Testimonies of Maria Goretti’s intercession

Fr. Carlos Martins was approached by an 18-year old young man with cancer. He had discovered he had cancer because the bone in his leg broke while he was standing. The doctors discovered the cancer had “eaten” too much of the bone and the leg couldn’t be saved. He was scheduled for an amputation several days later. 3 days prior to the surgery, the young man went to see Fr. Martins asking if he knew of a saint that could help him. Fr. Martins, recalling the miracle on that construction worked in Italy, recommended Maria Goretti. She accomplished so much good because she gave Jesus exactly what he wanted, rather than negotiating with Him. Fr. Martins suggested the young man make an act of forgiveness to anyone that had ever hurt him. He revealed that he had been hurt by a certain individual over several years and was still experiencing the effects of that hurt. Fr. Martins proposed he make an act of forgiveness towards everything he had experienced at the hands of that individual. Not because he deserved forgiveness, but so that God could do something beautiful in his life and in the life of the person that hurt him, just as he did in Maria Goretti and her murder’s life. He did. Fr. Martins then advised him to forgive himself for everything he ever did for which he held himself content or disdain, and he had a more difficult time doing this. If we can’t forgive ourselves, we can’t receive God’s grace because we would be denying someone the mercy, He wants us to give. He agreed and made an act of forgiveness. Fr. Martins took Maria Goretti’s relic, placed it on his leg, and said a prayer asking God to heal his leg through the intercession of St. Maria Goretti. 3 days later, he went to the hospital for the scheduled amputation, and the doctors found no cancer and no broken bone. His leg was completely healed. All because Maria Goretti chose to forgive.