Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
The six verses from Matthew, chapter 18, offer an essential lesson for all of us in how to live our lives in relationship to others. The first five verses are clear; we can all read and understand the message.
Today, I wish to focus on verse 20, the last of the six verses, because we are celebrating the Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish Catholic priest and Conventual Franciscan friar who volunteered to die in place of a man named Franciszek Gajowniczek in the German death camp of Auschwitz, located in German-occupied Poland during World War II.
After volunteering to take the place of a stranger who had a wife and children, Maximilian was placed in a very small underground cell with nine others left to starve to death. It is said that Father Kolbe would lead the men in prayer and singing hymns while standing or kneeling in the middle of them while the others reclined on the floor. After two weeks, most of the men had died due to dehydration and starvation. Father Kolbe and the few remaining prisoners of the cell were executed with lethal injection. Those present reported that he calmly accepted death. On two separate pilgrimages, I have had the sobering experience of praying with Father George Dunne SSS and our pilgrims in this cell that Saint Maximilian Kolbe occupied, and yes, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
Father Kolbe died at the age of 47 on August 14, 1941, and was canonized by Pope John Paul II, who also lived through the German occupation of Poland. Franciszek Gajowniczek was present at the canonization of Father Maximilian Kolbe in 1982.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, as I approach today, let me be aware of those who are suffering in unsafe situations, war-torn countries, children, and the elderly who are hungry. I will reflect on the sacrifice of St. Maximilian Kolbe and his great faith. Today, help me make a difference in the life of a person who needs assistance with the gifts I can provide through You. Amen.
