Memorial of Saint
Maxilimilian Kolbe, priest and martyr
(Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Matthew 18:15-20)
Like the great Moses, St. Maximilian Kolbe stands as
person of great accomplishments. He was an
intellectual, a foreign missionary, and a martyr. Over time he has been criticized for his zeal. However, his defenders have adequately shown
that his critique of Freemasonry as being inspired by anti-Semitism is
exaggerated. Maximilian harbored 2,000 Jews
in the monastery he founded during the Nazi persecution. Furthermore, his polemic was not against the
Jewish faith or the Jewish people but the leaders of the Zionist movement.
Kolbe died offering his life as a sacrifice to God for others. Imprisoned at Auschwitz, he volunteered
himself in place of another inmate. The
Nazis were seeking retribution for a prisoner’s escape and then arbitrarily chose
ten men to be starved. Kolbe replaced one of the men who had a family
to care for.
In today’s gospel Jesus exhorts his disciples to forgive
one another. He seems to imply that the
one who gave offense should ask for forgiveness. If he or she does not, Jesus would have disciples
pray for the offender out of love. In
this way they will be disposed to forgive as is their duty. Maximilian Kolbe’s self-sacrifice in love
indicates a supreme desire to reconcile with those he criticized. We do not have to doubt his sanctity.
