Welcome to our daily rosary meditation. Let's begin in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen. Let's call to mind all those we've promised to pray for.

Today is the feast of St. Maria Gretti. Born in 1890, her father died from malaria when she was just nine years old.

And two years later, on July 5, 1902, 11-year-old Maria was sitting on the outside steps of her home,

sewing and watching her younger sister Teresa,

while her mother worked in the nearby fields.

At the same time, 20-year-old Alessandro Serinelli was threshing beans in the barn yard nearby.

Knowing Maria would be alone, he returned to the house and made sexual advances toward her, which she rejected.

Then Alessandro threatened to stab her if she would not give in, but she would not,

protesting that what he wanted to do was a mortal sin

and warning him that he would go to hell.

He attacked her and she fought desperately and kept screaming,

No, it's a sin, God does not want it.

And he stabbed her 14 times before running away.

Alerted by the noise, her mother rushed from the field and found Maria bleeding and took

her to the hospital, but her injuries were too severe.

The following day 24 hours after the attack having expressed forgiveness for Alessandro and stating that she wanted to have him in

heaven with her if she died of her injuries. This young woman, not yet 12 years old, had great power, the power to resist

evil, even at the price of her life.

Our father who are in heaven, hallow it would be her name,

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us a stay our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against

...