Pope John Paul II began his homily at the Mass of canonization of Maximilian Kolbe with words from the gospel: John 15:13 "No one has greater love than this, than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." St. Maxmilian Kolbe was granted the grace of carrying out these words of Christ in an absolute literal manner.

He was born on January 7, 1894 and christened with the name Raymond, after St. Raymond of Penaford, a 13th century Dominican canonist whose feast is celebrated that day. Raymond contracted tuberculosis; and though he recovered, he remained physically frail throughout his life. In 1918 he was ordained a priest for the Franciscan Conventuals taking the name Father Maximilian.

The previous year he had organized the Movement of the Immaculata; a society of 800 clerics and laity, known as the Knights of the Immaculata and a monthly magazine by the same name.

His love and devotion to Mary Immaculate was a compelling force in his personal life and ministry.

His missionary travels took him to Japan where he built several churches including one in Nagasaki, the only building that withstood the H-bomb dropped by the Elona Gay. He also went briefly to India before returning home from deteriorating health problems.

After the Nazi invasion in 1939, he was arrested but released for a short time. After a second arrest in 1941, he was sent to the death camp at Auschwitz. On July 31, in reprisal for the escape of one prisoner, ten were selected for execution. One of those ten was a young husband and father. Maximilian immediately offered himself in that man’s place.

After enduring two weeks of painful torture, starvation, thirst and neglect, Maximilian remained the last of the ten alive. But the Gestapo had had enough. On August 14, 1941 he was executed by lethal injection. On the next day, the Feast of the Assumption, his body was cremated in the infamous ovens.

In the mass of canonization Pope John Paul spoke of a mysterious vision of two crowns (wreaths)--one white and one red; white, symbolizing fidelity and innocence; red, symbolizing the blood of martyrdom. In the vision, Maximilian was offered a choice. Heroically, he did not choose. He was willing to accept in death as in life whatever the Lord chose to give him.