St Charles Lwanga & Companions, Martyrs-Memoria
Today we celebrate the memoria of Saints Charles Lwanga and companions, Martyrs. They were 21 in number, the youngest of which was just 13yrs old. They were tortured and then executed, and some of them we burnt alive by the Ugandan king Mwanga between 1885 to 1887. They were killed for being Christians, for decrying the atrocities being committed by the king and for refusing to be sodomised.
But something spectacular happened after their execution. The number of those who wanted to be Catholic Christians in Uganda quadrupled. Their death brought so much renewal that St Charles was adopted as the Patron of Catholic action and African Youth. Hence, this feast is called a Ugandan martyrs feast and is a public holiday in Uganda.
Last Saturday I reflected on how our sufferings could become source of salvation to others. This is very much truth in the case of the Ugandan Martyrs. Through their faithfulness in sufferings and death, souls were drawn to Christ.
So, the saying that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church, again proves true. Although as Christians, we never seek to be killed for our faith. But we know that, because of our unity with God in Christ, our sufferings and death can never go unanswered for. And what this means is that, the sufferings or death of Christians has always brought into existence the greatest fears of their persecutors and murderers whose intentions are often to shame them and discourage others from believing. But guess what? Having being tried like Gold in the fire, as today’s entrance antiphon says, “the lord has taken them to himself and in due time has honoured them with grace and peace”.
In death, Saint Charles and his companions were crowned with the glory of martyrdom and have entered into the glorious inheritance of God’s Children. The glory that awaits us. Like the seven brothers we heard of in today’s first reading who chose to die in human hands rather than break the laws of their fathers, Saint Charles and companions, chose to die for what they believed to be true rather than compromise or defy the Lord their God. For their faith, they died to live again knowing that the king of the universe will raise them up as the second brother in today’s first reading affirmed.
In the minds of their killers, the martyrs are destroyed. But their death is simply a passage into the beatific vision of which Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel. “Happy are those persecuted in the cause of right, rejoice for your reward is great in heaven”. Having been denied the passing glory of this world, an eternal glory becomes theirs.
As we now contemplate and consider the outcome of the lives of the Ugandan martyrs, giving thanks to God for the triumph of grace in their lives, the letter to the Hebrews 13:7 invites us to imitate their faith.
In the cause of preparing this reflection, I was strongly moved to examine my faithfulness, thinking about the ways I witness to God’s great love for me especially in moments of sufferings, when things are not going as expected. Do I remain faithful to the promise keeper even in the face of my weaknesses? Can I let go the passing glory of this world that I may gain the eternal glory as Ugandan Martyrs did?
Maybe, we could ask for the grace to remain faithful in our resolve to follow Jesus even if we have to fall many times. Yes. We may fall many time as we strive to be faithful to the one who has called us. But we know that the grace upon our lives will always triumph over our failures. Christians may be struck down just like the Ugandan Martyrs. But by the virtue of what has been accomplished in Christ, we are never destroyed. In Christ, Death has been conquered and eternal life restored to us. This is what today’s responsorial psalm meant when it said, our lives like a bird has escaped from the snare of the fowler.
As God did not abandon his beloved Son in the grave even after days, we too shall not be abandoned even if the foundation of our faith should shake, because God love us personally and our covenant with him is forever sealed. Saints Charles and Companions were convinced of this truth, and trusted Our God who keeps His promises. May we too learn to trust Him in our own sufferings and thus witness to his great love.
Let us pray
O God, who have made the blood of Martyrs
the seed of Christians, through the intercession of Saints Charles Lwanga and his companions, fill us with that love stronger than death that we may witness to your great love with our lives. Through Christ out lord. Amen.