By Lourdes Crespan
Father Kolbe Missionary of the Immaculata, Brazil
Our story begins in Poland during World War II. Bombs, planes, screams, tears, and despair. People walking aimlessly
through the city streets and hiding from the soldiers, in order not to become
prisoners.
Maximilian Kolbe and Pope John Paul II lived all this, written in their
memories were many images of horror, hatred, suffering and pain of the
difficult twentieth century. In their
hearts and minds, however, another story was written. They knew that love overcomes all evil.
These two sons of Poland were in the same place at different times: in a
starvation bunker of Auschwitz, known to our missionary family as “the cell of
love.” Father Kolbe lived in the cell for 15 days in
1941. Pope John Paul II, known to his friends and family as Karol Wojtyla
entered the cell in 1979 - only for a few moments - full of life and love carrying a candle and bouquet of flowers.
The cell of
love is always open, and unites the lives of these two Poles who brought with
them a special love for Our Lady, the Virgin who heard the voice of God, silenced
her heart, and offered her life. Though time and occasion differed, their
simple and profound gestures were united in place and ideal: to give one’s life
for his brother.
Karol
Wojtyla witnessed many persons arrested during this time. He
wasn’t even a priest yet, but a university student with a dream of becoming an
actor. Amidst the sorrow and human suffering, his eyes were drawn to a greater
love. He “discovered” the richness of God and that love is greater than death.
In front of tragedy caused by
sin Father Kolbe said, “Only love creates.” Love conquers death. With Christ, crosses
become streets to victory. From his friary he announced the Gospel through the
press. In the time of war he was not afraid to open the doors of the friary and
welcome the sick and refugees.
In the same way, in Auschwitz
concentration camp, Maximilian Kolbe followed in the footsteps of his Master
and chose to step out of the roll call line: “I want to give my life in place
of this man’s.” “But, who are you?” asked the commandant. “A Catholic priest.” T
Maximilian descended the stairs to the bunker of starvation, naked, with the
other nine victims.
Karol Wojtyla knew the whole story. He
was Polish, and risked being captured and killed by the Gestapo and the SS. He
lost many friends and family, but in his heart, in the sorrow, he discovered
his vocation: to be a Catholic priest.
Father
Kolbe’s “yes” had no limits, esepcially in the starvation bunker. It was
transformed from a place of suffering and despair into a place of peace.
Maximilian Kolbe was a brilliant light of Christ, sowing seeds of love where
there was hatred, establishing union in place of discord, demontrating truth
where lies prevailed, carrying hope to the desprate, and teaching how to be
joyful in the places where sadness reigned.
On October 10, 1982, Pope John Paul II declared the martyr of Auschwitz a
Saint of the Church.
“Maximilian did not die, but gave his life... for his brother,” exclaimed
Pope John Paul II, almost at the end of his message on the martyr of charity.
Now from heaven, the Saint of Auschwitz can celebrate with another Pole, Pope
John Paull II. He will canonized by Pope Francis this Saturday, April 27th, feast
of Divine Mercy.
So it is that the stories of these two men and saints will be eternally
united by the cell of love, which remains always open. We need you too, to
announce that “only love creates,” participate and spread the project: “The
Cell of Love is Always Open.”
http://www.kolbemission.org/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/EN/IDPagina/6956
Resources:
FACCENDA, Luigi M. Era Mariana. Quarta
edizione. Bologna. Edições da Imaculada, 1995.
TREECE, Patrícia. Massimiliano
Kolbe: il Santo di Auschwitz. Traduzione dall'inglese di Claudia Catani. Bologna.
Edições da Imaculada, 1996.
