The Frassati Field Guide: An 8-Day Ascent to Heroic Virtue
ISBN 978-1646804054
eISBN 9781646804061
ASIN B0F81Q21XX
I am always interested in taking a new book about Pier Giorgio, and this one is an excellent offering. It was excellent to work through the 8 days. Only 2 days in and I was recommending it to friends and family. I was working through the eBook and ordered physical copies on the two youngest teenagers.
The description of this volume states:
“With Frassati's famous motto Verso l'alto (To the Heights), this book challenges you to rise to the occasion and live your Catholic faith with courageous action. Whether you're seeking holiness, joy, or a deeper purpose in your life, Pier Giorgio is inviting you to follow him.
Are you ready to take your Catholic faith to new heights? The Frassati Field Guide invites you to walk in the footsteps of one of the Catholic Church's newest saints, Pier Giorgio Frassati--a fearless adventurer, passionate mountain climber, joyful servant to the poor, and bold witness to Christ. Throughout his life, Pier Giorgio proved that living the faith is not just about words but about daring action and joyful sacrifice.
In this inspiring guide, Bobby Angel--mountain guide and retreat leader--leads you through an eight-day journey that challenges you to live with the same boldness, purpose, and vitality that Pier Giorgio did. Each day is centered on a powerful virtue that shaped his remarkable life, including:
Words of Wisdom from Frassati himself, inspiring you to live fully;
Practical Insights showing how he turned his Catholic beliefs into action in every moment;
Journaling Prompts that help you apply Frassati's witness to your own life;
Challenges that push you to step outside your comfort zone and take bold action;
Daily Prayers to unite your efforts with God's will for your life.
The Frassati Field Guide is more than just a book--it's a call to adventure! Discover Pier Giorgio's passions, from hiking the mountains to praying before the Blessed Sacrament to serving his friends and the poor. He lived each day infused with faith, joy, and love, and this guide will help you do the same, one step at a time.
Will you answer the call? Step out, live boldly, and let your Catholic faith soar!”
About the author we are informed:
“Bobby Angel is a Catholic author, speaker, and certified mentor for the CatholicPsych Institute with more than twenty years of experience in ministry. He is the author of Gaming and the Heroic Life and coauthor of Pray, Decide, and Don't Worry: Five Steps to Discerning God's Will with his wife, Jackie, and Fr. Mike Schmitz and of Forever: A Catholic Devotional for Your Marriage with Jackie. Angel also contributed to the books Catholicism after Coronavirus, Wisdom and Wonder, and The New Apologetics.
He earned bachelor's degrees from the University of Florida and St. John Vianney College Seminary and master's degrees from the St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary and the Augustine Institute. He trained at the Theology of the Body Institute. He also has worked as a certified firefighter and emergency medical technician.
Angel has spoken at the National Catholic Youth Conference, the Good News Conference, Life Teen retreats, and diocesan youth conferences. He was a regular on Jonathon "Bearded" Blevins's Around the Halo on Twitch, the Ascension Presents YouTube channel, and the Word on Fire God and Gaming video series with Fr. Blake Britton. He contributes to the National Catholic Register and serves as a guide for the JP2 Trails retreats.
He lives with his family in the Dallas, Texas, area.”
The chapters are:
Introduction: To the Heights!
Day 1: Fully Alive
Virtue of the Day: Courage
Day 2: The Mountains Are Calling
Virtues of the Day: Excellence and Wonder
Day 3: The Host of Heaven
Virtue of the Day: Devotion
Day 4: The Cheerful Giver
Virtue of the Day: Generosity
Day 5: Fraternity and Family
Virtue of the Day: Loyalty
Day 6: Last Things
Virtue of the Day: Surrender
Day 7: The Glory
Virtue of the Day: Hope
Day 8: At the Summit
Virtue of the Day: Freedom
Conclusion: Set Out on the Climb
I highlighted numerous passages while reading this volume, some of them are:
“Pier Giorgio Frassati is one of the Church’s newest saints for a good reason: he was a person of bold action. There are many excellent books and resources on his life, including a few penned by his very own sister, Luciana. This field guide is not an extensive biography on Frassati, but rather an encounter with his words and actions so that we can practice the same virtues he lived. Think of this as an introduction to a new saintly friend.”
“So why eight days for this retreat? Numbers often have significance in the biblical worldview. In his Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5: 3–12), Christ gave us eight beatitudes, which radically overturn our expectations for what constitutes a “happy life.” St. John Paul II called Pier Giorgio a “Man of the Beatitudes,” for he radically lived out Jesus’s call to be pure of heart, fight for righteousness, serve as a peacemaker, and be poor in spirit with a meek and humble heart.”
“One of the enduring attributes of Frassati is his “ordinary” holiness. He wasn’t a hermit or mountaintop mystic or prolific pope—he was a young student. He played pranks on his friends, he fell in love, he struggled to study, he loved to horse around—and he prioritized his relationship with Jesus Christ. He is a great example of what the Church calls the “universal call to holiness,” which affirms that everyone—priest, nun, mother, businessman, student—can be transformed by God’s grace to become a saint.”
“What the saints have in common is not a life lived without mistakes or sin (only Jesus and Mary can claim that title), but their commitment to turn back to God every time they stumble. Saints are Christians who don’t give up. They allow the Lord to transform their lives—in the unique time period in which they all lived—for God’s greater glory and for the conversion of others.”
“One of the alluring features of Pier Giorgio is his approachability. He was neither a dour-faced stoic nor an aloof intellectual. He was a student, an athlete, a prankster, and a young man responding to the call of living fully alive in Christ. A man described by Bishop Thomas Olmsted as “devout but not dainty, prayerful but not ‘holier than thou,’ and charitable and wholly committed to the truths of the Catholic faith.””
“We don’t set out to live “average” lives when we’re young. We are hungry to live, to discover the world, and to test ourselves. We don’t strive for mediocrity. We want to do something worthwhile with our lives, and that is a God-given call upon our hearts.”
“But God also calls us into communion—that is, relationship with one another. We do not exist in solitudes or as “lone rangers”; we are meant to be a part of the bigger Body of Christ, the Church. And this Church, we believe, doesn’t solely exist in the members here on earth but also those in the life to come.”
“Just as I would ask a family member or friend to pray for me, we look to the saints with the same request. Though they have departed from this Earth, they are alive in Christ, and thus are closely intimate with him and able to intercede on our behalf.”
“While we should certainly spend our energies helping those around us in need, the purpose of the Church (and the Christian life) is not solely charitable works, but the salvation of souls.”
“Through prayer and the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we grow in union and conversation with Christ.”
“Whatever the number may be, in order to become a worthy student, spouse, or saint, it boils down to putting in the time with one’s beloved. If we are to pursue joyful sanctity as men and women in Christ, we have to put in the time with the Lord. We can read and study about Jesus (and we should), but it’s no substitute for being with him, especially receiving our Lord in every Mass or spending time in adoration of him in the Blessed Sacrament.”
“God actually does love you, dear reader; he delights in you, and he desires for you to see him face-to-face.”
“Discernment always comes down to examining the gifts we’ve been given and the context of our circumstances to figure out what God is calling us to do.”
“Throughout this eight-day journey, we’ve examined the challenge of ascending beyond mediocrity (“ the middle of the mountain”). Pier Giorgio Frassati has been our trusted guide. We’ve seen how his fidelity to Christ led to overflowing love, generosity, and patience that he shared with all he met and how he surrendered to a life of service to the point of laying down his life.”
“On the first day, we assessed our starting assumptions about what it means to be a saint and how all of us are called to a life of holiness aimed at union with Christ.
On day two, we contemplated Frassati’s love of nature and the importance of reclaiming wonder and curiosity.
Day three brought us to examine our conceptions of God and how we are nourished by the Eucharist and the inspirational witness of the saints.
On day four we pondered Frassati’s love for the poor and those on the margins of society, and we contemplated where we might be called to serve locally.
Day five led us through the theme of family and devotion to our loved ones, with all the joys and sufferings that can come in those relationships.
Day six brought us face-to-face with Frassati’s suffering and death and how we too must reconcile with the inevitable shortness of life by surrendering what is beyond our control.
Day seven reoriented us to hope in the life of Christ, who defeated death itself, and to celebrate Frassati’s victorious presence in heaven, where he intercedes on our behalf!”
“Holiness is really a life of wholeness, a life of integration. We have our own work to do, but the primary agent of our formation is the Trinitarian God. That is good news for us! Through prayer, reflection, and the sacraments, God’s healing love brings together what sin fractures. God’s grace builds upon our nature. As we develop and grow in virtue, we make more room in our lives for God to transform us. As these habits of excellence take root and God’s life sprouts within us, choosing and willing the good becomes easier, bit by bit.”
“Pursuing a life of holiness is a great challenge; it is the work and adventure of a lifetime. It requires continual conversion and change to venture ever deeper into the mystery of God’s love. Change is hard, and at every corner we face the temptation to give up. It is far easier to turn toward mindless entertainment or doomscrolling, as perfectly curated distractions are a finger touch away. It takes discipline and consistent courage to put one foot in front of the other to better ourselves through prayer and meaningful action.”
“Lord, thank you for creating us and bringing us into existence. Thank you for the glory of your creation and for calling us to know you in an intimate relationship. May I cheerfully radiate this love to others. Thank you for the witnesses of the holy men and women throughout your Church’s history, especially for the example of Pier Giorgio Frassati. May his prayers join with mine as I offer you the fruit of these eight days in prayer. Amen!”
I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. The introduction talks about the durability of the physical edition. And it recommends taking it out and using it in the field. It would be a wonderful way to work through the book. I worked through it over 8 days, but could see it being used in a small group setting over 8 weeks or even 8 months. Tackling a day either each week or each month. With the introduction and the conclusion you could work through it over 10 weeks or months.
This is a fantastic volume and it is a great resource for youth, but even us older folks could benefit from working through it. It draws heavily from Fassati’s life but also gives examples from several other saints throughout the work.
It is an excellent resource, once I can easily recommend it!
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books by Bobby Angel:
A Journey Through Advent: A 24-Day Advent Devotional
Forever
Gaming and the Heroic Life: A Quest for Holiness in the Virtual World
I am a Good Child Journal
Pray, Decide, and Don't Worry: Five Steps to Discerning God's Will
The Postmodern Predicament: And a Roadmap for Recovery and Restoration
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Books contributed to:
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Book about Pier Giorgio Frassati:
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