Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

READINGS

Gospel John 17:1-11a

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began.“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.”

REFLECTION

“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them.

Charles Lwanga was a convert to Catholicism. He was part of the royal household of Chief Mawulugungu. Charles became a catechumen and learned about Jesus and His teachings. As head of the court pages, ages 13-30, he taught them about Jesus' teachings and sexual morality. He taught them to stay chaste and to resist the Chief. As a result. Charles and the young men were burned to death for resisting immoral acts which they believed to be against their faith.

Jesus says in the Gospel that He gave those who followed Him the "words" His Father gave Him. The followers believed and "accepted them." The young pages in Uganda under Charles Lwanga believed the truth and were faithful to Jesus' teachings. They died as chaste martyrs.

Let us pray for all priests to live the virtue of chastity and to teach God's laws about moral living. Here is the prayer. Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.