Today, the Church celebrates the liturgical memorial of Saint Maximillian Kolbe, a Polish-born priest, a Conventual Franciscan who was imprisoned and died in the German death camp at Auschwitz during the second World War.
The gospel passage appointed for today's liturgical celebration focuses on the words of Jesus: ... love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends (Jn 15:12-13). The life of Saint Maximillian helps us to understand these words more clearly. At a time in history when people were being persecuted for their belief in God, he promoted the veneration of the Immaculate Virgin Mary and founded a monastery in Warsaw. At a time in history when intellectuals were being suppressed, he operated an amateur radio station which he used to spread the gospel.
At this moment in history, we too face challenges if we aim to follow the advice that was outlined by Jesus: a call to love one another as he has loved us ... willingly, radically and unreservedly. Not all of us are called to lay down our lives for others, but all of us are called to love. If Jesus could love us to the point of giving his life for us, and if saints like Maximillian have shown us that it is possible to follow Jesus' example, to what point would we be willing to go in order to live our faith?
Have a great day.
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