St. Maximilian Kolbe was definitely one who lived the words of Jesus heard at Mass today (Twentieth Sunday in OT): “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Luke 12:49). St. Maximilian had such great zeal to bring about the reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus through everything he did. He wanted the earth to be consumed with the love of God. This is why he practiced and spread consecration to Mary Immaculate. When everyone in the world, one person at a time, gives himself or herself over to Mary, Mary gives them over to Jesus that he may bring about the fullness of his kingdom on earth. She must reign in the hearts of men that Jesus may reign in them. This is at the heart of the teachings of St. Maximilian, that great knight and lover of the Immaculata.
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus goes on to say that he has not come to bring peace but rather division. This is the kind of fire he comes to bring – – it is a purifying fire that burns away everything that is an obstacle from knowing, loving, and serving God. It is a fire of truth and love. In this way, Jesus is a cause for division between those who follow him and those who refuse to do so. Some do not want to be burned by the fire of Jesus. This is when division occurs. It can be difficult to follow Jesus; sometimes following Jesus can result in some unsavory consequences to say the least! Ultimately though, the division is ordered towards peace, the peace that only Jesus can give. This is why St. Maximilian wanted Mary to be in the hearts of everyone, as soon as possible, to bring them face-to-face with the fire burning in her own heart and soul! She was totally on fire with the love of God and she can set us on fire through her union with the Holy Spirit.
St. Maximilian experienced the division caused by his speaking out for the truth, much like the prophet Jeremiah who we also read about today (Jeremiah 38). Jeremiah received the message from God that the people should surrender to Babylon in order to be spared, but the people just weren’t having it—- they didn’t receive the message as coming from God. They rejected Jeremiah by putting in him in a cistern with no foothold. The Nazis came for St. Maximilian, they arrested, tortured, and finally killed him— because he spoke out for the truth, denouncing the Nazis, in the newsletter he was putting out for the Immaculata. He followed in the footsteps of Christ facing persecution, running for the joy set before him, running for love of Mary, and of Jesus through Mary, all for the greatest glory of God. St. Maximilian, pray for us to persevere in love, no matter what, and to belong to Jesus through Mary as soon as possible! May we be set on fire that the world would become one giant conflagration.