Friday of the 7th week of Easter (Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions)
Theme: Gods time
Today the church celebrates the memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and his companions. These were great men of faith, who were fearless and convinced about their faith in God, and they paid the supreme price by sacrificing their lives. The story of the Saints we celebrate today is quite a challenging one for you and I as Christians in our own time. Charles Lwanga was a Ugandan convert to Catholicism. He was murdered with some of his young friends for their faith in God. They are also known as the Martyrs of Uganda. These young men fearlessly and with joy embraced their execution by king Mwanga. My brothers and sisters in Christ, in times of challenges and difficulties we encounter in our journey of faith, let us try to draw strength from the life and conviction of these young men who paid the supreme price with their lives.
In the ordeal of St. Paul in the hands of the king and leaders of the people, it is clear that God has not deserted him and the appointed time has not yet come for him. In the midst of his trying time, we still see the king listening to what Paul has to say and treating him with fairness in his judgement. This goes to show us that in every situation we find ourselves in life, it is God that has the final say; until he gives the command, and there will always be people to speak in our favour, even in our absence. That is why we have to trust in God at all times in every situation in our life. He is ever faithful to his promises and never disappoints all those who trust in him. It is for us as followers of Christ to remain resolute when we encounter difficult moments that challenges our faith in God. We are bound to encounter such situations from time to time in our journey of faith. But we must know that we are not alone, God is always with us. It is just like we see in the case of St. Paul and the Martyrs of Uganda.
Lastly in the gospel of today, we see Jesus asking Peter three times if he loves him, and he told him to feed and take care of us as the followers of Christ. In the same way, we are all encouraged to make effort to be good sheep’s that the shepherd will lead to greener pasture. Jesus is ever faithful, trust in him at all times and you will never regret it. May almighty God bless you, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.