July 1941. Auschwitz. A prisoner escapes. In retribution, the Nazis condemn ten prisoners to death. At roll call, they announce the names of the persons who they will send to their deaths. One of the ten sentenced to death, Francis Gajowniczek, cries out that he has a wife and children. Another inmate there at roll call, a Franciscan priest named Maximilian Kolbe, steps forward and says he would like to take the place of Gajowniczek.
The Nazis agreed to the switch. Kolbe and the other nine were subjected to forced starvation. Despite dehydration and starvation, after two weeks Kolbe still had not died. Kolbe was executed by a lethal injection on August 14, 1941.
Gajowniczek later described how he could only thank Kolbe with his eyes. He added that it was the first and the last time such an occurrence transpired at Auschwitz.
Beauty and warmth and compassion can spring forth in the midst of horror and atrocities. Kindness can be shown when brutality is all around us. Love can be offered in reply to hate.
Often we cannot control what happens to us. However, we can always choose how we respond. When we are convinced that our freedom has been taken away from us, we can realize that we still have the free will that God has given to us because He loves us so much. When we ask in disbelief and misunderstanding how God can allow such pain and suffering in the world, we can realize that God loves us so much that He gives us our free will. God loves us so much that He will not force us. God loves us so much that He lets us make our own decisions.
Today as we celebrate the feast day of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, we can be led through the remembrance of the bravery of this saint to carefully consider our own choices. We might never be given the chance to sacrifice ourselves courageously by physically dying for someone else. However, in every fleeting moment of time, we can decide to die to ourselves so we can live for our neighbor in little ways. Over and over again, we can put our neighbor before ourselves as we perform little acts of love for others, as Saint Therese of Lisieux did in her little way. In every little action we do, we can decide to give away our lives for our neighbor, and thus save the life of our neighbor. In each and every moment, we can choose to love our neighbor as ourselves,* as Jesus taught us to do.
* Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14
The Nazis agreed to the switch. Kolbe and the other nine were subjected to forced starvation. Despite dehydration and starvation, after two weeks Kolbe still had not died. Kolbe was executed by a lethal injection on August 14, 1941.
Gajowniczek later described how he could only thank Kolbe with his eyes. He added that it was the first and the last time such an occurrence transpired at Auschwitz.
Beauty and warmth and compassion can spring forth in the midst of horror and atrocities. Kindness can be shown when brutality is all around us. Love can be offered in reply to hate.
Often we cannot control what happens to us. However, we can always choose how we respond. When we are convinced that our freedom has been taken away from us, we can realize that we still have the free will that God has given to us because He loves us so much. When we ask in disbelief and misunderstanding how God can allow such pain and suffering in the world, we can realize that God loves us so much that He gives us our free will. God loves us so much that He will not force us. God loves us so much that He lets us make our own decisions.
Today as we celebrate the feast day of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, we can be led through the remembrance of the bravery of this saint to carefully consider our own choices. We might never be given the chance to sacrifice ourselves courageously by physically dying for someone else. However, in every fleeting moment of time, we can decide to die to ourselves so we can live for our neighbor in little ways. Over and over again, we can put our neighbor before ourselves as we perform little acts of love for others, as Saint Therese of Lisieux did in her little way. In every little action we do, we can decide to give away our lives for our neighbor, and thus save the life of our neighbor. In each and every moment, we can choose to love our neighbor as ourselves,* as Jesus taught us to do.
* Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14
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