Daily Reflection Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr

“Herr kommandant, I wish to make a request, please,” stated Father Maximilian Kolbe.

    “What does the Polish swine want?” asked the Nazi officer. The scene is Auschwitz, 1941. The Nazi commander has just designated ten men for execution as revenge for the escape of a prisoner from their cell block.

    Kolbe pointed at Francis Gajowiniczek, one of the prisoners to be executed,  and answered, “I am a Polish Catholic priest. I am old. I want to take his place because he has a wife and children.”

    “Out!” shouted the officer, who traded the priest for the married man. (1)

    When we continue with the biography of Maximilian Kolbe, we hear of the torturous sufferings that he experienced until his death.  Prior to this episode  Father Kolbe had spent his life deepening his own love relationship with God through prayer and extensively living the beatitudes and works of mercy.  In a similar vein, both our Scripture readings today witness to God’s desire of unity among the people. Jesus and Ezekiel describe how the tension between death and life, evil and virtue, loss and new hope exist together. In today’s gospel, Jesus brings us a new form of judgment that begins with forgiveness. He treats the Gentiles and tax collectors with mercy.

    We may not be called to a life of torturous physical and mental suffering; however, we are called to value ourselves and each person without judgment but with understanding and forgiveness. Now, that is a tough call—if we try to achieve this way of living on our own! Father Kolbe could not have had the tremendous courage to offer his life for someone else if he had not followed the love and example of Jesus’ sacrificing his life for all of us.

      Let’s spend some time today marinating in the words of the two Scripture readings, as well as the generosity of Father Kolbe. In our own day, not only have we been experiencing the ferocity of nature, we are also inundated with political rantings and continual wars. We need community! We need church! Let us imbibe the understanding and tolerance that both Jesus and Father Kolbe have shown us.

 Voice of the Saints by Bert Ghezzi