Episode Transcript  

One

The Trials of Maximilian Kolbe

Suffering can be one of the greatest obstacles to being led by the Holy Spirit. 

When it comes, many of us resist, panic, or shut down. That’s why the virtue of patience is essential. Without it, we cannot fully cooperate with the Spirit. St. Maximilian Kolbe had the virtue of patience in heroic measure—and that’s why he became such a powerful instrument of the Holy Spirit and Mary.

In 1917, at just 23 years old, Kolbe contracted tuberculosis, which was incurable at the time. He would suffer from it for the rest of his life. One lung collapsed entirely, and the other was badly damaged. He likely lived with only 20% lung capacity. He endured constant fever, migraine headaches, and the persistent sense of living under the shadow of death. But there was more than physical suffering. 

Kolbe’s bold vision was completely misunderstood by his own order. After 700 years of doing things the same way, most Franciscans couldn’t grasp his desire to use every modern means—press, radio, and film—to spread devotion to Jesus through Mary. Instead of support, he was sent into exile to a remote mission in Grodno. But even there, Kolbe didn’t retreat—he expanded. And when that mission could no longer contain the work, he founded from the ground up the largest Catholic monastery in the world: Niepokalanów, home to over 700 young men, all consecrated to the Immaculata.

In 1939, Poland was crushed between two of the most brutal regimes in history—Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. Kolbe was eventually sent to Auschwitz, a living hell. Yet not a single witness—friend or enemy—ever reported him uttering a word of complaint. He never cursed his illness, blamed his superiors, or lamented his sufferings. He remained steadfast. And that unwavering patience became the open channel through which the Holy Spirit and Mary could act freely and powerfully through him.

Two

Trials a Hidden Privilege

James 1:2: “My brothers, you will always have your trials, but when they come, try to treat them as a happy privilege; you understand that your faith is only put to the test to make you patient, but patience too is to have its practical results so that you will become fully-developed, complete, with nothing missing.”

Verse 12 finishes with: “Happy the man who stands firm when trials come. He has proved himself, and will win the prize of life, the crown that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

How in the world can we be happy when trials come? Because we live by Providence: “We know that by turning everything to their good God cooperates with those who love him.” Romans 8:28

We can be happy because God will turn this trial to our good if we cooperate with him.

But to cooperate with God takes patience, and without patience, we will lose the good God wants to bring forth from our trials.

So we need patience—but what is patience?

Three

Patience

Patience is the virtue to endure suffering cheerfully without losing the good.

Patience is part of courage, and there are two basic actions of courage: attack and endure. When we face something bad or evil, our first response should be to attack it—change it if we can. If we can’t change it, then we are called to endure the evil without becoming evil ourselves.

When we face some trial or suffering that we cannot change, we are in danger of losing the good God wants to bring about by reacting badly—with sinful anger, bitterness, resentment, or discouragement that may cause us to give up or despair that causes us to escape through addictions to food, alcohol, weed, painkillers, or even workaholism or binge entertainment.

That is when we need patience: the virtue to endure the trial with cheerfulness because we are convinced that God works all things for good for those who love him.

So how do we stay hopeful and cheerful in trials and sufferings?

Four

Suffering – the Engine 

In May of 1939 Brother Pelagiusz, a close friend of St. Maximilian said to him, “Father, despite your poor health and the many obstacles you’ve had to overcome you have accomplished so much, imagine what you could have done without all these crosses. Why doesn’t God free you from the cross so that your mission would be more successful?”

Kolbe smiled and said, “It was just the opposite. The cross was not an obstacle; it was the engine that powered the success. Without the cross he would have accomplished nothing.”

When we have no cross then we rely on human effort alone and that is weak. Suffering strips us of self-reliance so we learn to rely totally on God. That is when we become free and powerful. 

Tuberculosis, misunderstanding and the Nazis were not a hindrance to Kolbe. It forced him to surrender to God which unleashed the power of God to accomplish great things. 

Kolbe understood what God meant when he said to St. Paul, “My power is at its best in weakness.”

Then he said, “That is why the worse cross is to have no cross.”

Five

How Do We Develop Patience?

Patience isn’t something you wait to feel—it’s a choice, an action you choose to practice. And like any virtue, it gets easier the more you do it. 

So, what should we practice?

When you face an evil—change it if you can.

But if you can’t change it, accept it with trust because God works all things for good for those who love Him.

Offer it up for the conversion of your loved ones.

This cross to be accepted and offered may be the most effective means you have to bring about the conversion of loved ones. 

So, don’t waste it. 

And Beg the Holy Spirit for the gift of fortitude which gives divine strength to us weak humans.

Patience isn’t gained by avoiding the cross— but by enduring it cheerfully, for love of God, fully convinced that He is working all things for good.

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