July 6 ~ St. Maria Goretti (1890-1902)

UNITY is being touched by God's grace

This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart. ~ Matthew 18:35

Maria Goretti was known for her cheerful and holy disposition. While home alone one day, Maria was assaulted by Alessandro Serenelli, an eighteen-year-old neighbor. She resisted his sexual advances. Enraged, the young man repeatedly stabbed her with a dagger.

Maria was taken to a hospital, where she forgave her attacker and expressed concern for her family; she later died.

Serenelli was sentenced to prison for thirty years. For the next eight years he was unrepentant, but then he had a dream in which Maria was gathering flowers and presenting them to him. Moved by this experience, Alessandro's life changed; his first action upon being released from prison was to visit Maria's mother and beg forgiveness. On Christmas Day, 1937, Alessandro received communion side by side with Mrs. Goretti, and he was present in St. Peter's Square when Maria was canonized in 1950.

~ J.M. Guerin

Even the most hardened sinner can be touched by God's grace, as witnessed by Serenelli's repentance in prison. Does his conversion serve as an argument for abolishing the death penalty? Where does Christ, Himself executed as a capital criminal, command us to stand on the issue of capital punishment?

The weak can never forgive: Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

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