Maximilian Kolbe’s life provides us with an opportunity reflect on the horrors which occurred in the 20th century and the bravery of a Christian response. Pope John Paul II referred to Kolbe as “the patron of our difficult century.” During that difficult century, World War II broke out and the Nazi invasion of Poland was the cause of Maximilian Kolbe’s imprisonment in the concentration camp at Auschwitz on 28 May 1941. At the end of July of that same year, a prisoner successfully escaped the camp. In retribution for this act, the guards selected ten men who would starve to death in recompense for this act of defiance. Kolbe took the place of a man who had a wife and children. His act of heroism and charity stood as a light against the dark horrors of the genocides of World War II.
The stories of Christian martyrs are both shocking and challenging. They may seem distant, and we all pray that such challenges to our lives will never occur. Perhaps the great acts of the martyrs will encourage us to look to how we can imitate their charity and sacrifice in a small way and, like Maximilian Kolbe, provide some light in a world filled with darkness.