“I forgive Allessandro Serenelli … and I want him with me in heaven forever…”

+ St. Maria Goretti, you knew well of our Lord’s call to forgive those who trespass against us and witnessed to that as you forgave the attacker who led you to your bodily death at the age of 11. I humbly ask for you to powerfully intercede for me, asking God to cultivate forgiveness and courage in my heart to pardon those who have offended against me. Advocate on my behalf for the grace to forgive those who have sinned against me seventy times greater than their offence and to seat in me the desire to see their salvation in the same manner that you desired your attacker to be in heaven with you forever. Ask the Holy Spirit to closely guard my passions so I may never be led to my destruction by responding to my transgressors in anger or malice, but that I may always be brought closer to the mystery of our God’s unending outpouring of mercy. Let your forgiveness of Allessandro without hesitation perpetually exemplify the glory of God’s forgiveness of our own sins against Him and against others. I ask that the testimony of  your saintly forgiveness and your intercession lead me to contriteness of heart, acts of penance and amendments to my life in the hope that I may one day share in the beatific vision through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen.