25 St. Maximilian Kolbe Quotes on Love and Spirit

By Norbert Juma | Updated August 23, 2023

Learn about the passionate Franciscan friar on a mission to spread spirituality with these St. Maximilian Kolbe quotes.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish Franciscan friar renowned for his exemplary courage and selflessness.

Another trait of St. Maximilian Kolbe was his profound love for others.

The story of his life revolves around his devotion to God and his love for humanity.

Early Life

St Maximilian Kolbe was born on January 8, 1894, in Zduńska Wola (present-day Poland).

At that time, it was part of the Russian Empire.

Since childhood, he has showcased a deep inclination toward spirituality.

He had a strong desire to serve God.

In 1910, Kolbe dedicated his life to Christianity by entering the Conventual Franciscan Order.

As a Franciscan friar, he was given the religious name “Maximilian”.

This signified his devotion to Saint Maximilian of Celeia.

Missionary Work

Father Maximilian Kolbe was passionate about spreading God’s message.

He soon went on a journey to start missionary work in Asia.

Kolbe founded the Franciscan monastery in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1930.

Here, he tirelessly worked to spread the Christian faith.

Furthermore, he also established the publication named “Knight of the Immaculate”.

This was his effort to disseminate religious literature and promote Marian devotion.

He was well aware of the potential of modern communication tools.

Through his innovative thinking, he used various mediums for the propagation of God’s message.

These mediums include:

Printing press
Mass media promotions
Other available communication tools

These strategies earned him the title “Apostle of the Media.”

Legacy and Canonization

Saint Maximilian Kolbe sacrificed his life and left a remarkable legacy.

Pope John Paul II canonized him as a martyr of charity on October 10, 1982.

Also, his feast day is celebrated with religious zeal on August 14.

He dedicated his life to spreading the message of God.

He tried to share his belief that God wanted to share his love for us.

Through his media campaigns, he tried to inspire other preachers of Christianity.

Even to this day, his sacrifice and selflessness serve as a reminder of his devotion.

His transformative potential was massive, which led him to offer compassion and care to others.

Top 5 St. Maximilian Kolbe Quotes

These are the top quotes by St. Maximilian Kolbe that show a lot of facts related to his personality.

1. “Don’t ever forget to love.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

2. “You are hers: Let yourself be led by the Immaculate.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

3. “God dwells in our midst, in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

4. “If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

5. “In order that obedience be supernatural, it must not proceed from reason, but from faith.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

St. Maximilian Kolbe Quotes About the Importance of Love

Here are some quotes from St. Maximilian showing the importance of love.

6. “The Cross is the school of love.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

7. “A single act of love makes the soul return to life.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

8. “Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

9. “Let us remember that love lives through sacrifice and is nourished by giving…Without sacrifice, there is no love.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

10. “Approaching directly to her heart, you will attain a greater knowledge of her and be inflamed by a greater love for her than all human words together could teach you.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

St. Maximilian Kolbe Quotes About Jesus

Let’s check out St. Maximilian Kolbe’s inspirational quotes about Jesus.

11. “For Jesus Christ I am prepared to suffer still more.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

12. “For a book from which to learn how to grow in the love of God, there is no better book than Jesus Christ crucified.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

13. “Let us not forget that Jesus not only suffered but also rose in glory; so, too, we go to the glory of the Resurrection by way of suffering and the Cross.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

14. “Jesus honored her before all ages and will honor her for all ages. No one comes to Him, nor even near Him; no one is saved or sanctified if he, too will not honor her. This is the lot of Angels and of men.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

15. “One can go to Our Lord Jesus or the Most Holy Trinity directly, not excluding, however, the most holy Mother, for to tend toward God without Mary, if it is with an express exclusion of her, is pride and something diabolical, and the essence of sin is always pride, that is, non-conformity with the will of God; and the will of God is this, that we go to Him by this road, that is, through the most holy Mother.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

St. Maximilian Kolbe Quotes About God

Here are some inspiring St. Maximilian Kolbe quotes about God to embrace spiritual insights and find divine inspiration to strengthen faith.

16. “Christian perfection consists in the union of our will with the will of God.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

17. “Prayer is powerful beyond limits when we turn to the Immaculata who is queen even of God’s heart.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

18. “Do not forget that holiness consists not in extraordinary actions, but in performing your duties towards God, yourself, and others well.” — St Maximilian Kolbe

19. “The most deadly poison of our times is indifference. And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits. Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him to the greatest extent of our powers.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

20. “The essence of the love of God does not lie in affections or in sweet words, but solely in the will. If the soul perseveres decisively with its will fixed on holiness and love of God, although it does not experience the least feeling in its heart, let it be wholly convinced that it continually tends with rapid pace forward and ever pushes upward.” — St Maximilian Kolbe

St. Maximilian Kolbe Quotes Showing Necessity of Immaculate

The Immaculate has a significant role in Christianity. Some quotes showing the necessity of Immaculate are below.

21. “If anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Brother.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

22. “The will of the Immaculate is most intimately united to the will of the Holy Ghost in such a way that it is completely identified with it.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

23. “I pray you to tell the Brothers not to be afraid at all to love the Immaculate too much since… . they will never love her as Jesus loved her.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

24. “When the soul reflects on the fact that it has given itself to the Immaculate and that whatever happens to it occurs by her will, it is filled with a very great peace.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe

25. “Our dependence on Mary is greater than we can imagine. We receive all graces, absolutely all of them, from God through the Immaculate, who is our universal mediatrix with Jesus.” — St. Maximilian Kolbe