The Memorial of St Charles Lwanga and Companions

2 Tim. 1:1-3.6-12, Mk 12:18-27. In today's Gospel, a tricky question was placed before Jesus by the Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees recognised the authority of the Torah (the first five books of the Scriptures), where they saw nothing to suggest any life beyond this earthly life. They approach Jesus knowing that He sees things differently. The scenario they put to Him imagines the afterlife as simply an extension of our present, corporeal life. However, Jesus speaks of total newness: “For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” The afterlife is not just a continuation of what we experience here and now; it will be qualitatively different, beyond our present power to understand. In today's first reading, Paul foresees life beyond death in terms of transformation: “We shall all be changed.”

In that context Paul states that love endures into eternity. Our love for God and for each other will be perfected in Heaven, making us what God always intended us to be. Undoubtedly, what we do know is that we will enjoy the company of God, like Angels. Angels are those who worship God and are God's messengers for human beings. Today, we celebrate the saints whose lives and examples essentially explain true worship of God. The Holy Martyrs of Uganda, St Charles Lwanga and his many companions, missionaries and local converts to the Christian faith, martyrs of brutal persecutions against them, show us what it truly means for us as Christians to remain faithful to the Lord even amidst opposition, danger and threats to our livelihood and existence. When the Christian converts refused to abandon their newfound faith in God, they were tortured and brutally put to death, by burning on the stake. Their courage in standing up for their faith, their steadfast refusal from abandoning their faith and safeguarding their own personal desires and safety, knowing that God was always with them becomes a great source of inspiration for us.

May the Lord be our guide, that we may always have that courage and strength in us to live with faith! Amen!! Remain safe and have a pleasant day!!!