08/15/2026
On August 14, the Church remembers St. Maximilian Kolbe: a priest, missionary, and martyr who gave his life for another man in Auschwitz.
He was not perfect and was considered a mischievous and unruly child. But he was called by God, and when the moment came, he answered with the kind of love that looks like Christ.
In the starvation bunker of Auschwitz, surrounded by suffering and death, St. Maximilian Kolbe chose sacrifice. He stepped forward and offered his life so another man — a husband and father — could live.
That is the Gospel.
We live in a culture that tells us comfort is the goal, suffering should be avoided at all costs, and life is only worth living if it is easy, successful, or self-fulfilling.
St. Maximilian Kolbe reminds us of the truth: the only life worth living is the one that leads us to Heaven.
May we have the courage to answer God’s call, even when it costs us everything. St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us.
