Homily Sanctoral June 3rd, Uganda Martyrs - The diverse ways of witnessing to the faith

 Homily for St. Charles Lwanga and Companions 2026

20260603 @ Mother Kevin Secondary School, Kanyenye

Introduction

My dear brothers and sisters, when I was growing up, we used to be asked a simple maths question to test our common sense: "There are ten birds sitting on a tree. Then someone kills one with a catapult. How many birds remain?"

While the clever kids in maths would answer, nine, of course the correct answer is zero. The moment one bird is struck, all the others fly away.

Why? Why do they fly away?

Because protecting one's life is natural. Every living creature instinctively avoids danger. If someone suddenly shouted that there was a snake in this room, many of us would jump. If we heard gunshots nearby, we would all take cover. We lock our doors at night. We avoid dangerous places. Life is precious.

That is why today’s feast of the Uganda Martyrs force us to ask a very important question:

·        If life is so precious, what made these men, many of them young men, willingly give it up?  What made young pages in the king's court walk toward death instead of simply saying, "I no longer believe"?

·        What made a fourteen-year-old boy like Saint Kizito smile on the way to execution?

·        What gave them such courage?

The answer is simple: Faith. Not a weak faith. Not a faith of convenience. Not a faith that lasts only when things are easy.  A deep faith. A faith that convinced them that God was worth more than anything else—even life itself.

Scripture and Theology

The readings chosen by the Church for today’s celebration help us understand answer these questions.

In the first reading, we hear about the seven brothers and their mother who chose death rather than disobey God's law.  To modern ears, their decision sounds extreme. We might ask, "Why not just eat the pork and save your life?" I am sure many of your here even like pork.

But they understood something many people today have forgotten: Some things are more important than comfort. Some things are more important than popularity. Some things are even more important than life itself.

Again and again they declare their confidence that God will raise them up. Their faith gave them courage. The same was true of the Uganda Martyrs.

What makes the story of the Uganda Martyrs even more remarkable is that Christianity had arrived in Uganda only a few years earlier. Some of the martyrs had been baptized only recently, Kizito baptized on the way to execution. One was even still a catechumen. Yet they possessed extraordinary faith.

Think about the diversity among them.

·        Some were important officials in the king's court.

·        Others were ordinary workers.

·        Some were adults.

·        One was a teenager.

And right next to the burning Catholic martyrs, there were also Anglican martyrs who shared the same desire to give their lives to God, despite their different denominations. Yet all of them stood together.

Their witness reminds us that holiness is not reserved for one type of person. God calls all of us. And that includes every student sitting here today.

The Uganda Martyrs were not priests. They were not bishops. They were not religious sisters. They were ordinary young lay Catholics. Many of them were not much older than some of you.

The Gospel helps us understand even more deeply what was happening in the hearts of the martyrs. Jesus says: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Now, if we are honest, that sounds completely backwards.

The world says:

·        "Blessed are the powerful."

·        "Blessed are the rich."

·        "Blessed are the popular."

·        "Blessed are those who always get their own way."

But Jesus says:

·        "Blessed are the pure in heart."

·        "Blessed are the merciful."

·        "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness."

·        "Blessed are those who are persecuted because they do what is right."

The Uganda Martyrs believed Jesus instead of the world.  They believed that the Beatitudes were not merely beautiful words but the truth.

·        When Charles Lwanga protected the younger pages entrusted to his care, he chose righteousness over safety.

·        When Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe tried to protect the life of the Protestant Bishop, Hannington, he chose Christ over fear.

·        When Matia Mulumba, a high government official, put his position in danger by standing up for gospel, he was living the Beatitudes.

They lost their lives, but they gained the Kingdom.

Then Saint Paul, in the second reading, tells us where they found the strength to do this.

·        He asks: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"

·        Then he gives a whole list: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, danger, the sword?

·        And his answer is simple: "Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

That is the faith of the martyrs. They were not fearless because they were naturally brave. They were fearless because they knew they were loved. They knew that even if the king took everything from them—even their lives—he could not take Christ from them. The flames of Namugongo could burn their bodies, but they could not separate them from the love of Christ. That is why they could face death with peace. That is why they could remain faithful to the end.

Christian Life

Now perhaps none of us will ever be asked to die for the faith in the Uganda Martyrs did or the way the Maccabees brothers did. But every one of us will be asked to live for it. And sometimes living for Christ can be harder than we think.

Students today face different fires from those of Namugongo. The martyrs faced literal flames. You face the flames of peer pressure.

·        The pressure to fit in.

·        The pressure to cheat in examinations.

·        The pressure to join others in bullying.

·        The pressure to make fun of those who take their faith seriously.

·        The pressure to engage in relationships that do not respect God's plan.

·        The pressure to spend more time on social media than with God.

·        The pressure to be one person in church and a completely different person in the dormitory.

Every generation has its test. The question is not whether we will be tested. The question is whether we will remain faithful.

Every day you must decide whether you believe the Beatitudes or whether you believe the world.

·        Do you believe that the pure in heart are truly blessed?

·        Do you believe that doing what is right is worth the cost?

·        Do you believe that Christ's love is worth more than popularity, marks obtained dishonestly, or acceptance by the crowd?

That is the same choice the martyrs faced, only in a different form.

Saint Charles Lwanga's witness is especially relevant here. One of the reasons he was killed was because he refused to cooperate with the immoral demands of the king. He protected the younger boys entrusted to his care. He knew that following Christ meant saying "no" when everyone else was saying "yes."

That takes courage. The same courage is needed today.

·        When everyone is cheating, will you remain honest?

·        When everyone is gossiping, will you refuse?

·        When everyone is mocking a classmate, will you defend him or her?

·        When everyone is compromising their values, will you stand firm?

That is modern martyrdom. Not martyrdom of blood. But martyrdom of character. Martyrdom of integrity. Martyrdom of faithfulness.

Conclusion

My dear young people, the Uganda Martyrs were not superheroes. They were ordinary young men transformed by extraordinary faith. Their secret was not strength. Their secret was conviction. They truly believed that Jesus Christ was worth everything.

Today, God is not asking most of us to die for the faith. But He is asking us to live it.

·        To be honest.

·        To be pure.

·        To be prayerful.

·        To be courageous.

·        To be faithful when it is difficult.

·        To be witnesses.

The word martyr means witness. Every student here is called to be a witness. Not necessarily by shedding your blood, but by living in such a way that others can see Christ in you.

And if there is one lesson that the Uganda Martyrs teach us today, it is this: faith is not measured by how loudly we call ourselves Christians, but by how faithfully we follow Christ when it costs us something.

As we honour Saint Charles Lwanga, Saint Kizito, Saint Matthias Mulumba, Saint Denis Ssebuggwawo, and all their companions today, let us pray for the same faith that inspired them.

·        A faith that does not run away when things become difficult.

·        A faith that remains firm when others compromise.

·        A faith that trusts that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

·        A faith that makes us true witnesses.

And one day, when we stand before God, may we be able to say that we used every gift He gave us and remained faithful to Him until the end; and then, like he welcomed St. Charles and his companions into his Kingdom, he will say to you and me, “Well done good and faithful servant; come and share in your Master’s happiness.”