Wednesday, August 14, 2019

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.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kobe, priest and martyr

(Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Matthew 8:15-20)

St. Maximilian Kobe’s martyrdom has been contested.  It has been said that he did not die in defense of his faith but for his generosity.  The facts of his case are that he substituted himself for a fellow prisoner in a concentration camp whom the Nazis arbitrarily chose for execution when another prisoner escaped.  However, it must be remembered that martyrdom means witnessing one’s faith which St. Maximilian’s heroic act of love did.

In the gospel Jesus instructs his disciples on how to give further testimonies to faith.  He says that when wronged, a disciple is to be direct and discreet.  He or she is to go to the one who gave offense, make the charge to the person, and hopefully receive an apology so that forgiveness may be extended.  If there is doubt about the facts of the case, the offended party is to bring a few witnesses to testify to what happened.  Jesus in no way recommends mass denunciation much less retaliation.  Christian witness always does what is truly loving.

Love never ignores the truth but seeks the true benefit of others.  Sometimes it demands that we take a stand that may be inconvenient or even more costly.  We do it out of solidarity with the Lord Jesus.