St. Maria Goretti's Feast Day

Since today is my daughter's saint day, St. Maria Goretti, I thought I'd post her story for those of you who may not have heard of her. This comes from CNA (Catholic News Agency):

Monday marks the feast day of St. Maria Goretti, a young virgin and martyr whose life is an example of purity and mercy for all Christians.

Maria Goretti is best known for her commitment to purity and the courageous defense of her faith at the young age of eleven that made her willing to undergo death rather than participate in a sin against God. She is also remarkable for the forgiveness she willingly granted her attacker as she lay on her deathbed.

Maria was born in Corinaldo, Italy on October 16, 1890. Her father, a farmer, died of malaria when she was young, and her mother had to work to support their six children.

Maria took care of the younger children while her mother worked, and she prayed the Rosary every night for the repose of her father’s soul. She grew in grace and maturity, and her cheerful obedience and piety were noticed by those around her.

On July 5, 1902, a neighboring farm hand, Alessandro Serenelli, tried to rape Maria. On several prior occasions, Alessandro had harassed Maria with impure advances, all of which she has vehemently rejected. This time, he locked her in a room and tried to force himself upon her. She fought against him, shouting, "No! It is a sin! God does not want it!" and warning him that this was the path towards hell. When Maria declared that she would rather die than submit to this sin, Alessandro angrily grabbed her and stabbed her 14 times with a knife.

Maria was found bleeding to death and rushed to the hospital. As she lay dying, she forgave Alessandro for the crime he had committed against her, saying, "Yes, for the love of Jesus I forgive him...and I want him to be with me in Paradise."

Although the doctors tried to save her, she died two agonizing days later, only eleven years old.

Alessandro was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He remained unrepentant until one night, eight years into his prison term, when Maria appeared to him, dressed in white, gathering lilies in a garden. She smiled, turned towards Alessandro, and offered him the flowers. Each lily he took transformed into a white flame. Then Maria disappeared.

From that moment, Alessandro converted and found peace. He repented of his crime and changed his life. He was released from prison three years early and begged forgiveness from Maria’s mother, which she duly granted.

Alessandro moved to a Capuchin monastery, working in the garden as a tertiary for the remainder of his life. He was one of the witnesses who testified to Maria's holiness during her cause of beatification, citing the crime and the vision in prison.

Many miracles were attributed to Maria Goretti after her death. In 1950, she was canonized by Pope Pius XII, becoming the youngest Roman Catholic saint officially recognized by name. Her feast day is celebrated by the Church on July 6, and she is the patron saint of purity, rape victims, young women, and youth in general.

On her feast day in 2003, Pope John Paul II spoke about St. Maria Goretti at his Sunday Angelus, noting that her life provides an exemplary witness of what it means to be "pure of heart."

"What does this fragile but christianly mature girl say to today's young people, through her life and above all through her heroic death?" asked the Pope.

"Marietta, as she was lovingly called, reminds the youth of the third millennium that true happiness demands courage and a spirit of sacrifice, refusing every compromise with evil and having the disposition to pay personally, even with death, faithful to God and his commandments."

"How timely this message is," the Holy Father continued. "Today, pleasure, selfishness and directly immoral actions are often exalted in the name of the false ideals of liberty and happiness. It is essential to reaffirm clearly that purity of heart and of body go together, because chastity ‘is the custodian’ of authentic love."

For ideas on how to celebrate your child's saint day, click here.

Drinking from Hoses Can Be Hazardous

Here is another thing to add to the long list of household dangers--garden hoses. Yes--the simple everyday garden hose hooked up to the sprinkler, or used to fill up the inflatable pool can be hazardous.

We learned of this today after doing some research into buying a new, cheap hose for the backyard. It seemed every site we read had a warning about not drinking from the hose because of lead contamination. Lead! In hoses?

Lead poisoning, even when there are no immediate symptoms of illness, can cause irreversible brain damage and a lowering of IQ.

Apparently, a form of PVC is often used to strenghten hoses, but PVC leaches lead when exposed to sunlight (which is why the PVC pipes underground in the dark are not a hazard). The lead levels in stagnant garden hose water can be up to 100 times or MORE the maximum for potable water. Yikes!

Many companies are now making hoses that are supposed to be "drinking safe". If you do not know whether or not your hose is safe, do NOT let your kids drink from it or refill their water bottles. If you buy a new hose, search the package for warning labels--many brands have a warning in fine print to not drink from the hose, others claim to be drinking safe--made with no lead or leach-free lead.

These "drinking safe" hoses do seem to be a bit pricier, $30+, but will be money well spent for peace of mind and healthy kids.

Eucharistic Miracles, Part 2: Bolsena-Orvieto

"In 1263 a German priest, Peter of Prague, stopped at Bolsena while on a pilgrimage to Rome. He is described as being a pious priest, but one who found it difficult to believe that Christ was actually present in the consecrated Host. While celebrating Holy Mass above the tomb of St. Christina (located in the church named for this martyr), he had barely spoken the words of Consecration when blood started to seep from the consecrated Host and trickle over his hands onto the altar and the corporal.

The priest was immediately confused. At first he attempted to hide the blood, but then he interrupted the Mass and asked to be taken to the neighboring city of Orvieto, the city where Pope Ur ban IV was then residing..."

To read the rest, click here (www.realpresnece.org).

Kraft First Taste

If you are not already a member, Kraft First Taste is a great free program to join. Kraft sends its First Taste members coupons for FREE Kraft products, and often additional coupons to share with your friends/family as well. The products are usually items that are new to the market, so trying them out for FREE is a great way to see if your family enjoys them.

So far, I've gotten a whole box of Chex Mix Snack Bars (yummy!), coupons for free Jello Pudding Singles packets, DiGiorno Flatbread Pizza, Deli Creations Sandwich Kit, Velveeta Shells and Cheese Singles, and some other coupons for free items (can't remember them all!).

Again--it's free to sign up, you won't get a ton of emails from them, and you get FREE food. Pretty sweet!

Helpful Hints of the Week

It's time for another weekly installment of Helpful Hints of the Week!

(Click here to read last week's hints.)

-Soothe a beesting by spreading a thick paste of baking soda and water over the reddened skin (from Heloise).

-Get rid of grease stains on clothing by rubbing the spots with liquid dish soap, then tossing into the wash like usual. The dish soap is very effective at degreasing, and has removed set-in spots that were still visible after repeated washings and pretreating with our usual stain remover.

-Freshen up your disposal (or any sink) by sprinkling a couple of tablespoons of baking soda into the drain, followed by a big splash of vinegar. The reaction of the 2 will foam and bubble (hmm...reminds me of 6th grade science fair...) and clean out the stinky "gunk".

-Keep your trashcan smelling fresh by sprinkling baking soda or cat litter on the bottom of the can before you replace the bag. Change as needed.

Jokes That Can Be Told In Church

Got this in my Email...

Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, 'Why is the bride dressed in white?'' The mother replied, 'Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life.' The child thought about this for a moment then said, 'So why is the groom wearing black?

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Bible class. As she ran she prayed, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!' While she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again! As she ran she once again began to pray, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late...but please don't shove me either!'

An elderly woman died last month. Having never married , she requested no male pallbearers. In her handwritten instructions for her memorial service, she wrote, 'They wouldn't take me out while I was alive, I don't want them to take me out when I'm dead.'

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to 'Honor thy father and thy mother,' she asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?' Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, 'Thou shall not kill.'

At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs. Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and she said, 'Johnny, what is the matter?' Little Johnny responded, 'I have pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife.'