Readings
I - Gen. 22: 1-19
II - Mt. 9:1-8
ST. MARIA GORETTI
Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Maria Goretti, the patron saint of young people especially the girls and the poor. Matia Goretti was born into poverty in Corinaldo, Italy. She was the third of seven children. Due to poverty Maria was unable to attend school. She spent most of her time in the family home, performing chores and caring for her younger siblings. Despite her lack of formal education and inability to read, Maria had deep faith. She lost her father when she was nine. The poverty of the family and the loss of her dear father did not diminish her faith. When Maria was only eleven and Alessandro was twenty, he found Maria alone in her home and tried to seduce her. Alessandro threatened to kill Maria if she refused him. Since Maria never yielded to him, he stabbed her fourteen times and killed her. Before her death, Maria was able to express her forgiveness for Alessandro, further expressing her hope that she would see him in heaven. Pope Pius XII canonized Maria and referred to her as the "Saint Agnes of the twentieth century".
In today's Gosple passage, Jesus heals the paralytic brought to him by some people for healing. Through the intercession of St. Maria Goretti, let us bring to our Lord all the youth who are in the state of sin; crippled and paralyzed to addiction, relativism and impatience; and pray that the Lord may raise them to Christian standards so that they may glorify the Lord through their lives.
