78th Anniversary of the Martyr's Death of Saint Maximilian Kolbe in the German Konzentrationslager Auschwitz.
"God also suffered in Auschwitz and never left his faithful"
On August 14, 2019, on the 78th anniversary of the martyr's death of Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe, Archbishop of Krakow Marek Jędraszewski delivered a homily at the Holy Mass celebrated at the former German Konzentrationslager Auschwitz. At the field altar set up at the 11th block, near the wall of executions of many people of different nations and the death cell of the Saint Maximilian, other hierarchs also stood: Archbishop of Bamberg Ludwik Schick, Apostolic Administrator of Uzbekistan, Bishop Jerzy Maculewicz, OFM, Senior Bishop Kazimierz Górski associated with Oświęcim. At the mass gathered participants of the First March of Life of the Polish Diaspora and Poles.
At the beginning of the homily, the Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski noticed that the homeland are graves and crosses that testify to memory, suffering, but also bring hope of resurrection and victory.
- I want to talk about the homeland determined by the presence of Christians, by the presence of martyrs.
- Everywhere where the Church is, from the very beginning of its existence, there were also martyrs and there were signs of their faith in the final victory, in immortality thanks to the victory of Christ - he noted.
- This explains why Christians - wherever they are in the world and where they see signs recalling the highest testimony of their sisters and brothers and where they see crosses - there they are all at home, their homeland is everywhere - he emphasized.
He told that the German Konzentrationslager Auschwitz was a space of refusal. First, there was denied a place for humanity - the prisoner became a number. Deputy camp commander Karl Fritzsch, said: "For us, all of you are not human beings, but a pile of shit." Auschwitz was also a place of refusal of family, nation and church community, hope for freedom and memory. In this context, the Archbishop quoted the words of Józef Tischner: "Can you retaliate against the deceased? Yes. You can deny them a cemetery. Enemies who have fallen victim to retaliation are denied a cemetery. Their bodies are not buried in graves, but they are buried, the trail is blurred, forests are planted on graves. There is no more trace of man."
-Konzentrationslager Auschwitz was a place of God's refusal: to convince many people that because there was such a hell as Auschwitz, there is no God. In contrast to this multifaceted refusal that makes up the reality Konzentrationslager Auschwitz, Saint. Maksymilian appears as a witness.
The metropolitan stressed that St. Maximilian testified first and foremost about man. He cited the dramatic conversation that took place between the St. Maximilian and Karl Fritzsch, when, contrary to the prohibition, St. Maximilian stepped out of the ranks and asked him to go in place of another prisoner to starve to death. The deputy commandant asked then: "Who are you?". Father Maximilian, pointing to his identity and calling, replied: "I am a Catholic priest."
- Maximilian offered his life because a prisoner he had unknown to him had a wife and children. To have solidarity with the institution of marriage and the family means to participate in the dignity that has been shared by St. Maximilian - the Archbishop said. The Archbishop pointed out that St. Maximilian by defending that prisoner, defended prisoner's family and because of this he is also a witness of the family, freedom of the spirit, memory of God and His power.
- Father Maximilian listened to Christ, he was from God's truth, the truth of Christ. He gave testimony of his Master and Lord. By dying, he testified of his faith in a God who is love and gives hope for eternal life.
What heritage does St. Maximilian? - the Archbishop asked. It is above all a victory of love over hatred. The Archbishop quoted the words of St. John Paul II of June 1979: "In this place the terrible execution that brought death to four million people from different nations, St. Maximilian achieved a spiritual victory, similar to the victory of Christ himself, voluntarily giving himself to death - for a brother. " He added that St. Maximilian teaches respect for the value of the family and authentic freedom, based on the Decalogue, resulting from the dignity of beings created in the image and likeness of God.
- Authentic freedom is not absolute freedom, reduced to the slogan: "do what you want". Freedom must be a reality penetrated by reason, in accordance with what natural law tells us in our hearts - do good and avoid evil. Only such freedom is authentic freedom.
The Archbishop referred to the pencil drawings "Klisze pamięci" by Marian Kołodziej ( harmeze.franciszkanie.pl/wystawa/ ), who was brought to Auschwitz in the first transport of Poles. In the camp, he met St. Maximilian and thanks to a conversation with him, he understood that God also suffered in Auschwitz and never left his faithful.
- Here in Auschwitz, thanks to St. Maximilian appears to us, Poles, but also to representatives of other nations, Christians and Catholics, the homeland as a particularly binding heritage.
Ending the homily, the archbishop drew attention to the need to consciously improve himself and the action that emerges from the homeland, which for all believers is the holy, apostolic and Catholic Church.
Before the blessing, on behalf of the German Episcopate, the Archbishop Ludwig Schick spoke, who thanked for the opportunity to participate in the celebration of the 78th anniversary of the death of St. Maximilian.
- Maximilian Kolbe did not want to bow to the Nazi nationalist pride. The real motive of the resistance against Hitler was Maximilian Kolbe, who did not want to recognize Hitler as an absolute leader, but proclaimed God as the absolute Lord and ruler of nations.
The Provincial of the Krakow Province of the Franciscans, Father Marian Gołąb, noticed that St. Maximilian, when joining the congregation, was aware that religious life would help him build a strong relationship with Mary.
- A miracle of love that St. Maximilian has achieved in his life, continues - in this place, which was designed as hell on earth, the Eucharist - the miracle of love - is continually celebrated for years.
www.youtube.com/watch
On August 14, 2019, on the 78th anniversary of the martyr's death of Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe, Archbishop of Krakow Marek Jędraszewski delivered a homily at the Holy Mass celebrated at the former German Konzentrationslager Auschwitz. At the field altar set up at the 11th block, near the wall of executions of many people of different nations and the death cell of the Saint Maximilian, other hierarchs also stood: Archbishop of Bamberg Ludwik Schick, Apostolic Administrator of Uzbekistan, Bishop Jerzy Maculewicz, OFM, Senior Bishop Kazimierz Górski associated with Oświęcim. At the mass gathered participants of the First March of Life of the Polish Diaspora and Poles.
At the beginning of the homily, the Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski noticed that the homeland are graves and crosses that testify to memory, suffering, but also bring hope of resurrection and victory.
- I want to talk about the homeland determined by the presence of Christians, by the presence of martyrs.
- Everywhere where the Church is, from the very beginning of its existence, there were also martyrs and there were signs of their faith in the final victory, in immortality thanks to the victory of Christ - he noted.
- This explains why Christians - wherever they are in the world and where they see signs recalling the highest testimony of their sisters and brothers and where they see crosses - there they are all at home, their homeland is everywhere - he emphasized.
He told that the German Konzentrationslager Auschwitz was a space of refusal. First, there was denied a place for humanity - the prisoner became a number. Deputy camp commander Karl Fritzsch, said: "For us, all of you are not human beings, but a pile of shit." Auschwitz was also a place of refusal of family, nation and church community, hope for freedom and memory. In this context, the Archbishop quoted the words of Józef Tischner: "Can you retaliate against the deceased? Yes. You can deny them a cemetery. Enemies who have fallen victim to retaliation are denied a cemetery. Their bodies are not buried in graves, but they are buried, the trail is blurred, forests are planted on graves. There is no more trace of man."
-Konzentrationslager Auschwitz was a place of God's refusal: to convince many people that because there was such a hell as Auschwitz, there is no God. In contrast to this multifaceted refusal that makes up the reality Konzentrationslager Auschwitz, Saint. Maksymilian appears as a witness.
The metropolitan stressed that St. Maximilian testified first and foremost about man. He cited the dramatic conversation that took place between the St. Maximilian and Karl Fritzsch, when, contrary to the prohibition, St. Maximilian stepped out of the ranks and asked him to go in place of another prisoner to starve to death. The deputy commandant asked then: "Who are you?". Father Maximilian, pointing to his identity and calling, replied: "I am a Catholic priest."
- Maximilian offered his life because a prisoner he had unknown to him had a wife and children. To have solidarity with the institution of marriage and the family means to participate in the dignity that has been shared by St. Maximilian - the Archbishop said. The Archbishop pointed out that St. Maximilian by defending that prisoner, defended prisoner's family and because of this he is also a witness of the family, freedom of the spirit, memory of God and His power.
- Father Maximilian listened to Christ, he was from God's truth, the truth of Christ. He gave testimony of his Master and Lord. By dying, he testified of his faith in a God who is love and gives hope for eternal life.
What heritage does St. Maximilian? - the Archbishop asked. It is above all a victory of love over hatred. The Archbishop quoted the words of St. John Paul II of June 1979: "In this place the terrible execution that brought death to four million people from different nations, St. Maximilian achieved a spiritual victory, similar to the victory of Christ himself, voluntarily giving himself to death - for a brother. " He added that St. Maximilian teaches respect for the value of the family and authentic freedom, based on the Decalogue, resulting from the dignity of beings created in the image and likeness of God.
- Authentic freedom is not absolute freedom, reduced to the slogan: "do what you want". Freedom must be a reality penetrated by reason, in accordance with what natural law tells us in our hearts - do good and avoid evil. Only such freedom is authentic freedom.
The Archbishop referred to the pencil drawings "Klisze pamięci" by Marian Kołodziej ( harmeze.franciszkanie.pl/wystawa/ ), who was brought to Auschwitz in the first transport of Poles. In the camp, he met St. Maximilian and thanks to a conversation with him, he understood that God also suffered in Auschwitz and never left his faithful.
- Here in Auschwitz, thanks to St. Maximilian appears to us, Poles, but also to representatives of other nations, Christians and Catholics, the homeland as a particularly binding heritage.
Ending the homily, the archbishop drew attention to the need to consciously improve himself and the action that emerges from the homeland, which for all believers is the holy, apostolic and Catholic Church.
Before the blessing, on behalf of the German Episcopate, the Archbishop Ludwig Schick spoke, who thanked for the opportunity to participate in the celebration of the 78th anniversary of the death of St. Maximilian.
- Maximilian Kolbe did not want to bow to the Nazi nationalist pride. The real motive of the resistance against Hitler was Maximilian Kolbe, who did not want to recognize Hitler as an absolute leader, but proclaimed God as the absolute Lord and ruler of nations.
The Provincial of the Krakow Province of the Franciscans, Father Marian Gołąb, noticed that St. Maximilian, when joining the congregation, was aware that religious life would help him build a strong relationship with Mary.
- A miracle of love that St. Maximilian has achieved in his life, continues - in this place, which was designed as hell on earth, the Eucharist - the miracle of love - is continually celebrated for years.
www.youtube.com/watch