+ St. Maximilian Kolbe was
born in 1894 in Poland. There he entered the order of the
Franciscans, and while Europe was calling for a second world war, Maximilian
had an intense apostolic missionary interest in Europe and Asia. When he was
ill with tuberculosis, he gave life to the “Knight of the Immaculate
Conception” a magazine that in ten years sold millions of copies. He also
founded the Immaculata Movement which
gathered 800 members.
In 1941 Maximilian was
deported to Auschwitz. While there he was given work that was meant to
humiliate him: transporting corpses to the crematorium. In this extermination
camp Kolbe offered his life as a priest in exchange for that of a father, and
fellow prisoner. He died saying the “Hail Mary,” August 14, 1941 at the age of
47. His ashes were mixed together with those of many other prisoners in the
crematorium, so ending the earthly life of one of the most beautiful figures of
the Franciscans of the Polish Church. His remarkable martyrdom opened the way
for his beatification, which took place October 17, 1971 by Pope Paul VI, and
his canonization October 10, 1982 by Pope St. John Paul II, his countryman.
John Paul II called him “the patron saint of our difficult century.” His figure
stands at the crossroads of the emerging problems of our time: hunger, world
peace, reconciliation and the need to give meaning to life and death.
In the gospel passage today,
Jesus tells his disciples to go out, and as his true friends, to proclaim the
Gospel of love, in every kind of situation and circumstance – and to bear fruit that will last forever.
The fruit of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe’s life and work surely endures and is a
beacon of light and hope for all those faced with difficult situations in life!
There
is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends!
St. Maximilian Kolbe we honor
you and ask your intercession on this your day!
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment