Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish Catholic priest and Conventual Franciscan friar.

On 10 October 1982, Pope John Paul II canonized Kolbe and declared him a martyr of charity.

Kolbe's life was strongly influenced in 1906, when he was 12, by a vision of the Virgin Mary.[9] He later described this incident:

That night I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red.

She asked me if I was willing to accept either of these crowns.

The white one meant that I should persevere in purity and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both.

 

 

St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, priest & martyr

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22*

Yahweh shouted loudly

In my ears saying, "The punishment of the city is near; see, each one of these has in his hand his instrument of destruction." And six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each one with his instrument of destruction. With them was a man clothed in linen, with writing materials at his side. They came; and stopped near the altar of bronze.

 

Then the glory of the God of Israel rose from the cherubim, where it rested; and went to the threshold of the house. Yahweh called to the man clothed in linen; who had the material for writing at his side; and he said to him, "Pass through the center of the city, through Jerusalem, and trace a cross on the forehead of the men who sigh and groan, because of all the abominations committed in it."

 

I heard him say to the others, "Now you may pass through the city, after him, and strike. Your eyes shall not look with pity; show no mercy! Do away with them all-old men, young men, virgins, children and women – but do not touch anyone marked with a cross."

 

And, as they were told to begin with the Sanctuary, they struck the elders who were in front of the temple. Yahweh said to them, "Let the courts be filled with the slain and the temple be defiled with their blood: Go out!"

They went and slew the people in the city. (...)

 

Ps 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Matthew 18:15-20

If your brother has sinned against you, go and point out the fault to him, when the two of you are alone; and if he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he doesn't listen to you, take with you one or two others, so that the case may be decided by the evidence of two or three witnesses. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembled Church.

 

But if he does not listen to the Church, then regard him as a pagan, or a tax collector. I say to you: whatever you bind on earth, heaven will keep bound; and whatever you unbind on earth, heaven will keep unbound. In like manner, I say to you, if, on earth, two of you agree in asking for anything, it will be granted to you by my heavenly Father, for where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there, among them."

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Losing and binding." 

The authority of binding and loosing was given to Peter in the context of his profession of faith (cf. Mt. 16:19). Now, in the context of the Discourse on the Church, this same authority was given to the rest of the apostles (cf. Mt. 18:18). Hence, the power to bind and to loose something has become part of the apostolic authority, which in turn is shared to the Church.

 

The power of loosing and binding is shared to the Church that God's grace may be channeled to the people that the Church promises to serve. Furthermore, the context of this binding and loosing authority in today's Gospel provides a step-by-step approach on how to deal with a sinning brother.

 

In the end, it is the assembled Church that must intervene to correct an erring person. Jesus said that if such a person still does not listen to the Church, he must be treated like a pagan or a tax collector. However, we may further reflect on the way Jesus dealt with the pagan and tax collectors. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus' practice is what his followers must emulate. Isn't it that Jesus treated the pagan and tax collectors with mercy and love?