St. Maximilian Kolbe

SCRIPTURE
- James 1:12 
"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

REFLECTION
- Sr. Kathleen

MUSIC
- "Èmois (Doux)" by Jordan Critz
- "Where Charity and Love Prevail" by Tom Harder

- "The Summons" written by John L. Bell

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown?
Will you let my name be known?
Will you let my life be grown in you
And you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare
Should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you
And you in me?

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean
And do such as this unseen?
And admit to what I mean in you
And you in me?

Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found
To reshape the world around
Through my sight and touch and sound in you
And you in me?

Lord, your summons echoes true when you but call my name
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same
In your company I'll go
Where your love and footsteps show
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you
And you in me

NOTES
- 

PRAYER OF LETTING GO
To You do I belong, O God,
 into Your hands I surrender my life.
 Pour out Your Spirit upon me
 that I may love You perfectly,
 and serve You faithfully
 until my soul rests in You.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:29

Hello and welcome. We're really glad you're here. Sometimes we can get so caught up in what's happening around us that we forget to simply look toward God and remember who He is. His glory is all around us. But it also reaches far beyond anything we can see or understand. And somehow, this glorious God still draws close to us. He knows us. He loves us. He invites us into his presence. What a gift it is to have these few minutes to pray together, to turn our attention toward Him and give Him our praise. Let us pray. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

SPEAKER_04 1:29

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Psalm 3. A glad and open heart. O God, how numerous are my fears. They rise up within me, whispering, There is no help for you.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Yet you, O God, radiate love. Gratitude becomes my song. When I cry out to you, you answer within my heart.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

I lie down to sleep. If I should awaken, my beloved is there holding me with strength and tenderness. I feel secure.

SPEAKER_00 2:26

For through your guidance, my fears will fade into love. Free from fear, I will know the oneness of being that encompasses all of life. I shall be free to serve God with a glad and open heart.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 3:19

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. The word of the Lord. Today is a feast of St. Maximilian Colby. And as I reflected on this scripture verse, I realized how perfectly this passage applies to him. Many of us already know his story. He was a Franciscan priest during the German occupation of Poland, and from childhood, he had a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. When he was twelve, Mary appeared to him holding two crowns, one white and one red. He later wrote that Mary asked whether he was willing to accept either crown. The red meant he would become a martyr. He said he would accept them both. And he did. In 1941, he was arrested and sent to Auschwitz. After one of the prisoners escaped as a punishment, ten other prisoners were chosen to die by starvation. One man, Franch, upon hearing his name called out, cried, My wife, my children. At that moment, Colby stepped forward and volunteered to take his place. A witness later testified that Father Colby led the men in prayer and comforted them. Two weeks later, all had died from dehydration and starvation, except Maximilian Colby. Impatient for him to die, he was given a lethal injection. He died on August 14, 1941, and was cremated on August 15th. The beast of our blessed mother's assumption into heaven. I believe Mary herself carried Maximilian into heaven. As I prayed with all of this, I thought, well, I'm not being called to give my life. And quickly I heard the words, Yes, you are. Oh Lord, I am. And we all are. And those simple acts matter. But can we not go further? Can we choose actions that truly cost us something? Missing an appointment because we stopped to help at an accident, paying someone's electric bill, or taking time to shop and cook a meal for a homebound neighbor. However, we are inspired to the moor, wherever we feel the pinch, let us be yes. And may Mary, Maximilian, and all the saints pray for us.

SPEAKER_03 8:02

And together, let's pray the prayer that Jesus taught us. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Let us pray. Loving God, give us hearts that remain close to you. When following you asks more of us than we expected. When love asks something of us, give us the courage not to turn away. Help us recognize those moments when you are inviting us to go beyond what is easy or convenient. Teach us to love with a generous heart, especially when that love requires something of us. And when we wonder if we have enough courage, enough patience, or enough faith, draw us closer to you. Let your grace become our strength, so that in whatever you ask of us, our answer can simply be yes. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

SPEAKER_04 9:47

Into your hands I surrender my life. Pour out your Spirit upon me, that I may love you perfectly and serve you faithfully until my soul rests in you.

SPEAKER_03 10:04

There's something about St. Maximilian Colby's story that can make holiness seem almost impossibly heroic. And yet, most of us won't be asked for one enormous act of sacrifice. We'll be asked for our lives a little at a time. Since it's Friday, we're going to end our time together with a song. And today I've chosen the summons, which asks the question: if Jesus calls, will we go? May God bless us as we go forth in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

unknown 10:46

Amen.

SPEAKER_03 10:48

Look for Christ in the small things until we pray again tomorrow.

SPEAKER_06 10:54

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name? Will you go where you don't know and never be the same? Will you let my life be shown? Will you let my name be known? Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me? Will you leave yourself behind if I would call your name? Will you care for good and kind and every stay? Will you rest the stare? Will your life attract your scare? Will you let me answer wearing good and you will Will you let that blind dance with God? Will you step up and swing never? And the stuff that's understood And then to the word I mean you and you Will you love that you you hide if I but call your name? Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same? Will you use the flag you found to reshape the world around through my sight intelligence sound in you and you in me?