Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.
+ St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, O.F.M.Conv., was a Polish-Catholic priest and Conventual Franciscan friar who volunteered to die in place of a man named Franciszek Gajowniczek in the German death camp of Auschwitz, located in German-occupied Poland during World War II.
Holocaust survivor Franciszek Gajowniczek.
This is a known case of a priest who offered the sacrifice of the Mass for the church, who then offered his own life as a sacrifice for another human being.
It is touching, amazing and saintly; therefore, he was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II on Oct. 10, 1982.
People will sometimes dramatically say the words, especially to their lovers: “I would give my life for you.”
And probably they even mean it. But how often is that asked of us, and actually done by us, for another?
Perhaps in the giving of our blood — a very easy and yet literally the giving of our life’s blood that could and often does save the life of another, anonymously, but also actually.
Well, today’s passage from Hebrews goes further.
It is, perhaps, the most eloquent description of the life and ministry and purpose for which Jesus the Christ came into our flesh and our world.
The letter to the Hebrews proclaims Jesus the Christ as the high priest who both offered sacrifice and became the sacrifice. In simple words, he offered himself! He promised, and he was the promise.
Every time we celebrate Mass we are celebrating the Sacrifice who is the Lord, the Holy One of God.
It is truly a Love Moment — a Love Celebration through which we share completely in the Divinity of Christ who shared completely in the Humanity of us.
In the Gospel, we see that the crowds came almost to the point of crushing him. He cured everybody. Even the unclean spirits would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
But little would they know that he would be giving his life in ransom for theirs.
He would sacrifice the sacrifice of a lifetime — that is, his lifetime, himself.
It is for that reason, especially, that we use the language of “giving our lives” for another; although, we might not give our actual physical life — body and all — for another, there are so many multiple ways that we can “give our lives” for another.
Parents do it for their children — again and again and again.
Lovers do it. Friends do it. People in ministry do it. People of faith do it. People who are just really, really human do it — even sometimes for complete strangers.
The great high priest set the example and did it completely. And we, who profess him to be the Christ willingly accept the call and the challenge to follow in his example.
+ “Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the gospel” and as followers and disciples and friends and brothers and sisters to him — the great high priest — we seek to do and be the same.
It is our Call! It is the Gift! It is the Promise!
It is the Life that brings the Light to forever!
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
