00:00On August 14, the Catholic Church celebrates Saint Maximilian Colbet, a Polish Franciscan priest and martyr of charity.
00:09He is known worldwide for his heroic act at Auschwitz, offering his life to save that of a father.
00:18But his life, long before this sacrifice, is already a burning testimony of faith, courage and love.
00:27Born in 1894 in Poland, Rajmoun Colbet grew up in a deeply religious family.
00:38At only twelve years old, he has a striking vision.
00:41The Virgin Mary hands him two crowns, one white for purity, the other red for martyrdom.
00:50He chooses both. This moment shapes his entire life.
00:54He joined the Conventual Franciscans and took the name Maximilian.
01:00Gifted with a lively intelligence, he studied in Rome and obtained two doctorates, in philosophy and theology.
01:10Back in Poland, in 1917 he founded the Militia of the Immaculate, a movement of Marian devotion and evangelization through the media.
01:21Maximilian understood very early on the power of printing and radio to proclaim the gospel.
01:29He founded the Niepokalanov Monastery, one of the largest in the world at the time, with over 700 brothers.
01:39A tireless missionary, he also went to Japan, founded a convent in Nagasaki and left a lasting mark there.
01:47In 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland.
01:55Niepokalanov became a refuge for thousands of displaced people, including Jews.
02:01Maximilian was arrested for the first time, then released.
02:05In 1941, he was arrested again and sent to Auschwitz.
02:11In July 1941, a prisoner escaped from the camp.
02:17To deter others, the Nazis chose ten men at random to be condemned to starve to death.
02:25One of them, Franciszek Gajovnitschek, begs for his life, thinking of his family.
02:32Maximilian volunteers to replace him.
02:35In the bunker, he encourages and prays with the other convicts.
02:41After two weeks, he is the last one still alive.
02:45The guards finished him off with a lethal injection on August 14, 1941.
02:50Maximilian Kolb was beatified by Paul VI in 1971, then canonized by John Paul II in 1982 as a martyr of charity.
03:07His gesture embodies the gospel lived to the end.
03:11Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
03:16John 15:13
03:18Today, Saint Maximilian Kolbet is a model of courage, faith and total self-giving.
03:27His example continues to inspire Christians and all people who love justice and fraternity.
03:35O Saint Maximilian Kolbet,
03:38“You who offered your life to save that of another,
03:43obtain for us the grace of a pure and disinterested love.
03:48Teach us to be faithful to our faith,
03:52even in the toughest trials.
03:55May your courage inspire us to defend the dignity of every human person.
04:00Intercede for us with the Immaculate,
04:06so that we can, like you,
04:09to live and die in the light of Christ.
04:13Amen.
04:30Subtitling Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
04:40Subtitling Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
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