Wednesday, July 7, 2021

St Maria Goretti: Powerful Forgiveness

Today we celebrate the amazing life of St Maria Goretti. When she was only 12 years old, an 18 year old man tried to rape her. She resisted, saying it would be a sin. He stabbed her with a knife and she was taken to a hospital where, after asking about her mother's well being and forgiving her attacker, she died. 

The man who attacked her was unrepentant for many years, but one night had a dream that Maria appeared to him and gave him flowers. After waking from his dream, we wept and asked Maria's mother for forgiveness. He then wept tears of joy at Maria's canonization mass years later. You can read more about her here.

This makes it a little easier to forgive that jerk who cuts you off in traffic, doesn't it? 

God, thanks for the great example of heroic forgiveness in the life of this young girl. St Maria Goretti, pray for us. 

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