Pause + Pray

Maria the Merciful

hands with forgive note

Reflect

St. Maria Goretti’s life was short but her legacy looms over the Church and its people. She forgave her killer before she drew her last breath. Could you be so forgiving?


Pray

God of martyrs,
Maria Goretti only made it to age 11,
but she showed grace and grit beyond her age.
On her deathbed, she forgave the man
who attacked her,
and wished to see him in paradise.
Let me model a fraction of that mercy.
Let me pray for those who wrong me–
and that our paths cross again
in the sweet hereafter.
Forgiveness and mercy are our reward,
God, and let it begin with me.
Amen.


Act

The saints were flawed—like us! But they reflected God’s grace in ways that we can emulate. Think of Maria the next time you are quick to anger or slow to forgive.


Light of Assisi: The Story of Saint Clare
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Includes Saint of the Day, Minute Meditations, and Pause + Pray.