Select the image to view it in full. · © Sonhee Lim
Sonhee Lim · Sacred art
Ordinary but Extraordinary
St. Carlo Acutis
An ordinary young life made extraordinary by faith. A computer, a backpack, and a rosary bring the invitation to holiness into our own time.
Within the painting
The lily and computer
The lily expresses purity. Appearing to grow from the computer, it reflects Carlo’s use of technology to share Eucharistic miracles and proclaim the Gospel.
A student’s backpack
The backpack identifies him as a student and suggests a pilgrimage toward heaven. Its black colour expresses daily self-denial and the decision to follow God’s will.
The rosary
The rosary speaks of his love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and the faithfulness of daily prayer.
Red and ivory
The red shirt evokes the Precious Blood of Christ. The ivory background suggests the Eucharist. Together, they express the artist’s conviction that the Eucharist forms saints.
An invitation to reflect
Sonhee chose acrylic deliberately. Building the portrait through many thin layers became a reflection on the patience and perseverance of a holy life. She entrusts the finished image, and her own limitations, to God’s grace.