St Maria Goretti: A Shining Example of Forgiveness
St Maria Goretti is one of the modern saints of twentieth century. She was born in Italy in 1890 and died on 6th July 1902 as a virgin and martyr at the age of 12. Her family was poor; despite that she was well trained in Christian virtue by her devout illiterate mother. She was heroic in virtue to the point of choosing death rather than giving in to sexual immorality.
She was stabbed fourteen times by Alessandro Serenelli after his several failed attempts to seduced her. As he was forcing his way to sleep with her, she cried out, “No, it is sin! God doesn’t want it!” After the attack she died the next day, but before dying she told her mother about Alessandro, “For the love of Jesus, I forgive him, and I want him with me in heaven!”
This is indeed a testimony of life lived in imitation of Christ who, while hanging on the cross prayed for those who persecuted him, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Among the saints who did likewise is St Stephen who prayed for those who was stoning him to death, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60).
In our time when prayers for the destruction of our enemies, offenders and persecutors are becoming normal, St Maria Goretti reminds us that, as followers and imitators of Christ, we ought to forgive even those who kill us and pray for their conversion in order to share eternal life in heaven with them.
