Forgiveness Part Four- St. Maria Goretti forgiving the unforgivable

The attempted rape and fatal stabbing of a 11-year-old girl can be described in a lot of ways: appalling, vile, evil, disturbing, despicable. To many, it would be described as unforgivable.

However, to the 11-year-old girl who was the victim, those actions were anything but unforgivable.

Maria Goretti was born on October 6, 1890. She was the third of six children in a poor Italian family. On the afternoon of July 5, 1902, the young girl was sewing by herself when Alessandro Serenelli came in and threatened her with death if she did not do as he said; he was intending to rape Maria. She would not submit, however, protesting that what he wanted to do was a mortal sin and warning Alessandro that he would go to Hell. She desperately fought to stop Alessandro, a 19-year-old farmhand, from abusing her. Maria kept screaming, "No! It is a sin! God does not want it!" Alessandro first choked Maria, but when she insisted she would rather die than submit to him, he stabbed her eleven times. The injured Maria tried to reach for the door, but Alessandro stopped her by stabbing her three more times before running away.

The following day, July 6th the young girl died from the attack. However, before she she passed away, Maria forgave Alessandro and expressed a desire for them to be reunited in Heaven. As she took her last breaths, she gazed at a picture of the Virgin Mary.

Alessandro Serenelli was captured shortly after Maria's death. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He remained unrepentant and uncommunicative from the world for three years, until a local bishop, Monsignor Giovanni Blandini, visited him in jail. Serenelli wrote a thank you note to the Bishop asking for his prayers and telling him about a dream he had in which Maria Goretti gave him lilies, which burned immediately in his hands.

After his release, Alessandro Serenelli visited Maria's still-living mother, Assunta, and begged her forgiveness. She forgave him, saying that if Maria had forgiven him on her deathbed then she couldn't do less. They attended Mass together the next day, receiving Holy Communion side by side. Alessandro reportedly prayed every day to Maria Goretti and referred to her as "my little saint." Serenelli later became a laybrother of the Order of the Friars Minor Capuchin, living in a monastery and working as its receptionist and gardener until dying peacefully in 1970.

Maria was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950. In attendence that day was Alessandro. It is clear to see how this very young Saint lived the gospel in those two days in history. Her commitment to chastity and willingness to forgive the young man who brutally took her life is inspiring. In a world that preaches "don't get mad, get get even," the story of St. Maria Goretti is story which needs be shared and celebrated.

There is a very true saying that says "to error is human, to forgive is divine." I believe that to be true but St. Maria Goretti shows us that forgiveness is not mutually exclusive to our loving Father in Heaven. She lived the Christian virtues of mercy and forgiveness. I think we can all learn something from this 11-year-old.

*St. Maria Goretti's feast day is July 6th. She is the patron saint for victims of crime and young girls.

St. Stephen's Day

This past Sunday, December 26th, was a big day for me. It was my 30th Birthday. I started the day with going to Mass, then the Browns game, then a little surprise party with friends and family. It truly was a wonderful day and I am thankful for everyone who helped make it so special.

Now that I am 30, I guess Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy would say that I am at least three-fourths of a man. If you don't understand what I am talking about here just go to youtube.com and type in "I am forty, I am a man."

As mentioned, I started my day by going to Mass. But instead of going to our normal parish, I attended St. Stephen's Parish on West 54th Street in Cleveland. It is beautiful church, one which I have family ties to. My father's grandparents were parishioners there many decades ago. But the real motivator behind us going to celebrate Mass there was the fact that December 26th is St. Stephen's Day. And since my birthday falls on that feast day, my parents gave the middle name of Stephen to me on that winter day back in 1980. (As a side-note, my older brother Mark's middle name is Steven. By having three older brothers I grew used to "hand-me-downs" but a middle name?? At least my parents gave me the "ph" version... aka "the right way" to spell it.)

St. Stephen was a deacon who is the first recorded martyr (a person who dies for his or her beliefs) of the Church. The story of Stephen is told in chapters six and seven of the Acts of the Apostles. He was stoned to death for professing his belief in Jesus. In Act 7: 59-60 we read, "As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them'; and when he said this, he fell asleep."

Jesus taught "Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven." (Mathew 5: 10-12) He is telling us that when we live the Christian life and boldly witness to Christ and his Church, we will be rejected by a world that is so often focused on worldly things. In other words, Christ is saying that "following me won't be easy but it will be so worth it!"

St. Stephen and the other martyrs of our Church provide an excellent example of what it means to truly live out the beatitudes that Jesus taught in the 5th chapter Matthew's gospel. And like Jesus himself who forgave those who crucified him, St. Stephen prayed for those who were taking his life. His devotion and willingness to forgive those who were killing him makes me pause and think about what I would do in that position. I pray that I can have the courage and compassion that St. Stephen showed the world.

Questions for reflection:

1) Would you be willing to die for your faith? Why or why not?

2) How do you feel when people discuss faith in social settings?

3) Are you comfortable sharing your faith with others?

4) In what ways have you been persecuted for your beliefs?

5) How do you think you could obtain the courage needed to stand up for your beliefs in difficult situations?

6) Who has hurt you?

7) Have you forgiven them? If not, why not?

Pray: Lord, thank you for the example of St. Stephen. Grant that we always strive to be true disciples of Your Son even though that will require rejection and persecution. Help us to know you are always with us and let us be filled with your Spirit so we can forgive those who have hurt us. St. Stephen, pray for us. Amen.

John's Black Friday Shoes

Jesus rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Master, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later"... ....You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do." (John 13: 4-7, 13-15)

In the gospels of Mathew, Mark, and Luke, we read about how Christ instituted the Eucharist during the Last Supper just hours before he would be handed over to the authorities and crucified. In John's gospel, however, the focus is put on Jesus washing the feet of his apostles. Jesus tells them (and us) "you should also" wash the feet of others. In this teaching, Christ commands us to be humble, to serve, and know that true love does not exist without sacrifice.

But, you might be thinking to yourself, this is a reading we typically reflect on during our Holy Thursday celebrations. Why bring it up on "Black Friday?"

I admit I have never participated in the "Black Friday" insanity. I hear it can be a fun time and that there are some great deals out there if you are willing to wake up early and fight the crowds.

However, last year's "Black Friday" will be a day that I'll never forget. I was fortunate enough to help lead a group of teenagers from our parish in assisting with the Labre Project through John Carroll University. St. Benedict Joseph Labre was born in 1748 and is the patron saint of the homeless. In short, the Labre Project is focused on bringing friendship to the homeless of Cleveland. The friendships are more important than the warm meals and clothes that are used to help make the initial connections. They go out every Friday night but sometimes they need help from outside the campus community. On holidays and other parts of the year, many students are home and unable to assist so there are opportunities for other groups to plug-in.

Watching the young people of my parish minister to these homeless men and women was very inspiring. At one point, I saw one of our teenagers take her gloves off and give them to woman who was living under a bridge and had no gloves on despite the freezing temperatures.

During another portion of the evening, we met a man named John who, along with his wife, had just gotten off the streets and were living on the third floor of a house on the west side of Cleveland. John only had one arm and he and his wife had very little outside of the comfort of living indoors for the first time in while. When it was made clear to us that John was in need of some shoes, a group of us walked to the John Carroll van which was parked on the street. Even though it was snowing out, John walked barefoot with us to the street. And while he was probably well into his 50's, John exhibited the joy of a child on Christmas morning in anticipation of getting new shoes.

When some of the JCU students found shoes that would fit him in the van, he immediately sat down in the tree-lawn to put them. However, due to him having only one arm, he struggled in trying to put them on. Upon seeing this, a girl named Kaitlyn that was from our parish knelt down in front of him without hesitation. As Kaitlyn took his shoes and slid them on John's feet, I stood there in complete awe. For I think it was at that exact moment, I felt like I was witnessing what Jesus had done 2,000 years ago in that upper room. While she was not washing his feet, the parallels between what I was seeing and we read about in St. John's gospel left me in a near state of shock where I could barely even move because it was such a beautiful and powerful experiene. Kaitlyn, like Jesus Christ, completely humbled herself to kneel on the side of a busy street to help put shoes on this man whom she had only known for a short period of time. And while I can't speak on behalf of John, I can only assume that gift of the shoes he received pales in comparison to gift of love that was given that night.

So as we start this season of preparation leading up to celebration of Christ's birth, I hope you don't get too caught up in "Black Friday" deals or any of the other noise that comes during this time of year. Once you look beyond the lights, the bells, the trees, the cookies, the parties, and gifts, you will see a very humble God. A God who humbled Himself enough to come into this world as a tiny infant in a manger. He would grow up to be a teacher, a healer, and a redeemer. And just like how His life started, Jesus showed perfect humility in the the final hours of his life.

Kaitlyn, ten other teenagers, three other adults, and myself will partnering with the students who organize the Labre Project once again this evening. I don't know the names of who we will meet this time but I do know that in serving them, we will be serving our Lord. (Matthew 25: 40). Now that is better than any other deal you can find on Black Friday!

The Labre Prayer
Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, you gave up honor, money and home for love of Jesus. Help us to set our hearts on Jesus and not on the things of this world. You lived in obscurity among the poor in the streets. Enable us to see Jesus in our poor brothers and sisters and not judge by appearances. Make us realize that in helping them we are helping Jesus. Show us how to befriend them and not pass them by. Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, you had a great love for prayer. Obtain for us the grace of persevering prayer, especially adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, poor in the eyes of men but rich in the eyes of God, pray for us. Amen.

Five Questions with Fr. Joe

Drum roll please....

Here is the first instalment of "Five Questions with Fr. Joe." Thank you to those who have submitted a question and thanks to Fr. Joe Mamich for his responses. The subject matter covered vocations, the Bible, the forgiveness of sins, Saints, and Christ's message to the world. Enjoy!

1) What is a good, non-threatening way to talk to a young man or woman about their call to holy orders? Did anyone ever approach you when you were younger? How?
This is easy! Just approach the person. When I was younger, people did in fact approach me and say things such as “hey, have you ever thought of being a priest” or “as a teen, you seem to have an active faith life; have you ever thought about being a priest?” It might seem weird at first to approach someone and say something like this, but it’s worth a shot. Most of the priests that I know, mention being asked a question similar to that…and for others, one person’s question began a lifetime of priestly ministry!

2) How do we answer skeptics questions regarding the discrepancies in the Bible? (i.e. If the Bible is without error, why do the gospels at certain points conflict?)
As Catholics, we say that the Bible is true in matters of faith and morals. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the writers were kept free from error in these matters. As Catholics, we do not believe that the Bible is meant to be taken literally, as if it was a social studies book, but seen as a book of truths for faith and morals. As you mentioned, there are incidents within the four Gospels that offer differing accounts of the same event. One of the main reasons for this is because each one of the Evangelists were writing from his own perspective. In much the same way, if four people were to witness an accident; all four would have a different perspective on the same event.

3) In this day of age, it is very difficult to have a serious relationship without being intimate. The fact is morals in society have changed drastically. So can we be forgiven for having premarital sex?
I think we need to define what we mean by “being intimate”. Very commonly, this is used to refer to sexual relations, but “being intimate” really means much more. It’s about sharing one’s life, love, hopes, and dreams with another person. It’s not just about physical intimacy. While it seems to be true that society’s norms have changed, yet what Jesus asks and expects of us as Catholic-Christians has not. We are called to respect the dignity of ourselves and others by seeing physical intimacy as the outflow of the emotional intimacy that married couples are called to possess. In terms of being able to be forgiven for premarital sex; of course, we can. There is only one sin that cannot be forgiven…that is a sin against the Holy Spirit. Premarital sex is not that.

4) In the Apostles Creed we profess our belief in the "The Communion of Saints." What is, or who are, The Communion of Saints and why they such a big deal in the Catholic faith?
As you said the Communion of Saints is a big deal in the Catholic faith. This term refers to the “holy men and women of all places and times” (Opening Prayer from All Saints Day). These are the believers who have been faithful to Christ – both on earth and in heaven – that help to urge us on our own journey through life. As Catholics, we believe that Baptism brings a person into the body of Christ. As such, we join with this group of believers, or as we find in Hebrews, “this great cloud of witnesses”, that try each and every day to live out Christ’s commands to love God and our neighbor as he taught. Therefore, the Communion of Saints is somewhat like a team – in which all of us are teammates – striving towards one goal – unity with God forever in heaven.

5) Lots of people watch the Super Bowl. Not everyone reads the Bible. If Jesus had a commercial during the Super Bowl I bet he would tell us all something really important but he would have to be concise. If Jesus had a 30 second commercial during the Super Bowl, what would he say?

This is a really good question and a very applicable one to our lives. While it’s hard to imagine what Jesus would want to say, I believe it would be something very simple. He would probably invite those watching to “come and see” how he lives, what he does, and how he makes a difference in people’s life. Then, he’d probably encourage us to remember two things – love God above all things and your neighbor as yourself. And finally, end the commercial by saying, what you have seen…go…and do likewise…for this will secure your place in heaven! Something along those lines – simple yet when lived truly – so profound!

If you have questions for Fr. Joe, please send them to me at blog.of.daniel@gmail.com

A "Divine" Nudge

Some times God whispers to us. I have heard some people talk about experiencing gentle tugs on their heart strings that lead them to new chapter in their life and relationship with Christ. I can relate to that. God truly can be subtle.

Other times, he is not so subtle.

Two weeks ago, I had one of those experiences where I felt like screaming, "Okay God, I get it! I will do it."

It was two weeks ago that I was opening some mail, paying some bills, and just cleaning the top of our desk off when I found something. It was something I had seen before. It was a thin, cardboard CD case. The kind that free CD's or demo a CD for a garage band usually come in. But there was something much more timeless recorded on the CD within this case. This was a CD of The Rosary and The Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

For those of you not familiar with The Rosary or The Chaplet of Divine Mercy, they are what I guess one would consider to be more structured, or organized, prayers that are part of our Catholic faith. And if you knew anything about my prayer life up until two weeks ago, you would have known that it was anything but structured or organized. I am not sure if it was just because I was inexperienced with these beautiful prayers or perhaps intimidated by them, but the end result was I simply did not pray them on a regular basis. It wasn't my thing. I liked to "free-style" in my prayer time.

I thought to myself that maybe I should give it a shot. I had seen this CD around the house before and thought to myself that maybe it keeps popping up for a reason. I had heard wonderful stories about both The Rosary and The Chaplet of Divine Mercy. I should at least try to pray The Chaplet of Divine Mercy. After all, that is the shorter of the two. I can do that during my morning commute. No biggy. Just put the CD in the car and I will pray The Chaplet of Divine Mercy tomorrow morning.

The next day, October 5th, I drove to work and listened to a CD. The one I listened to, however, was a Best of The Counting Crows CD that I also recently found in my house. I figured I'd start that Chaplet of Divine Mercy some other day.

Then, at 9:04 a.m., my wife emailed me. She sent me a forward of a "Saint of the Day" email that automatically gets sent to her. She does this on occasion if it is saint that I have particular interest in or devotion to. The Saint of the day on that day was St. Faustina.

So who exactly is St. Faustina?

St. Faustina was born in Poland in 1905 and joined the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy 1925. Thirteen years later, on October 5th, 1938, Faustina died of tuberculosis. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000. That day was the 72nd anniversary of her death.

But here is the kicker... St. Faustina was the holy servant of God who gave us the Chaplet of Divine Mercy! In the years before her death, she had visions in which God's mercy was revealed. An inner voice taught her to pray The Caplet of Divine Mercy on Rosary beads and Jesus Christ said to her, "Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you. Anyone who says it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death."

Now some people might view the rediscovery of the CD with The Chaplet Divine on eve of the anniversary of St. Faustina's death as a coincidence. But as our Pastor, Fr. Walt, frequently reminds us, there no coincidences.

But, if you still think it was a coincidence, let me tell you about the email I received at 9:42 a.m. Just 38 minutes after that first email about St. Faustina I received one from my friend Amy. The subject line simply said, "Chaplet of Divine Mercy?" Amy had recently found out that a family member had passed away and she was emailing me and several other people to ask us to pray a Chaplet of Divine Mercy for her.

Within the hour, I was in my car and heading to a meeting about 25 minutes away. After finding that CD and receiving those emails all within a twelve hour span, I was pretty darn sure that God wanted me to pray the Chaplet. I put the CD in and prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy by myself for the first time in my life. On the way back from the meeting, I prayed it again. I have since began praying it during my drive in during the morning. The thing is, it only takes me about ten minutes to do so I have learned I have plenty enough time to pray The Rosary as well on my way into work.

I, like any novice, stumble with the words at times. I get distracted. My mind can wonder. But I keep praying. Every day I seem to get more drawn into these prayers. These are prayers that I feel the Holy Spirit grabbed me by the hand and led me to. For two weeks I have been walking into my office with different sense of peace, calmness, and trust in God for what the day might bring.

Maybe you don't know how to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy but you can click on this link and learn how. Maybe you don't have a CD to guide you on praying The Rosary or The Chaplet of Divine Mercy but here is link where you can order one for free. Maybe you did not receive two emails related to this Chaplet but you did read about it in a blog. Maybe all our souls can benefit a great deal if we allow ourselves to get out of our comfort zones as it relates to our prayer life. I think God gave me a good shove two weeks ago... let me give you a nudge.

Questions for reflection:

1) How is your prayer life?

2) Are you willing to get out of your comfort zone?

3) Have you recognized God calling to you to do something new?
4) In what ways have you maybe been deaf to His voice?
5) Are you willing to pray The Rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy just once a week?

Pray: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world.

St. Faustina, pray for us.

"Do you believe in miracles?!?!"

As the final seconds ticked away in the epic upset by the United States hockey team over Russia in 1980 Olympics, broadcaster Al Michaels asked, "Do you believe in miracles?" As the buzzer sounded and the crowd in Lake Placid, NY went crazy, Michaels answered his own seemingly rhetorical question by scream an impassioned, "YES!" into the microphone. The 4-3 upset of the number one seeded team in the tournament came just days after the Soviets beat the American squad 10-3. This was more than a game. The Cold War era upset gave Americans a shot of renewed national pride in the midst of challenging economic times. To many it was, and still is, perceived as a miracle.

This past weekend, I traveled to South Bend, Indiana to watch my beloved Notre Dame (which means "Our Lady" in French) Fighting Irish take on rival Michigan. The Wolverines of Michigan led 21-7 at half-time. Notre Dame, however, showed tremendous resolve in their second half comeback and scored 17 unanswered points to take a 24-21 lead late in the fourth quarter. Then Michigan answered with a drive that resulted in a touchdown. Notre Dame trailed 28-24 with 26 seconds remaining. I wondered to myself if Notre Dame might have one more miracle in store. Could the Irish some how eek out a victory? The game ended when quarterback Dayne Crist's last second pass soared over the hands of all his receivers standing in the end zone. The Michigan fans cheered and I felt that all to common agony of defeat. No miracle on this day.

Or so it seemed.

I quickly exited the stadium and began speed walking across campus. My destination, The Basilica of the Sacred Heart. It is a beautiful church that is a must see for any visitor of the campus. One half hour after every home football game, mass is celebrated in the Basilica but space is limited so you better move quick to get a seat. Fans dressed in green t-shirts and Fighting Irish jerseys fill the pews. Dads in sweatshirts hold their daughters who are wearing ND cheerleading outfits and have shamrocks painted on their faces. Heck, they even let more than a few Michigan fans in! It is a site to be seen for sure.

The mass was done wonderfully and the University choir provided angelic music just like every other time I have been there. The priest spoke on the gospel which was the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15: 11-32). Then during the presentation of the gifts, two University of Michigan fans brought forth ordinary bread and wine which soon after became our spiritual food and drink; the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Thinking about those Michigan fans who I never met and maybe never will, while receiving the Eucharist (one bread), made me really think that we truly are "one body." Also, every time we attend mass and receive the Eucharist, we are part of the miracle which Pope John Paul II called "the source and summit of our faith."

Jesus was all about miracles. His whole life was miraculous. Do you know anyone else born of virgin and in their dying just happen to destroy death? He turned water into wine, made the blind see, walked on water, calmed a storm, made the dead come back to life and did so much more.

After mass, I went to pray at the Grotto which is right behind the Basilica. If you ever saw the movie "Rudy," this is the place Rudy lit candles and prayed that he would be admitted into Notre Dame.

What many people don't know is that the Grotto is actually a replica of the Grotto in Lourdes, France. That brings me to my next point on miracles. Here is what you need to know about Lourdes:

On February 11, 1858, the first of a series of heavenly apparitions appeared to a poor, illiterate fourteen year-old girl, Bernadette Soubirous, in a Grotto cave on the outskirts of the small town of Lourdes. During the apparitions, Bernadette was asked by Mary to "pray for sinners" and instructed to dig in the ground for a spring of water, "to drink and wash of it," to go tell the priests "to build a chapel" and to "have the people come in procession." On March 25, at the request of the local pastor, the apparition identified herself to Bernadette saying, "I am the Immaculate Conception," the then recent Marian Dogma proclaimed by the Church in 1854. This was a Dogma that a girl like Bernadette would not have had knowledge of at that point in time. Physical miracles began to take place from the water and the apparitions drew crowds of thousands who prayed the rosary with Bernadette.

Lourdes has continued to be a place of pilgrimage for the faithful. Hundreds of thousands of people go there each year and the physical miracles continue to take place. These are miracles that doctors and scientist have tried to rationalize but can not give an explanation other than divine intervention has taken place.

This short video explains more about the Marian apparitions, the life of now Saint Bernadette, and the miracles of Lourdes.

The story of St. Bernadette and the miracles that have taken place at Lourdes might leave many of us longing for an explanation. However, I think it should leave us searching for an increase of faith. For as St. Thomas Aquinas said, "For those with faith, no explanation is necessary. For those without faith, no explanation is possible."

You should know that as I knelt in front of Grotto, I prayed for you. I prayed to God that the readers of this blog should have their faith grow and grow. I prayed that you may recognize the miracles happening every day in your life. And lastly, I thanked God for the miracle that you are.

And to answer Al Michaels, yes, I believe too.