St Charles Lwanga and Companions – Jun 03 – Homily – Fr Ignatius

 

Fr Ignatius gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Jun 03, 2023, on the life and martyrdom of St Charles Lwanga and Companions who gave their ultimate witness of faith in their native Uganda, Africa. They also died for their refusal to give in to the impure intentions of the king. He then explains how all of us have a predominate fault, and our journey to virtue and to heaven is to overcome this and to bear the cross of resisting all the associated temptations.

The 13 Ugandan martyrs, including Saints Charles Lwanga and his 12 companions, bravely defended their faith in the 1880s. In the royal court of King Mwanga, they refused to submit to his immoral desires, resulting in their tragic execution. These martyrs, serving as a profound symbol of chastity and purity, chose the temporal fire of martyrdom over eternal fire by not compromising their faith.

Charles Lwanga, who replaced the beheaded chief page, Joseph, continued protecting the younger pages from the king, encouraging their conversion to Catholicism. The martyrs' steadfastness in the face of threats serves as an inspiring testament to the virtue of chastity, advocating for its protection even at the cost of one's life.

The issue at hand was King Mwanga's disordered passion which was against the natural moral law. Homosexual acts are seen as acts of grave depravity, with same-sex attraction being disordered. However, the Christian faith calls homosexual individuals to chastity, inner freedom, and Christian perfection, emphasizing that everyone is capable of attaining holiness, irrespective of their personal trials or weaknesses.

This serves as a call to action for the Church to persistently proclaim the truth regarding gender and human sexuality, acknowledging sexual identity, and emphasizing the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. St. Charles Lwanga and his companions remain luminous examples of defending chastity and the faith under severe conditions. May the holy Ugandan martyrs intercede for us. Amen.

00:00 – Introduction
00:09 – Celebration of the Ugandan Martyrs
00:52 – Historical Context: Uganda in the 1880s
01:43 – The Tragedy of King Mwanga's Court
02:32 – Martyrdom of the Chaste and Faithful
03:56 – Christian Moral Perspective
04:28 – Teaching of Chastity and Inner Freedom
05:04 – The Call to Holiness and Christian Perfection
06:10 – The Church's Role in Proclaiming the Truth About Sexuality

Ave Maria!

Mass: Sts. Charles Lwanga and Companions - Mem
Readings: Saturday 8th Week of Ordinary Time - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/060323.cfm
1st: sir 51:12-20
Resp: psa 19:8-11
Gsp: mar 11:27-33

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1085&r=1406

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