"St. Maximilian Kolbe, Martyr of Charity", Neilson Carlin
"... the Blessed Mother appeared to me holding in her hands two crowns: one white the other red. She looked at me with tenderness and asked me if I wanted these two crowns. The white one signified that I would preserve my purity and the red that I would be a martyr."St. Maximilian offered his life in exchange for a prisoner who was to be executed. he died by lethal injection, after many days of starvation. Kolbe's death was truly a heroic act of the most perfect charity by which he won his martyr's crown. Since his canonization, the Saint's intercession is often sought for people addicted to drugs because of the manner in which he died. However, I see his death foreshadowing the growing practice of euthanasia we hear about in our times: withholding nutrition and hydration, as well as lethal injection. That is exactly how Kolbe was put to death - although much more cruelly, no clinical pretensions to comfort. On account of this, Kolbe must be considered a major patron of the pro-life movement, especially for the abolition of the death penalty and to stop the trend towards euthanasia.
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In 1973 Paul VI beatified him and in 1982 John Paul II canonized him as a Martyr of Charity. - Source
One of my favorite saints, San Maximiliano Kolbe. The gift of his purity, the white crown, is apropos for the Catholic clergy today throughout the Catholic world, for us all.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to ask St. Maximilian Kolbe to please intercede for all of our clergy in obtaining for them the gift of embracing, protecting, living their own vowed,purity. Purity of mind, body, soul in accordance with God's holy will and under Mary's powerful protection. For all of us, I will ask for his holy intercession.
Happy Feast day!
My dear St. Maximilian is the patron of my Regional Franciscan fraternity (northern Ohio), and we all love him very much.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Yaya. St. Maximilian chose the crowns of purity and martyrdom for himself at a very young age. And he willingly gave his life for another, enduring unspeakable torture and desolation and keeping his Faith. He is just the man we need now, as well as my good St. Francis ("Francis, rebuild My Church, which has fallen into ruin!") And St. Catherine of Siena (my Confirmation saint), who did not hesitate to call out the hierarchy when they strayed from their duty to the Church (probably where I get my big mouth!)
And Our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph - true models of Faith, chastity, and service to God.
In the midst of all this horror, we are indeed blessed with powerful intercessors. Thank you, Terry and Yaya, for reminding us all of this - just when we needed it. - Susan, OFS