This saint lived a life of joy and sacrifice. As a kid, Maximilian loved adventure and often enjoyed playing jokes on others. At the age of ten, he firmly decided to live his life for God and the Blessed Mother. After a lot of study, Maximilian became a Franciscan priest. He started an organization in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Maximilian understood the good that the printing press could do. He started several magazines in various languages, to let people know about Jesus and the teachings of the Catholic Church. But Maximilian is most remembered for the last weeks of his life. He had been sent to Auschwitz, a World War II death camp. He offered to take the place of one of the prisoners, a father with small children, who was singled out to die of starvation in retaliation for the escape of another prisoner. Maximilian died on the eve of the feast of the Assumption of Mary, August 14, 1941.

Your Turn

St. Maximilian was willing to make the greatest sacrifice in order to help someone else. Is there someone I know who needs the gift of my time? Or a special talent I have? Or my loving heart?

My Pledge

Dear Jesus, help me to be heroic in loving others. Help me to see ways that I can be loving today.