Today we can also recall St. Maximilian Kolbe
who offered his life in exchange for a prisoner
a husband a father of several children
about to be taken to the gas chambers of WOrld War II.
We might remind ourselves that the world and society we live in are rampant with scandals, character assassinations and diminished honesty. Consider what the consequences or impacts living in such a reality may have on personal integrity. Surrounded by such evils, we have an extraordinary challenge to live the life that God has entrusted to us. We should think about what this means for each of us.
While all of the above is "heavy," painful and, perhaps, even hard to believe, what the words of today's gospel call us to answer these challenges by praying to the Holy Spirit for the grace of wisdom and the insight to see if any circumstances may each of our lives are leading me away from the God who created you and me.
What are we willing to sacrifice to be the person God wants each of us to be? Recall Fr. Kolbe who was willing to sacrifice his own life so that a family could be together. And, of course, we cannot forget the ultimate sacrifice of our brother, Jesus, made to guarantee each of us entrance to the Kingdom of Our Father.
