Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs
Today, we celebrate the memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and his Companions. In the mid-1880s, the White Fathers had been active in spreading the faith among the people of Uganda, and they had been graced with many converts. Then, in 1886, King Mwanga took office. He was a brutal king who saw Christianity as a threat to his rule, and he intended to wipe it out.
He summoned all his pages to appear before him and demanded that all who were Christians were to step forward. Fifteen of them, ranging from the twenty-four-year-old catechist Charles Lwanga to the youngest at 13. Since they made it clear that they would not reject their faith, the King ordered them to be killed. After a march of 16 miles, they were wrapped in reeds, stacked on a pyre, and set on fire.
Paul’s advice to Timothy, “That is why I am reminding you to fan the flame of the gift of God that you possess through the laying on of my hands,” is what guided Charles, the faithful catechist, to encourage his companions to remain faithful.
Uganda holds a special place in the heart of Saint Ann Province, as three Blessed Sacrament priests were sent there in 1959. Other SSS priests and brothers followed, catechizing the people of Masaka and the surrounding villages. They built a vibrant church until 1973, when Idi Amin, who had assumed power in 1971, a man as evil as King Mwanga, the slayer of Charles Lwanga, sought to drive out Christianity, and the members of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (SSS) were gone by 1973.
In today’s reading, we hear that God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. Today, the community that had been tended by the men of the US Province of the Congregation so long ago is now thriving again with Ugandan SSS religious.
Let Us Pray:
Creator and Loving God, you sent your Son into our world, and it was the wish of Jesus that all might know the boundless and profound love that you have for all of your creation. Jesus’ message has been spread and received on every continent, in every country, in every village, by women and men of faith who were driven by the love they received to spread that love. Give us an abundance of your grace to be your witness in our little corner of the world. Amen.
