When Jesus arrived at the official’s house
and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion,
he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.”
And they ridiculed him.
When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand,
and the little girl arose.
And news of this spread throughout all that land.
Today the Church recalls the brutal death of Saint Maria Goretti as we hear the story of Jesus reviving a girl of about the same age. Both were loved intensely by their parents; both received the loving attention of Our Savior. The official's daughter was restored to her parents; Maria Goretti was delivered into heaven and is venerated as a martyr for her fidelity.
Despite the recognition the Church has given to the Italian girl, the abuse and exploitation of young women continued and worsened since her death. The world celebrates and detests innocence; they are regarded as accomplices to their own human sacrifice.
On a Sunday morning I once became so incensed about this issue, I spoke to an enlightened congregation -- they recognized gay marriage long before the Supreme Court did -- of these victims as "the world's "n______s." I was upset about the flagrant exploitation of adolescent girls on the sides of city buses. The vulnerability of their faces and posture invited violence. These children were obviously slaves sold by their parents to the modeling industry. The pastor told me never to return. I am not sure if they objected to my teaching or my metaphor.
It's clear to me that women young and old are still viewed as fair game in the sexualized marketplace of our world. They readily dismiss the murder of our Italian Saint and our veneration.
