martyr of charity: St. Maximilian Kolbe

If you go to Mass on August 14, you either go in the evening, for the Vigil Mass for the feast of the Assumption, or in the morning, for the feast of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe (or maybe you attend both!). And if you go in the morning, you generally have a reason - you're either a daily Mass-goer - or you have a connection to St. Maximilian.

I took St. Maximilian's name at my confirmation. Yes, I am a girl, and yes, I took a male saint's name at Confirmation - no, it's not a big deal. In any case, when I was still in school, I found August 14 to be a bit of a frustrating day, Mass-wise. I always wanted to attend Mass on his feast day, but... well... being at school in the morning kind of tended to interfere with such things. These days, things are more flexible, and it's usually a bit easier to make it to Mass in the morning on August 14. Today, however... wasn't one of those days... I got stuck in a meeting and sadly, didn't escape its clutches quickly enough to get to Mass.

St. Maximilian Kolbe. As a child, Mary appeared to him and offered him two crowns: one white, symbolizing purity, the other red, symbolizing martyrdom. He accepted both. He went on to become a Franciscan priest (giving up his baptismal name, Raymond, for his religious name, Maximilian Maria), and later, a Holocaust martyr. St. Maximilian was Polish, and during WWII, he offered refuge to fellow Poles fleeing Nazi persecution - including 2000 Jews, whom he hid in his monastery. Eventually, the Nazis arrested him and his fellow Franciscans, and he was taken to Auschwitz. St. Maximilian died there on August 14, 1941 - having offered his life in the place of a husband and father - and having spent the final two weeks of his life suffering in a starvation bunker, where he helped to calm his fellow prisoners, leading them in prayer, and helping them prepare for their imminent deaths. At St. Maximilian's canonization in October 1982, Blessed Pope John Paul II named him a "martyr of charity" for his sacrifice.

Peace, courage, steadfast faith, and love, even in the face of terrible persecution - incredible storms. Would that we might have even a fraction of St. Maximilian's heroic virtue. I chose St. Maximilian as my Confirmation saint eleven years ago because I admired his martyrdom, and his love of Christ. Today, I not only admire his martyrdom and his love of Christ, but what it took for him to get to that martyrdom - his love of Christ, manifested in incredible love for Christ's people - incredible courage to endure such suffering - undying peace and faith in bearing all of it. Incredible response to incredible grace. Yes, would that we might have even a fraction of this martyr's virtue.

"For Jesus Christ I am prepared to suffer still more." - St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe

+St. Maximilian, pray for us!