St Maximilian Mary Kolbe
Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe. St. Maximilian would say “I prayed very hard to Our Lady to tell me what would happen to me. She appeared, holding in her hands two crowns, one white, one red. She asked if I would like to have them—one was for purity, the other for martyrdom. I said, ‘I choose both.’ She smiled and disappeared.” After that he was not the same.
St. Maximilian had joined the minor seminary of the Conventual Franciscans which was located in Lvív then later in Poland, and now it is in Ukraine which is very close to his birthplace, and at the age of 16 he became a novice. Though St. Maximilian was able to later achieve doctorates in both philosophy and theology, he was deeply interested in science, and he had even drew plans for rocket ships.
At the young age of 24, St. Maximilian was ordained and he was able to witness religious indifference which was the deadliest poison of the day. His mission was to be able to combat it. He had already founded the Militia of the Immaculata, and their goal was to fight evil with the witness of the good life, through prayer, work, and suffering. He was able to dream of and then he was able to found the Knight of the Immaculata, which was a religious magazine under Mary’s protection to preach the Good News to all nations. Both the Militia and the magazine ultimately reached the one million mark in both members and subscribers. His love of God was filtered daily through a very special devotion to Mary.
During the year 1939, the Nazis had overran Poland with deadly speed. Niepokalanow was severely bombed. St. Maximilian and his friars were arrested, then they were released in less than three months, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
During the year 1941, St. Maximilian was actually arrested again. The Nazis’ purpose was to liquidate the leaders. The end had came very quickly, three months later in Auschwitz, after many terrible beatings and humiliations.
After a prisoner had escaped. The commandant had announced that 10 men would have to die.
As they had been marched away to the starvation bunkers, Number 16670 dared to step from the line.
“I would like to take that man’s place. He has a wife and children.”
“Who are you?”
“A priest.”
During this time no name was known, it was just straight silence. The commandant, had kicked Sergeant Francis Gajowniczek out of line and ordered this man who no one knew at the time to go with the nine. In the “block of death” they were all ordered to strip naked, and their slow starvation began in the darkness. However, there was no screaming and the prisoners sang. By the eve of the Assumption, four of the prisoners were left alive. The jailer came to finish St. Maximilian off as he sat in a corner praying. He had lifted his fleshless arm in order to receive the bite of the hypodermic needle. It was filled with carbolic acid. They had burned St. Maximilian’s body with all the others.
St. Maximilian was later beatified during the year 1971 and canonized during the year 1982. St. Maximilian is the patron saint of addicts and those who are recovering from an addiction.
Prayer to St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe
St. Maximilian help us to remain calm and at peace during difficult or stressful moments. Pray for us so that we may be able to help others remain calm and help us to guide them to Christ.
Amen
St. Maximilian pray for us
St. Joseph pray for us
May we continue to strengthen our journey to sainthood and keep others in our prayers.
Works cited
Information (read from, not taken):
Franciscan media. “Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe. ”Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe | Franciscan Media. Accessed August 14, 2021.
Images:
Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe. August 14, 2021. Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe - Google Search.