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
  • Week 19 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for holiness
  • 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
  • Week 10 - The Colosseum
  • Week 9 Persecution of the Church
  • Week 8 - The Founding of the Militia of the Immaculata
  • Week 7 - Martyrdom of Health
  • Week 6 - The Martyrdom of Obedience
  • Week 5 - Growing up
  • Week 4 - The Martyrdom of Leaving Home
  • Week 3 - Two Crowns.
  • Week 2 - The Martyrdom of Country
  • Week 1 - Accepting daily crosses

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« Week 40 – The Shoah
Week 42 – Why does God not intervene? »

Week 41 – The Garden of Auschwitz

The 75th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of St. Maximilian Kolbe

Week 41

The Garden of Auschwitz

When one hears about the Garden Of Auschwitz one may wonder of what kind of garden is it referring to. The Garden of Eden? Certainly not!
Rather It refers to the Garden of Gethsemane.

Before Maximilian could step out of line to be judged and condemned by the commandant as Jesus was by Pilate, and then proceed on his way of the cross to his Calvary in the Starvation bunker, he first, like Jesus had to enter into his Garden of Gethsemane.

When it was discovered that a Prisoner had escaped, all of the prisoners were lined up in the street. When the prisoner was not found, their dinner was poured out into the street in front of them and they were sent back to the barrack with no food for the night.

Maximilian’s Garden of Gethsemane was Cell Block 14 in Auschwitz.
It was there that Maximilian entered into his Garden of Gethsemane. Throughout the night he prayed, knowing that if the prisoner was not found, 10 prisoners would be selected for the starvation bunker. Maximilian knew that the Cup might be offered to him in the morning. Just as Jesus prayed that His Father might take His Cup away from Him, so he prayed that the cup might pass from him for no servant is greater than his Master. But throughout his life Maximilian sought to do only the Will of God. Would he possibly pass up the Cup and his greatest chance to be obedient even unto death? Of course not! So through the night he prayed. Comforted by the Virgin Mary who had always stood by him and would stand by him in his Calvary of the Starvation Bunker.

The next day, when all of the other prisoners went off to work detail, Maximilian and the other prisoners from cell block 14 stood from morning until late afternoon in the hot August sun with only a break at noon for their soup ration.

At the end of the day, when the time came for the commandant to choose 10 prisoners to go to the starvation bunker, Maximilian was ready. So when Francis Gajowinczek was chosen and cried out that he had a wife and children, Maximilian was ready to step forward to take his place, just as Jesus was ready to take our place on the cross.

Like Jesus, Maximilian accepted the cup freely. He was not chosen by the commandant. Rather he stepped forward out of his own free will and
offered to take the place of Francis Gajowinczek Calvary was decided in the Garden of Gethsemane and Maximilian’s stepping out of line was not a sudden fluke or fancy. He had endured his Garden of Gethsemane throughout the night in his bunker and was ready to accept the Cup when it was offered and to do the Father’s Will.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, there are many Cups that are offered to me throughout my life, may I have the courage to accept them, knowing that you will always give me the grace necessary to do Your Will.

Meditations and Questions:
1. What Cups have I been offered to drink by God?
2. What Cups have I rejected?
3. How do I prepare to face my own personal Calvary?
4. How are Jesus and Mary present to me in my Garden of Gethsemane?

 

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 20th, 2016 at 12:58 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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