Today is the feast day of St Maria Goretti a young teenage girl who was martyred for saying “No” to sin and “Yes” to Christ.
As I contemplate on her short life, I consider the most striking characteristic about this humbly pious saint was her heights of Christian charity towards her brutal assailant. She not only forgave him, but before she died from her fatal injuries, she wished only the very best for him to be in heaven. She is an astounding example of forgiveness and mercy towards thy neighbour even when they try to violate your precious purity and by force take her virginity.
This truly astonishing fortitude of faith for a 12 year old is to be marvelled with joy, for it reminds me of the trust in our Lord’s love for us as displayed by the Roman Centurion in Matthew 8:5-13. Jesus was so impressed His response was to say “Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
Her life is a very stark model of key virtues close to God's heart, especially when compared against our current modern world’s tendencies to submit guiltlessly to impurities of the flesh, to cast detrimental judgements upon others and to have a general lack of hope towards all that is good.
Lets us pray to this outstanding child of God for a better, more enlightened world that instead of putting others down to make one look good, rather to encourage others to do their best and what is right for the sake of God’s goodness!
I pray also for the strength to say “yes” constantly to Christ and his Commandments.
St Maria Goretti
Pray for us! http://www.marypages.com/gorettieng.htm
http://www.regnumnovum.com/2011/07/06/grace-and-fortitude-the-feast-of-st-maria-goretti/
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