Fr. Bob’s Spiritual Reflection-2/08/2023
“…how fortunate we are not having to die because of our faith.”
Greetings from Houston, Texas.
I’m conducting a parish mission at St. Maximilian Kolbe parish here in Houston. I’m so proud to be a member of the Vincentian Parish Mission team. Between now and Easter, the Parish Mission team will be conducting missions in 8 or 9 states.
There is still such a demand for what we do. For that I’m grateful.
The invitation to be here at St. Maximilian’s was of great interest to me because there are so few parishes named in his honor. He was a priest from Poland who suffered a martyr’s death in the German concentration camp in Auschwitz, Poland. The story goes that a couple prisoners escaped and the Germans exacted revenge by killing 10 prisoners. One begged for his life as he mentioned he was a father and wanted to stay alive for his children. Maximilian offered to take his place and the Germans agreed and killed Maximilian.
So, during this week’s parish mission, we are focusing on how fortunate we are not having to die because of our faith.
My prayers for you today are one of gratitude to God for our freedoms. And I pay tribute to St. Maximilian Kolbe for giving witness to the beauty of genuinely caring for others. May we too make that great impression by our caring for others.