Maria Goretti

What I’m most struck by when I read about Maria Goretti is her humility. When she’s laying on her deathbed in mortal, terrible pain, there’s no self-righteousness there. There’s no vengeful anger or even a tantrum towards the man, almost a decade older than her, who killed her when she refused his advances. She’s done nothing to deserve her pain. And all she bears with her as she goes to Heaven is sacrifice and prayer. She stopped asking for water, even though she had an overwhelming thirst due to the blood loss, when the priest asked her to give it up for sinners and reminded her that Jesus was also thirsty on the cross. She prayed for her attacker! Where does this strength come from? It all stemmed from her daily life, what she did everyday that she put into practice in her dying moments. Let’s imagine the humility and self-sacrifice of her prayers for her attacker, but in everyday moments. Washing the dishes. Looking after her younger siblings. Taking care of the chores and keeping the house clean. There’s so much love there! It’s overwhelming to think of, especially when I think about my attitude to similar situations. How frustrated I get when I have to clean my room because I’ve been leaving clothes strewn around for the past three weeks. How selfish is my attitude when I have to wait for my brother to take him home from school. Maria’s life and Jesus’ suffering in the garden of Gethsemane are inextricably tied together for me. Lord, let not my will be done, but yours. All the days of her life, she calmly passed the cup of her will from herself to God. We all long for the grace to do God’s will in our lives because we sense the love that comes from doing it. Like walking down a winding road in the woods, we can tell by the sunlight peeking around the next corner that the following turn will open to a beautiful meadow. But it's difficult to let go of what we want. To just let go. Maria didn’t just practice this, she lived it. It was in the air when she was around, a part of her aura, her person. Her life had a meaning- to do the will of God. No great journeys to convert Gentiles or earth-shaking debates about dogma and catechism. She washed the dishes everyday. She made the beds of the numerous people they lived with in their small farmhouse. She loved her family and neighbors dearly, even to death, and when her mom came home tired after a day of backbreaking labor in the fields, she kissed her and asked her how her day was. By all accounts she was an absolute beacon of positivity and joy for people around her. Jesus reminded the apostles, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Mt. 19:14) Maria basks in the glory of God.