Saturday of the 8th week in the ordinary time year A

Theme: Authority from God

Today the church celebrates the memorial of Saints Charles Lwanga and his companions who were Martyrs. They are also referred to as the Martyrs of Uganda. They were beatified in the year 1920 and canonized by Pope Paul V1 in 1964. Interestingly, Charles Lwanga was a convert to the Catholic faith, and he embraced his faith with great conviction, to the point of laying down his life with his companions. The faith of these our ancestors in faith, continues to challenge our practice of Christianity in our own time. They willingly gave everything, what are we willing to give in our own time? This is a question that we need to answer as individuals, as we celebrate the memorial of these Martyrs today in the church.

In the gospel reading of today, we see the chief priests and the Scribes and the elders, questioning the authority with which Jesus is doing his ministry. This is what happens when we allow envy and jealousy to take over our life. One thing that is obvious from their deliberation in today’s gospel is that they knew with whose authority Jesus was performing his miracles, they were simply looking for an opportunity with which they will indict him. Unfortunately for them, they were dealing with a man with great wisdom, who had answers and solutions that disarmed them at the end. One of the things we need to learn from what played out in the gospel reading of today is that we must guide against envy and jealousy in our life. This is because it is one of the fastest means through which we can easily destroy ourselves. When there is envy and jealousy in an individual, objectivity and truth is lost, and everything you look out for is negativity and faults, just like in the gospel reading of today.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, the 1st reading of today is very important and should be taken seriously by all of us as children of God. The Book of Sirach encourages us to pray for the gift of wisdom from God. When one is privileged to enjoy the gift of wisdom from God, he possesses something that is very valuable, and money cannot buy it. One can say that wisdom is all encompassing in a sense. You can be intelligent but not wise, but when you are wise, intelligence goes with it. When an individual’s life is guided by wisdom from above, it makes a lot of difference. Let us pray today that God will grant us the gift of wisdom.

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.

 

Memorial of Ss. Charles Lwanga and companions, by Fr. Jude Ifeanyi Ifezime, C.S.Sp