HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF ST MARIA GORETTI

 HOMILY FOR 6 JULY FEAST OF SAINT MARIA GORETTI, VIRGIN, MARTYR

1 Corinthians 6:13-15,17-20; Psalm 31:3-6,8,16-17; John 12:24-26

THE VALUE OF CHASTITY AND FORGIVENESS AS A CHRISTIAN

I pray for you: May the Lord God grant you the strength to cherish purity and have absolute trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN.

 

St. Maria Goretti captured the imaginations of people when she died defending herself from sexual assault; her influence from heaven worked miracles, even converting her attacker. She was born in 1890 in a small village in Italy. Her father was a peasant farm laborer, and the family moved to a number of different places to follow work. Maria never had the chance to learn to read or write. After the death of her father, she assumed responsibility for keeping house, while her mother and siblings worked in the fields. One day, a 19-year-old neighbor, Alessandro, made sexual advances in her cottage. When Maria Goretti resisted the attempted rape, he pulled her into a bedroom and shut the door. She condemned his actions as sinful, then Alexander began to strangle her. She continued to struggle against him, and he stabbed her 14 times before running away.

Maria Goretti was taken to the hospital, and it was immediately apparent that she would not survive. Her mother waited at her bedside with other family friends as Maria Goretti suffered. She forgave Alexander, and asked for the forgiveness of God for him as well, before dying the next day.

Alexander was sentenced to 30 years in prison under hard labor. For many years, he grew only more bitter and cruel. One night he had a vision in which he saw Maria Goretti gathering white lilies in a garden. In that vision, Maria Goretti approached him and offered the flowers to him. When he accepted them, each one turned into a white flame.

Alexander sensed her forgiveness, which changed him. He finished his 27 years sentence with hope and optimism. He did not stay up to the 30 years. The first thing he did when he was freed was to visit the mother of Maria Goretti and beg for her forgiveness.

The story of Maria Goretti was told throughout the world, and people all over began to pray for her and to ask for her intercession. Miracles were attributed to her help, and her cause for canonization was introduced. Alexander testified with his story as part of her cause.

Her mother, 82, was present at her beatification, along with three of her siblings. On June 24, 1950, Pope Pius XII canonized Maria and referred to her as the Saint Agnes of the Twentieth Century. She was canonized in front of the largest crowd ever gathered to witness a canonization. This was the first time a mother attended her childs canonization. Even more remarkably, Alessandro was among the crowd of 250,000 who gathered to celebrate in Saint Peter's Square.

The prayers of Saint Maria Goretti had truly worked a miracle of mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Alessandro became a lay Franciscan brother, working as a gardener until his death at the age of eighty-seven.

Maria Goretti is considered a martyr because she died in defense of Christian virtue, and she is patron saint of victims of sexual assault. Her relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and her story and image are used by students who come to spiritual conferences. 

The short life and tragic death of Saint Maria Goretti present us with so much more than a tragedy. They present us with hope; hope that even the most hardened sinner can repent and be saved. So often our world reacts with outrage toward sin, rather than mercy. Mercy is the defining virtue in the heart of Saint Maria, and this eleven-year-old girl should inspire us to work to overcome all anger, bitterness, and resentment toward the sinner. 

Ponder your own depth of mercy, or lack of mercy, and allow this young child to inspire you to follow her example.

We celebrate Maria Goretti for her heroic commitment to the value of chastity and for her forgiveness of Alessandro. This is not meant to imply that women who are violently attacked should resist their attackers until the point of death. But the commitment of Maria Goretti to defending Christian values serves as an inspiration for courageously following Christ in our lives.

As God had forgiven her of her own sins, and as he had loved her despite any of her shortcomings, she decided that she would forgive her murderer and try to love him despite his flagrant and particularly repugnant moral failings. The difficulty of such an act of forgiveness is virtually unimaginable. Through the power of Maria's heroic action, she was able to emulate Jesus, and this led her killer to eventually repent and convert to Christianity. Think of a time when you forgave someone who wronged you. Think of how it helped not only the person that you forgave, but also yourself. Forgiveness can be a powerful tool of transformation.

On her feast day in 2003, Saint Pope John Paul II spoke about St. Maria Goretti at his Sunday Angelus, noting that her life provides an exemplary witness of what it means to be pure of heart. Saint Pope John Paul II asked: What does this fragile but Christianly mature girl say to the young people of today, through her life and above all through her heroic death? he continued: Marietta, as she was lovingly called, reminds the youth of the third millennium that true happiness demands courage and a spirit of sacrifice, refusing every compromise with evil and having the disposition to pay personally, even with death, faithful to God and his commandments.

Saint John Paul II continued: How timely this message is. Today, pleasure, selfishness and directly immoral actions are often exalted in the name of the false ideals of liberty and happiness. It is essential to reaffirm clearly that purity of heart and of body go together, because chastity is the custodian of authentic love.

Take these points from Saint Maria Goretti:

(1) Faith is Simple. Maria Goretti did not have a formal education. When she received her first communion she struggled with some of her catechism, yet she had complete trust in God. How often do we overcomplicate our faith? How can we open our hearts to God and trust his will without reservation?

(2) Purity is worth fighting over. Maria Goretti was willing to sacrifice her life to keep her virtue. She recognized the sacredness of this special gift as the will of God. In our modern world there seems to be a bigger fight to take away purity (in all forms) rather than keep or preserve it, especially in our children. In what ways can we preserve purity in our lives? In our thoughts and words? Consider the shows you watch, the conversations you have. Who do you consider role models of purity?

(3) Forgiveness changes lives. Alessandros life changed dramatically after Maria Goretti appeared to him in his dream. Whether he deserved it or not, she did not want to see him spend eternity in hell. Her forgiveness allowed him the redemption to grow in holiness, and forged a portion of hers.

(4) Humility is important. Maria had to take on the household tasks of her mother, while watching over her five younger siblings yet she did not complain. I do not know too many nine-year old children that could take on such adult responsibilities let alone do so with cheerfulness. Her life was one of great hardship yet she always gave with love and without reservation or resentment.

(5) Stay true to your convictions: Today we are persuaded to try something new, give up inhibition or indulge in something every corner we turn. Maria Goretti stayed true to her convictions but more importantly the will of God. How quick is it for us to go along with something simply because it is easier? How can we stay true to follow the will of God even when it is not popular or easy?

PRAYER: Saint Maria Goretti, your merciful heart turned tragedy into triumph. You not only forgave your murderer, you also converted him by your love and prayers. Please pray for me, that I, too, will have a merciful heart and will forgive all who have harmed me, seeking only the salvation of their souls. Saint Maria Goretti, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

O DIVINE WORD WHO TOOK FLESH FOR HUMAN SAKE, REDEEM US IN OUR SITUATION

© Rev Fr Utazi Prince Marie Benignus Zereuwa