Phrases of Maximilian Kolbe, aphorisms, thoughts and quotations from the writings of the Polish priest and Franciscan friar who offered his life in the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz in exchange for that of a fellow prisoner who was a family man.
Quotes of St. Maximilian Kolbe
- The human heart is too large to be filled with money, sensuality, or the smoke of glory, which is illusory, even if it stuns. It desires a higher, limitless and eternally lasting good. But this good is only God.
- The essence of mutual love does not consist in the fact that nobody brings us sorrows, which is impossible among men, but that we learn to forgive each other in an increasingly perfect way, immediately and completely. Then we will recite with great confidence the invocation contained in the "Our Father": "and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Mt 6, 12). It would be a real trouble if we had nothing or very little to forgive others.
- Hatred divides, separates and destroys, while on the contrary love unites, gives peace and builds. Nothing strange, therefore, that only love can always make men perfect. Therefore, only that religion which teaches the love of God and neighbor can perfect men.
- Reflection on Paradise: Everything we see, hear and feel does not fully satisfy our desires. We want more, but this "more" is not there. We want it to last longer, but here inexorably and always the end comes. In heaven it will be quite the opposite. There is Good, infinite Beauty: God is endless happiness. The difference, therefore, is absolutely infinite.
- In an even better way describes paradise he who, already in this life, was kidnapped to heaven for a short time, that is, Saint Paul, who says: “Those things which eye did not see, nor ear heard, nor ever entered into the heart as a man, he prepared God for those who love him "(1Cor 2,9). It is an even closer description to the truth, as it shows the infinite difference that passes between the ideas we have about paradise and reality.
- But a prayer raised to God by the hands of the Immaculate Conception cannot remain without effect, as it is said in the invocation of Saint Bernard: "Remember, most pitiful Virgin Mary, that no one was ever heard, after having appealed to your protection, has been abandoned by you. " First of all, therefore, humble, trusting, constant prayer.
- Love your neighbor, but not for the fact that he is "nice", useful, rich, influential or just because he is grateful. These are too petty reasons, unworthy of a soldier or a soldier of the Immaculate Conception. Authentic love rises above the creature and immerses itself in God: in him, and through him he loves everyone,
good and bad, friends and enemies. A hand full of love reaches out to everyone, pray for everyone, suffer for everyone, wish everyone good, wish happiness for everyone, since it is God who wants it!
- God listens to all the wishes and prayers of the believer who loves him sincerely. Humility is the foundation of all virtues. When there is no humility, all the other virtues atrophy early.
- If we lack humility, we invoke the Immaculate Conception, who will procure this virtue for us. If we entrust ourselves to her with conviction, she will destroy the pride in us.
- True love for one's neighbor does not seek one's profit, but only the benefit of the other. The more we learn to love the Immaculate Conception, the more we love each other. This is the love that allows us to win.
Recommended readings- Phrases of St. Dominic of Guzman: biography
- Phrases of Santa Gemma Galgani: quotes and aphorisms
- Phrases of Saint Anthony of Padua: quotes, aphorisms
- Phrases of San Filippo Neri: famous aphorisms from the writings
- Phrases of San Camillo de Lellis: quotes and thoughts
Aphorisms of St. Maximilian Kolbe
- The willingness to forgive comes from grace and is in harmony with the commandment of love. Thanks to the love for the Immaculate Conception, I become able to forgive always and completely.
- Often love and suffering go together. Those who love are vulnerable. The great love that the Immaculate Conception had for her Son caused her great suffering under the cross. The saints could not imagine their life separated from suffering.
- Suffering for love, feeds love. Trying to avoid crosses, mortifications and suffering does not lead to happiness.
- Suffering and sacrifice are proof of love.When love penetrates our intimate, sacrifices become necessary for the soul. Spiritual joy arises from sacrifice. Remember, love lives and feeds on sacrifice.
- Authentic humility consists in avoiding, fleeing honors, hiding divine graces, humiliating oneself, exalting GOD as convenient.
- Hate is not creative force. Only love is creative force!
- It is perfect humility: beware of all those words that can attract us the glory, esteem and appreciation of others, willingly accept every occasion of humiliation, accept the occasions of contempt and humiliation first with patience, then willingly, without difficulty, in the end with joy.
- Obedience, and it alone, is the one that the divine will shows us with certainty.
- Obedience is the easiest, shortest and most certain way towards holiness; indeed supernatural obedience, the union of our will with the divine will, constitutes the very essence of holiness, that is, of perfect love.
- Return in all things to Divine Providence through the Immaculate Conception and do not worry about anything.
Phrases of St. Maximilian Kolbe
- Prayer is an unknown means, and yet the most effective way to restore peace in souls, to give them happiness, since it serves to bring them closer to the love of God. Prayer revives the world. Prayer is the indispensable condition for the regeneration and life of every soul.
- The earth must be flooded with a flood of Christian and Marian press, in every language, in every place, to drown in the eddies of truth every manifestation of error that has found the most powerful ally in the press.
- Napoleon was once asked what he thought was necessary to win a battle. And he thus replied: "Three things are necessary: money, money, more money." A little in the same way when it comes to the sanctification of souls, it is indispensable: prayer, prayer and again prayer.
- Whoever has Mary for mother, has Christ for brother.
- We pray well, we pray a lot, both with our lips and with our thoughts and we will experience in ourselves how the Immaculate Conception will take ever more possession of our soul, how our belonging to her will deepen more and more in every aspect, like our faults they will vanish and our faults will weaken, as we gently and powerfully draw ever closer to God.
- We, by ourselves, are nothing and we are unable to do anything; without you, Mediatrix of Graces, you cannot protect yourself from falling.
- If God asks us something, surely he also fills us with energies, so that we can carry out His Will, on the condition that we, for our part, do not neglect to do what depends on us.
- The notion of "God" contains infinity in itself, while our intelligence is limited and will therefore never be able to fully understand the concept of "Mother of God".
- The source of happiness and peace is not outside, but within us. We know how to take advantage of everything to exercise our soul in patience, obedience, poverty and other virtues of the Christian life, and the crosses will no longer be so heavy.
- No doubt that the will of Mary is the same will of God.
- The falls teach us not to rely on ourselves, but to place all our trust in the hands of God, in the hands of the Immaculate Conception. Never afflict yourself for your defects, but entrust them completely to the Immaculate Conception, so that She herself will transform them into a greater good.
