Today the Church gives us the Memorial of St Charles Lwanga & Companions, the Ugandan Martyrs.
Martyrs always fascinate me, as they challenge me in my faith. If I was in their situation, would I be able to face death peacefully and calmly without denying my faith in Christ? Would I be able to not fight back and to hate my persecutors, but love them and pray for them instead and even bless them?
And I always come to the challenge of asking myself, if I’m so inspired by these heroic figures, why can’t I follow their example in the little day to day struggles of my life? Why am I not able to control my temper or my patience or my lust or bitterness or my self control? If I can’t be faithful in those little daily battles, how can I ever hope to be steadfast if ever faced with the choice between death or denying my faith?
But the saints give me hope and I pray through their intercession that if I’m ever in that position that I will have the grace to persevere.
In todays society, it is progressively becoming more and anti-Christian. Things that 10 years ago would have been considered so absurd as to be laughed at and dismissed, are now being debated and advocated at the highest levels of society. Reality no longer appears to be an objective and truth is reduced to whatever is the appeal to the masses of the day.
But the martyrs were always hated for opposing error and refusing to compromise the truth. Recently we had the memorial of St Justin Martyr who is a Church Father abd refuses to offer sacrifice to idols. Now 2 days later we have St Charles Lwanga and companions.
You’ll hear it said about St Charles is how he was in the service of a King and he refused to cooperate in sexuality immorality. But what is interesting is that through his example, other servant boys were also refusing to be involved in sexual immorality as part of their “service” to the King. These same boys were also converting to the faith through the example of St Charles Lwanga who not only acted as a mentor to them, but he also catechised them and even baptised them! What a wonderful example of faith to us all!
He and his companions were martyred with other non Catholic Christians too, primarily Anglicans. And there is a shrine dedicated to them. Pope Paul VI visited this shrine after he canonised the martyrs and reflects on the strength of their faith, as a personal lived conviction and experience of Jesus. They were well formed in their catechism which strengthened their faith and of course the graces from their baptism bore fruit in their death - they died to the world but are alive in Christ.
May the collect for today speak to your heart and inspire you in whatever struggles you may be having today in your faith.
O God, who have made the blood of Martyrs
the seed of Christians,
mercifully grant that the field which is your Church,
watered by the blood
shed by Saints Charles Lwanga and his companions,
may be fertile and always yield you an abundant harvest.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
