Militia of the Immaculata: M.I. Canada
  • Week 52 - HOMILY AT THE CANONIZATION OF ST. MAXIMILIAN MARY KOLBE
  • Week 51 - A Holocaust of Sacrifice
  • Week 50 The Tree of Life
  • Week 49 The Other Nine
  • Week 48 I Am A Catholic Priest
  • Week 47 - Francis Gajowinczek
  • Week 46 - The Holy Spirit and the Immaculate Conception
  • Week 45 - The foolishness of following Jesus
  • Week 44 - The Role of Christians and Humanity in the Holocaust
  • Week 43 - God and the Holocaust
  • Week 42 - Why does God not intervene?
  • Week 41 - The Garden of Auschwitz
  • Week 40 - The Shoah
  • Week 39 - Hannah Arendt
  • Week 38 - Adolf Eichmann
  • Week 37 - The Banality of Evil
  • Week 36 - Kolbe and Antisemitism
  • Week 35 - Did Hitler Win
  • Week 34 - Ashes to Ashes
  • Week 31 - Kolbe in Auschwitz Part 1
  • Week 30 - Auschwitz
  • Week 29 - Pawiak Prison
  • Week 28 - Work makes free
  • Week 27 - The Final Solution
  • Week 26 - From Nurnberg to Auschwitz
  • Week 25 - The Roots of Anti Semitism
  • Week 24 - Cain and Abel
  • Week 23 - Blessed are ye
  • Week 22 - Blessed are the peace makers
  • Week 21 Blessed are the pure in heart
  • Week 20 Blessed are the merciful
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  • Week 18 - Blessed are the Meek, for they shall inherit the earth
  • Week 17 - Blessed are those who mourn
  • Week 16 - Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
  • Week 15 Missionary in Japan
  • Week 14 Niepekalanow
  • Week 13 The Martyrdom of Self Reliance
  • Week 12 Martyrdom of Disunity
  • Week 11 - The Martyrdom of Work
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  • Week 9 Persecution of the Church
  • Week 8 - The Founding of the Militia of the Immaculata
  • Week 7 - Martyrdom of Health
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  • Week 1 - Accepting daily crosses

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« Week 21 Blessed are the pure in heart
Week 23 – Blessed are ye »

Week 22 – Blessed are the peace makers

75th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of St. Maximilian Kolbe

Blessed are the peace makers

Week 22

Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called children of God. Mt. 5:9
How does one be a Peacemaker in a Concentration Camp?
Where there is beating, gassing, starvation and death everywhere?
Yet this is exactly what Maximilian Kolbe was in Auschwitz,
A Peacemaker!
How did he do it?
To those who were starving, he gave his bread.
When the Nazis beat him, he did not raise his voice.
He taught the other prisoners to pray for their guards.
And he stepped out of line for another prisoner.
And he sang songs and hymns and prayed in the starvation bunker.
Maximilian did not look for Peace in Auschwitz.
Because if he did, he would have found none.
Rather he looked for Peace within himself.
And because he had Peace in his own heart,
Not the Nazis,
Not a concentration camp,
Not even a starvation bunker could take it from him.
He had no anger,
No jealousy,
No revenge,
No selfishness,
No hatred in his heart.
How do we react when we are criticized, hurt, misunderstood, attacked, talked about, forgotten or ridiculed?
Is our first reaction one of Peace?
If so then we are Peacemakers like Maximilian.
If not then there is something else in our heart other than Peace.
Peace is a sign that we are children of God.
If Maximilian can be a Peacemaker in a concentration camp, can we not at least, be a Peacemaker at home, school, work, church and our neighborhood?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, may Your Son the Prince of Peace reign in our hearts at all times, at all occasions and in all places and circumstances.

Questions and Meditations :
1. How was Maximilian a man of Peace throughout his life?
2. What disturbs my Peace of mind?
3. How have I failed to be an instrument of Peace?
4. Where is Peace most needed in my daily life?
5. How do I pray and strive for Peace?

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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 7th, 2016 at 12:12 pm and is filed under Fr. Patrick’s reflections on St Maximilian. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.


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