August 14, 2018

Gospel: Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
At that time, the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child, set the child in the midst of the disciples, and said, “I assure you, that, unless you change, and become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble, like this child, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever receives such a child, in my name, receives me. See that you do not despise any of these little ones; for I tell you, their angels in heaven continually see the face of my heavenly Father. What do you think of this? If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillside, and go to look for the stray one? And I tell you, when he finally finds it, he is more pleased about it, than about the ninety-nine that did not go astray. It is the same with your Father in heaven. Your Father in heaven doesn’t want even one of these little ones to perish.

Reflections
Your Father in heaven doesn’t want even one of these little ones to perish In 1941, Maximilian Kolbe was arrested by the German Gestapo, imprisoned in Pawiak then transferred to Auschiwtz where he was killed by the guards by a lethal injection of carbolic acid. It is not the manner of death that is remarkable but the circumstances that led to his execution. During his second month in Auschwitz, several inmates were chosen to be starved to death, in order to threaten those contemplating escaping from prison. Kolbe was not among those chosen but volunteered to take the place of an inmate with a family. He sacrificed his life that another may live.

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