Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

A reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 5:13-16

Dear friends in Christ,

In the gray shadows of Auschwitz, where hope seemed all but extinguished, Father Maximilian Kolbe moved quietly among the prisoners. He had been there only a few weeks, yet already, men whispered his name with something close to reverence.

Kolbe’s kindness was simple: a crust of bread slipped to a starving neighbor, a whispered blessing in the night, a scrap of fabric shared to ward off the chill. He never spoke of fear, even as the guards barked orders and men vanished from their bunks. Instead, he spoke of Mary – “Our Mother, our confidence”, Her example that through Jesus we have a love stronger than death, a peace that could survive even in the worst of conditions.

One morning, the camp was thrown into chaos when a prisoner escaped. In retaliation, the commandant ordered ten men to die. As the condemned were pulled from the line, one man broke down, sobbing for his wife and children. Kolbe stepped forward. “Let me take his place,” he said, his voice steady. The guards, taken aback, agreed. Kolbe and the other chosen men were locked in a starvation cell. In that darkness, Kolbe led prayers, sang hymns, and comforted the dying. When the guards checked the cell, they found not despair, but a strange calm. Kolbe’s presence seemed to push back the gloom, his integrity shining in a place built to destroy it.