St. Maximilian Kolbe. Day 9
Today, the last day of the Novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe, I almost wish there were more days to the novena. His death was absolutely horrific. Nevertheless, it has led me to contemplate one word: friendship. You see, in today's society almost everything is easy to throw away like garbage including people and relationships when they are no longer comfortable to us. But not so with Jesus. He told us in the Bible, "I no longer call you servants, because servants don't know their masters business. Instead, I call you friends, because everything the Father made known to me, I have taught you." (John 15:15)
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| Jesus, my friend. |
One priest I especially love, Father Al Schwartz, would regularly give homilies talking about "My friend, Jesus". I think one of the great secrets to the lives of saints is that they truly were a friend, a brother to Jesus. In the sense of this supernatural friendship with the One who never dies, St. Maximilian Kolbe was not afraid of death.
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| "Goodbye" |
Are you afraid of death? If it happened today, Friday the 13th, 2021 and you faced death would you be in fear of leaving? Only God knows when and how each one of us will die and He has known that since we were created. Death is inevitable for each of us but it is not the end, no, in fact it is just the beginning! God gave us His promise that our souls were created for eternity to live with Him in all the beauty He intended. That's why he offered redemption for your soul to draw ever closer to Him in this life so full of pain, sorrow, uncertainty and the slavery of sin. A life devoted to sin will lead you to hell but redemption and forgiveness, through Jesus will give us hope of life eternal in Heaven or a purification in Purgatory. Hell, heaven and purgatory are all very real places, we choose where we go by how we live today. God gave us incredible means to stay united to Him in this life to bridge our earthly life to our eternal one. It's not for nothing that the Lords prayer says, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The will of God on earth as in heaven happens in small moments through your day when you realize that the presence of God is with you and that you can choose to love Him in that moment. God is overflowing in mercy and there is nothing you have done that He won't forgive if you ask with true repentance for forgiveness... and that is how drop by drop and minute by minute we live on earth earth the will of God as it is in Heaven, by staying aware and present in each moment of the presence of Christ with us.
"Well, how come bad things happen, like in Auschwitz, why did St Maximilian Kolbe have to be killed? Why didn't God stop that if He is omnipotent?" One may ask, or ask about cancer, or murders, or an accident.... God in His love gave us freedom of will (what to do and not do). He doesn't force anyone to love Him, He doesn't mandate our love. He gave suggestions in the Bible with consequences but people are free to do what they will, fully free but with full consequences. There is nothing in the world that happens, good or evil, that can't be used for good for the glory of God. We might not see it, St. Maximilian Kolbe didn't see the immediate good that came from starving to death naked and getting injected with carbolic acid, but God uses everything for good with them that love Him.
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| Everything we do has a ripple effect on humanity: both good and bad. |
God's voice is gentle and abounds in stillness of self. Only in that stillness of self, and knowledge of the beginning of life eternal with God, could St Maximilian Kolbe step up to the Gestapo that day and offer his life for a friend, a stranger. One man had escaped from Auschwitz, and the Nazi's were going to starve 10 to death as a warning to others. A man in that group cried out that he had a wife and children, and St Maximilian Kolbe boldly came out of line, went up to the Gestapo (already risking his life) and said "Take me instead". They asked him, "Why?!" And he responded, "I am a Catholic priest."
"I am a Catholic priest" was his reason for giving up his life for a stranger. "I am a Catholic priest" was his unity with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. He was not 16670. He was not a political prisoner. He was a Catholic priest fully alive and fully aware of the hill of Calvary he was on and wanted to continue till death for the redemption of souls.
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| After two weeks in a cell with no food and no water St. Maximilian Kolbe was alive and praising God. Nazi's injected him with carbolic acid to kill him. He sacrificed his life for a friend through Jesus His friend. |
In today's last novena, I want to pray for sacrificial friendship for love of Christ. The total gift of self in each day, in each moment for our friendship with Christ to be true and sincere though weak we are.
Day 9: For our friendship with Christ to grow through Mary Immaculate
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 pray for us. Today I would like to pray through Mary Immaculate for our awareness of Christ as our friend. I pray for the hearts of priests and religious to live each day in unity with Christ as their joyful sacrificial friend. May they see each prayer they offer is in union with making the will of God on earth as it is in heaven. I pray for those with hard hearts that don't want to believe or have faith because of excuses they have come to accept as truth. I pray for you to intercede that their hearts be softened and that they see there is no greater more realistic and more radical friend in this life and next that Jesus. I pray for the mantle of Mary to cover the homes and hearts of all political leaders. May they come to believe in the love of Christ who saw one and all as His friends to lay down His life for. I pray that "the common good" phrase not be used to justify willful death of citizens of the world. I pray for Catholic women to become steadfast in prayer and in sacrificial giving for the sake of Jesus to others. I pray for them to see their efforts are not everyday forgotten acts but unique divine moments of grace given from God himself, through them to others. And I pray for Catholic men to soften their hearts, loose their ego, and grow in confidence in Christ as their friend who will lead them as he led the disciples. May Catholic men not be afraid to be bold with their friend Jesus at their side. I pray for the knowledge of our true identify, a child of God to be ever present in our minds as we go forth each day into our homes, work and schools. St. Maximilian Kolbe, I lastly pray for all Catholics to not fear death. I pray for your intercession each day for us to know our final home is Heaven and to ask for God's grace to live a life free from mortal sin so that we can stay in union with His will. Amen.
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.
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