it. In the Eucharist, the simplest material realities of bread and wine become Christ's Body and Blood. Christ is made truly, fully, and substantially present to us. Holy Thursday marks this extraordinary moment when Christ united himself permanently to physical signs, transforming what is ordinary into the means by which he gives himself to us.
Carlo Acutis was an ordinary teenager whose openness to this grace made his life extraordinary. Carlo grew up amid the digital revolution of the 1990s. Gifted in coding and web design, he recognized technology’s promise but also its peril, particularly its potential to detach us from reality. Carlo understood that God meets us through embodied experiences rather than digital illusions. Using technology responsibly, he documented Eucharistic miracles online, using these stories to raise awareness about Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist. To avoid digital distraction, Carlo regularly spent time in Eucharistic adoration, focusing his attention on Christ.
Modern culture often leaves us confused about what is real. Carefully crafted online images and algorithm-driven content rarely fulfill our deeper longing for genuine love and authentic connection. Young Catholics find themselves torn between a society obsessed with instant gratification and a faith that calls for patient, self-giving love. Holy Thursday provides clarity. By washing his disciples’ feet and offering himself in the Eucharist, Christ shows we are embodied beings created for communion. Carlo Acutis’ story demonstrates how our humanity cannot be reduced to fleeting digital impressions but is fulfilled through tangible encounters with God and one another.
Holy Thursday reminds us that the Incarnation is not just a doctrine, but a living affirmation of what is truly real. At the Last Supper, Christ showed that divine love reaches into our physical world, sanctifies it, and invites us into communion with him. As we enter the sacred Triduum, may we follow Carlo’s example by embracing a sacramental worldview that recognizes reality as it is, fosters genuine encounter, nurtures authentic community, and welcomes the incarnate Lord who renews hearts, relationships, and even our use of technology.
Here are three practices to help you embrace the sacred mysteries of Holy Thursday and the Triduum, following Carlo Acutis’ example:
1. Limit or silence digital distractions during these sacred days, especially on Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
2. Spend extra time in personal prayer, reflecting on Jesus’ washing of his disciples’ feet.
3. Take part wholeheartedly in the Triduum liturgies, allowing each moment to deepen your communion with God and others.
Tickets for Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality are available now. For theater locations and ticket purchases, visit CarloAcutisFilm.com.
