Saint Margaret of Cortona, 1247–1297
February 22

As a young girl, Saint Margaret wanted to do whatever she liked, even if it was wrong or sinful. She ran away from home and lived a very bad life for many years. Then one day, one of her closest friends was murdered. This so shocked Saint Margaret that she confessed her sins and immediately changed her life. She lived with the nuns at a convent, although she didn’t become a nun, and she worked with the sick and poor. Saint Margaret had a dog that she loved so much that when she died, a statue of her dog was put on her tomb.

Discuss: When you do something wrong, do you tell God that you are sorry?

Activity
Forgiveness
Interpersonal

Have the child get a better understanding of forgiveness by analyzing their own request for forgiveness.

• Have the child think of and write down an apology they have given to someone and they meant the apology sincerely.
• Have them write down what they expected to receive from the person they apologized to: forgiveness, or refusal.
• Next, have them write down a time someone apologized sincerely to them. Have them recall whether they forgave or refused.
• Discuss with the child how God forgives us of our sins when we ask. He doesn’t withhold forgiveness and he loves us unconditionally.
• Have them reconsider times they have refused an apology. Remind them that we must forgive as God forgives us.