Aug 14 – St. Maximillian Mary Kolbe, priest, martyr
Maximillian Mary Kolbe (1894-1941) was known as a mischievous child, sometimes considered wild, and a trial to his parents. However, around the time of his first Communion, he received a vision of the Virgin Mary that changed his life. While still in seminary, he and six friends founded the Immaculata Movement (Militia Immaculatae, Crusade of Mary Immaculate) devoted to the conversion of sinners, opposition to freemasonry (which was extremely anti-Catholic at the time), spread of the Miraculous Medal (which they wore as their habit), and devotion to Our Lady and the path to Christ. Stricken with tuberculosis which nearly killed him, it left him frail in health the rest of his life. His insights into Marian theology echo today through their influence on Vatican II.
He founded monastries and published a magazine to fight religious apathy in Poland and Japan. By 1939, the Polish monastery housed a religious community of nearly 800 men, the largest in the world in its day, and was completely self-sufficient including medical facilities and a fire brigade staffed by the religious brothers. During his arrest by the Nazis, he volunteered to die in place of a married man with young children. He died as he had always wished – in service.
- Patron Saint Index
Eze 9:1-7,10:18-22
Mt 18:15-20
“…where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.”
Today’s Gospel passage reveals Jesus’ desire that we pray with others, uniting our prayer as one and offering it to the Father. While Jesus says that when we do this in union with His prayer, our prayer will be answered; it can be easily misunderstood.
The assumption often made is that if we are united in prayer, the prayer WILL be answered.
Perhaps the crux that I take away is ‘there am I in the midst of them’. This rather means that when we pray collectively, Jesus intends to unite our collective prayers with that of His.
When we come together in the Liturgy, our prayer is always heard. Why? Because the Liturgy is first an action of God the Son in which He invites us, the Church, to share. And the prayer that is offered is the one and eternal prayer by which God the Son asks the Heavenly Father to bring salvation to all those who accept the saving action of His sacrifice on the Cross. When we join in this prayer, it is granted.
Our daughter, M, turns 4 today (though sometimes I feel she thinks like a child that is way older).
M loves all things done collectively. “Daddy, Mama…are we going to sleep as a family?” or “Daddy, Mama…can we go to the park as a family?”
But the question that warms my heart is “Daddy, Mama…can we pray our Night Prayers together as a family?” This is often difficult for me on weekdays as I often end up working late in the office. 2024 has brought with it extremely long and punishing hours at work – but that’s a reflection for another day.
Probably not realizing it, M wants to unify our family prayer with that of Jesus.
I remember growing up in a home where we said our Night Prayers as a family. I never quite looked forward to it as I was often restless and not able to concentrate. My mind would wander away, and I would dream and forget to respond at the appropriate moment.
The prayers we try to collectively pray at home now are more spontaneous. Thanking Our Heavenly Father for the good things that happened and pouring out our worries and concerns. M often surprises me with her prayer. Sometimes, it is “Thank you for helping Daddy to come home early today!”
As a family, we feel that if we gather to unite our family prayer to the one perfect prayer of Jesus, as it is offered to our Heavenly Father, then that prayer is answered.
My spouse and I feel the best way to pray together in this way is to pray the ‘Our Father’ together. This prayer is always heard and answered by the Heavenly Father, since it is the prayer given to us by the Son.
This is why one of the earliest prayers M learnt was the Our Father. She sings a beautiful rendition of it as well. I always tell her the Our Father is like a pizza – it has everything in it: carbohydrates, fruit or vegetables, cheese and a meat or seafood! Like a pizza, it is a complete prayer.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Gerard Francis)
Prayer: Jesus, all that You ask of our Heavenly Father is granted to You. Please draw us and all the members of Your Church into Your perfect prayer to the Heavenly Father.
Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the gift of faith and an understanding of what you ask of us in our prayer.
OXYGEN 
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