I continue to go back to one of my Polish brothers, and a brother to us all. We affectionately call him St. Maximilian Kolbe. He was born in Poland, becoming a Franciscan priest, founder of the Militia of Mary Immaculate and martyr for the faith. Perhaps we know his death more than we know anything. He was a prisoner at Auschwitz during WWII; dying there in 1941. In fact, he died on August 14, the day before the annual celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven. The Nazis were about to separate a father from a son in that death camp. Kolbe courageously stepped forward and suggested they’d find more satisfaction killing a priest rather than the boy’s father. For reasons unknown, the Nazis let father and son remain united and killed Kolbe instead.

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There are some Catholics around who remember the days when the Church obligated the faithful to fast from food and beverages from midnight on Sundays and Holy Days until after attending Mass. During those days some Masses were offered quite early in the morning through the lunch hour to accommodate the faithful. During the same time period, Vigil Masses, or Masses of anticipation, or Masses on Saturday evenings or the evenings before Holy Days were only permitted for serious pastoral advantage. These Vigil Masses were rare. During those days, many businesses were closed on Sundays, too.

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