From Wounded Bride to Crowned Martyr: The Unconditional Love of God

Ezek 16:1-15.60.63, Psalm: Is, Mt 19:3-12

Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

On this Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, the Church presents us with a prophet who laments the infidelity of Israel and a Lord who restores the dignity of marriage and calls some to a radical witness of celibacy. In the Book of Ezekiel, God speaks of Jerusalem as a bride He found abandoned and covered in blood, whom He washed, clothed, and adorned with splendor. But she trusted in her beauty and played the harlot. Yet God promises to remember His covenant and to forgive her. In the Gospel, Jesus affirms the indissolubility of marriage and speaks of those who have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe understood both the depth of God’s mercy and the cost of radical witness. He was a Franciscan priest who founded the Militia of the Immaculata, a movement dedicated to the conversion of sinners and the consecration of all to Mary. During World War II, he was arrested and sent to Auschwitz. When a prisoner escaped, the camp commander ordered ten men to be starved to death as a deterrent. One of the men cried out, “My wife! My children!” Fr. Kolbe stepped forward and offered his life in exchange for the man. He was sent to the starvation bunker, where he led the other prisoners in prayer and song until he was the last one alive. He was finally killed by a lethal injection, a martyr of charity.

Ezekiel’s prophecy of the unfaithful bride is a picture of our own sin. We have turned away from God, trusted in our own beauty, and played the harlot with the idols of the world. But God does not abandon us. He remembers His covenant. He forgives us. He restores us. The Gospel calls us to faithfulness—in marriage, in celibacy, in all our relationships. And Saint Maximilian Kolbe shows us that faithfulness can lead to the ultimate sacrifice.

Pope Benedict XVI, reflecting on Saint Maximilian, said, “He is a witness of the triumph of love over hatred, of life over death.” Pope Francis has said, “The devil is the father of lies, but the Immaculata is the mother of mercy.” And Saint Maximilian Kolbe himself wrote, “The truly perfect person is the one who is totally consecrated to the Immaculate Virgin, and who through her, becomes the property of Jesus.”

What does this mean for us? We have all been unfaithful to God. We have all trusted in our own strength and abandoned the One who loved us first. But God, in His mercy, promises to restore us. He calls us to a life of fidelity—to our vows, to our families, to our calling. And He calls us to the radical witness of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, who gave his life for another because he had first received the love of Christ.

This week, let us examine our hearts. Where have we been unfaithful? Where have we trusted in our own beauty rather than in God’s grace? Let us return to the Lord, who remembers His covenant and forgives us. And let us ask Saint Maximilian Kolbe to intercede for us, that we may be faithful witnesses to the love of Christ, even to the point of giving our lives for others. Amen.

May God bless you all!

If this homily inspired you, please 

📱 Follow us on TikTok: @mmrvals
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: Myanmar RVA Language Services – YouTube

🙏 Prayer Request: Drop a comment below if you’d like us to pray for you or someone you love. We’ll remember you in our prayers!