I’ve been thinking lately about the mother of Maria Goretti. The hagiography says Maria’s mother was haunted by the fact that she’d left her daughter alone with the man for the rest of her life. In her death, Maria Goretti appears to her assailant in a dream, hands him lilies that burn the moment they touch his hands. A Jesuit friend of mine once told me that “Forgiveness is a miracle you can work.” I can’t change water into wine like Jesus, or walk on water like Jesus, but I can forgive. Correction: An email version of this reflection incorrectly stated that the disciple John was not with Jesus at the time of his crucifixion.