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On August 14, the Catholic Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr. He was a Polish priest and Conventual Franciscan Friar who was sent to Auschwitz during the German occupation of Poland. He was arrested by the Gestapo on February 17, 1941, because he had hidden 2,000 in his friary and broadcasted reports over the radio condemning Nazi activities during World War II. On May 25, 1941, he was sent to the main Auschwitz camp as a political prisoner. There he ministered to his fellow prisoners and gave them hope. When ten men were selected to be starved to death as punishment for another prisoner’s escape, Kolbe volunteered to die in place of a man who had a family. Maximilian Kolbe was canonized by his fellow Pole, Pope John Paul II in 1982 and is considered the patron saint of families. The prisoner whom Saint Maximilian saved attended his canonization.
Loving God, we pray for families who are separated by war, imprisonment, or displacement. Grant us courage to defend the unity and sanctity of our families. Amen.
Let us also pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose Assumption into Heaven we celebrate this week on August 15.
Mother Mary, your Assumption into Heaven is a sign of the promise of Heaven for us all. Please unite your prayer with ours that our earthly struggles will end in God’s heavenly presence—forever! Amen.
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