St Maximilian Kolbe. Day 5.

 Reading on the life of St Maximilian Kolbe has me utterly in awe of his determination to work for the Kingdom of Heaven, regardless of the danger he put himself in on earth.

He entrusted his life to the guidance of Mary. 

 He was arrested for his writing and printing, however let go by Nazi's only three months later. Not only did he persevere with Holy Fortitude, he went on to use his monastery in Niepokalanow as a hiding place for over 3,000 Polish people, half of them Polish Jews. 

Nazi leaflet propaganda: "Whoever bears this sign is an enemy of our people."

Looking down for being a target. The ladies emotions speak volumes in her veil of embarrassment, and anger for being labeled with a tag like an item in a shop.

Poland was the very first country in Europe to have people identify themselves as Jews. The law was created, and it was legal to have them strap a band around their arm to identify who they were. Special arm band shops sprang up to make good quality arm bands to last. It is insane to think of this. The Museum of Holocaust Badges has a collection of yellow stars that Jews wore to identify themselves. The law in September 1939 stated that all Jews ages 10 and over had to identify their status by wearing the yellow star.

Each person here was made in the image and likeness of God and to love Him and each other. It is tragic the men as Nazi's followed the political laws and not the law of God. 

 Eventually, even small children had to identify their status with a yellow star. They were first denied entry into stores, then moved into ghettos and only given food by the Nazi's, and finally taken in the most inhumane way possible to concentration camps to work, become medical experiments and be killed.

St Maximilian Kolbe saw what was happening in his beloved country and he opened the doors of his monastery wide to hide precious children of God. He knew that each person, regardless of their race and status, was made in the image and likeness of God and that was something he was willing to risk his earthly life for. 

Today I would like to pray for people in positions of power to see life as sacred. 

Day 5 - For Political Leaders

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. St Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us and intercede for us.

Lord have mercy,

Christ have mercy,

Lord have mercy,

Christ hear us,

Christ graciously hear us. 

God the Father in Heaven,

Have mercy on us,

God the Son, Redeemer of the World, 

Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity one God, 

Have mercy on us. 

St Maximilian Kolbe intercede for us. Today I pray for political leaders in the world, for them to see each persons unique beauty in the way God created them. I pray for the healing of each political leader: for them to heal from the wounds they received at birth from any emotion from their mom or dad that clung to them and made them feel that their life was not wanted. I pray for intercession for healing in the minds and memories of political leaders who heard and saw things in their infancy and childhood that made them think that people could be a burden, an object or simply trash. I pray for healing in the minds of political leaders from any strains of racism, classism and desire that all cultures and peoples be the same. I pray for conversion of all political leaders, for them to have an encounter with Mary when she appeared in their continent and to see that they have an eternal divine Mother, one who will be perfect in a way their mother let them down. Through the healing of political leaders, I pray for intercession for humanity: that political leaders see the divine image of Jesus and the Creator Himself imprinted in each human from conception till death. May they never make laws that isolate humans, categorize them into sub-human levels and strip them of their dignity. St. Maximilian Kolbe. I pray for strength and courage, joy and hope in political leaders to not be afraid to stand alone but to stand for the dignity of the person. May the motto "for the common good" not defile the sacredness of humanity in creating laws that are so twisted that generations will suffer. I pray for conversion, for healing, and for courage, please intercede.  

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, a world without end. Amen.