continuation...

The Mariology of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe
by Fr. James McCurry, O.F.M. Conv.

The Immaculate's complementarity with the Trinity, in this Kolbean view, must be seen as referring to the "outer" Trinity, i.e., the Trinity in its operations ad extra, out side Itself. Just as there is a complementarity between the two "outer: Missions (those of the Son and the Spirit), so too, Kolbe points out, there is a complementarity between the created terms of both Missions: Mary Immaculate in her final role as womb of the Son and spouse/temple of the Spirit. By reason of her engagement in both Missions, the Immaculate is complement to the operations of the Trinity ad extra. As such, she gives to the Father new meaning in his work as Sender ad extra.

She gives to the Son ad extra his humanity. She gives to the Spirit ad extra his fecundity. As such a "complement," the Immaculate herself functions as God's agent, drawing all humanity back to the Father through Christ in intimate collaboration/union with the Holy Spirit. Kolbe summarizes the whole interpersonal dynamic that this role involves:

"But if anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Brother; the Father will not send the Son to him; the Son will not come down into his soul; the Holy Spirit will not make him a member of the mystical body through the gift of his grace; because all God's marvels of grace take place in Mary Immaculate who is full of grace-and in her alone."

Having examined the foregoing features of Kolbe's marilogy, having noted their Franciscan roots, and having placed them in the context of Kolbe's overall objective to extend throughout the world the blessed Kingdom of the Most Sacred heart of Jesus--having completed our survey, there remains one final practical question:

Why do you think the Pope canonized Kolbe? was it merely because of his heroic martyrdom? or even because of his earlier successes as a Catholic publisher/evangelizer? Interview some of the survivors of Auschwitz who shared the barracks with Kolbe. I have done so. Their testimonies provide some startling clues toward the Church's motive in canonizing Kolbe. To a man, these survivors recall less frequently the pictures of Kolbe's final gesture of volunteering for death than they recall the frequent scenes of Kolbe lecturing his fellow inmates on the mystery of the Immaculate Conception-and the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Mission of the Spirit. Amazingly, the testimonies concur, Kolbe held his audiences spellbound. Kolbe the theologian, Kolbe the evangelist, and Kolbe the martyr were one and the same person-an "integral theologian." His canonization reflects the Church's recognition that dogma and life can and should be integrated.

On his first Christmas as a priest, in 1918, Kolbe offered Mass for the intention:

"Pro Amore Usque Ad Victiman." His final realization of this victimhood at Auschwitz, however, was grounded in an "Amore" which Kolbe came to understand only through intense and consistent theological reflection on the primacy of Christ and the mystery of the Immaculate which this paper has attempted to articulate.