Friday, July 26, 2013

St Maria Goretti

Friday last, July 19, I journeyed to St. Cecilia Parish where the Treasures of the Church traveling relics exhibit was being held.  This parish usually has Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction Fridays, so I drove directly there once getting off the ferry, and was able to experience Adoration (which my parish does not have)for an hour.  Then the presentation began, and we were encouraged to look for the saint who spoke to us.  I knew before I walked over to the exhibit area that St. Maria Goretti was the saint who was "speaking to me."  I had heard her story when I was young, and it was impressed upon us that she was a saint because she had preferred death rather than allowing herself to be raped.  I'm sure this was slanted in this way for good and noble reasons, but it came to be a guilt-inducing story for me.  As Fr. Carlos Martins talked about her, though, he emphasized the forgiveness aspect of her story and I felt a shift within me.  Rather amazing, really - so I found her relic very quickly.  The next day during confession, my confessor mentioned St. Maria Goretti to me, so I am getting the "hint" that perhaps I should study more about her and ask for her intercession. 

Healing, not physical, but mental/emotional/spiritual occurred that night.  Whether it was from the shift in focus in the story, the intercession of St. Maria Goretti, or something else doesn't matter to me.  I'll accept it and am so very thankful.

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