Patricia Treece’s A Man for Others: Maximilian Kolbe, the “Saint of Auschwitz,” is nothing short of a spiritual masterpiece, capturing the essence of one of the most remarkable saints of the 20th century. Through meticulously researched stories and compelling quotes, Treece paints a vivid portrait of St. Maximilian Kolbe, whose life was a beacon of sanctity, love, obedience, and deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Eucharist. This book doesn’t just inform—it inspires, urging readers to live with the same fervent faith and self-sacrifice that characterized Kolbe’s extraordinary life.
#1: Sanctity
From a young age, Maximilian Kolbe aspired to be a saint, famously stating his #1 goal of his life before his ordination to the priesthood in 1918, “I wish to be a saint and a great saint.” This ambition was not just a fleeting thought; it was the driving force behind his entire life.
His pursuit of holiness was evident to all who met him. After earning two doctorates in seven years (wow!), his rector succinctly described him as “a young saint.” This perception was shared by many. One brother recalled, “I needed to be near him because I felt holiness flow out of him as if it were a kind of unction from the other world” (85). In Auschwitz, this sanctity took on a supernatural quality, as prisoners described him as possessing a hidden strength that transcended the horrors of the camp: “Imagine that where everyone else saw himself a squirming victim in the tormentor’s hand, Kolbe believed he was a knight on a noble, mystical mission” (214).
The Nazis themselves were taken aback by Kolbe’s unyielding spirit. They noted his unique gaze, not driven by a hunger for bread but by a desire to liberate others from evil: “Father Kolbe never asked for anything and he never complained. He looked directly and intently into the eyes of those entering the cell. Those eyes of his were always strangely penetrating. The SS men couldn’t stand his glance, and used to yell at him, ‘Look at the ground, not at us!'” (228).
Even as he awaited death in a bunker, Kolbe transformed that place of despair into a sanctuary of prayer and praise, leading his fellow prisoners in hymns—a beacon of light in the darkest of places.
One fellow prisoner, George Bielecki, encapsulated the impact of Kolbe’s sacrifice: “We became aware someone among us in this spiritual dark night of the soul was raising the standard of love on high. … His death was the salvation of thousands … That’s how we felt about it. That was a shock full of optimism, regenerating and giving strength; we were stunned by his act, which became for us a mighty explosion of light in the dark camp night.”
#2: Love
“Pray that I will love without any limits,” Kolbe wrote to his mother in his 20s—a prayer that he lived out to the fullest. At his friary, Niepokalanow, Kolbe emphasized that their true mission was not in material accomplishments but in cultivating deep charity: “Niepokalanow’s success is not based on material expansion but on the deepening of charity in our souls” (91).
This commitment to love was most profoundly displayed in Auschwitz, where Kolbe harbored no hatred for his captors. Instead, he prayed for their conversion and sought to conquer their cruelty with love. His goal was nothing less than to convert everyone in the camp, including the Nazis.
Kolbe’s serene courage and unwavering love in the face of immense suffering left a lasting impression on his fellow prisoners. Rudolph Diem remarked, “In view of the general animal instinct of self-preservation… his desire to sacrifice himself for others surprised me and intrigued me” (193). Another prisoner testified to Kolbe’s deep humanity: “How great was his immeasurable, marvellous humanity! He was so good. He loved God more than himself. And he loved every man in God. What an apostle!” (208).
#3: Obedience
For Kolbe, obedience was the key to sanctity. He believed that aligning one’s will perfectly with God’s was the essence of holiness, a principle he taught his friars with a simple equation: “sanctity isn’t so hard… It’s the result of a very simple equation. And he wrote on the blackboard, ‘V + v = S.’ The capital V, he said, is God’s Will [he was using the Latin Voluntas]; the small v is your will. United they equal sanctity” (87-88).
In Auschwitz, Kolbe’s obedience took on heroic dimensions. He accepted every event, even the prospect of death, as part of God’s divine plan, saying simply, “That’s God’s will.”
Kolbe’s approach to penance was equally straightforward: “Don’t look for extraordinary mortifications, fastings, flagellations, chains, long prayers, or this sort of thing. It’s enough [penance] to completely fulfill the will of the Immaculata—that is, the will of God—by being perfectly obedient.”
#4: Mary
Kolbe’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary was the cornerstone of his spirituality. From a young age, he experienced a profound connection with Mary, who appeared to him in a vision offering two crowns: one white for purity and one red for martyrdom. Kolbe accepted both, and this vision became the guiding light of his life.
His devotion was not only deep but childlike and sincere. He often addressed Mary as “Mamma mia” (15), reflecting his intimate relationship with her. In 1917, Kolbe founded the Militia Immaculatae (Army of Mary Immaculate), aiming to bring the world to Christ through Mary. His trust in her intercession was absolute, frequently saying, “I can do everything in Him who strengthens me through His mother” (138).
Kolbe’s life was marked by numerous instances of Mary’s intercession, such as the time he prayed for help to pay a printing bill for the Knight of the Immaculate magazine. Later that day, he found a sack of money on the church altar with a note: “For my dear mother, Mary Immaculate.” The amount inside was exactly what he needed (25).
This unwavering trust in Mary continued in Auschwitz, where Kolbe counseled others to offer their sufferings to her. He encouraged them, saying, “Take Christ’s hand in one of yours and Mary’s in the other. Now even if you are in darkness you can go forward with the confidence of a child guided by its parents.”
#5: Eucharist
Kolbe’s strength and sanctity were rooted in his deep devotion to the Eucharist. He frequently visited Jesus in the tabernacle, stating that, “Here lies our strength—here is our source of sanctification.” This devotion was evident in every aspect of his life, as he often appeared illuminated during the celebration of Mass, as if transformed by the presence of Christ.
Question
Which of the five themes above most inspires you about St. Maximilian Kolbe?
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