Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

 
Proper readings for St. Charles Lwanga and Companions
Additional information about St. Charles Lwanga and Companions

“St. Charles Lwanga and His Followers”
by Albert Wider, 1962

 
Readings for Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1: Sirach 51:12 cd-20
 
I thank the Lord and I praise him;
I bless the name of the Lord.
When I was young and innocent,
I sought wisdom openly in my prayer
I prayed for her before the temple,
and I will seek her until the end,
and she flourished as a grape soon ripe.
My heart delighted in her,
My feet kept to the level path
because from earliest youth I was familiar with her.
In the short time I paid heed,
I met with great instruction.
Since in this way I have profited,
I will give my teacher grateful praise.
I became resolutely devoted to her—
the good I persistently strove for.
My soul was tormented in seeking her,
My hand opened her gate
and I came to know her secrets.
I directed my soul to her,
and in cleanness I attained to her.
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Commentary on Sir 51:12 cd-20
 
This passage from the epilogue of Sirach is an acrostic poem (each line beginning with the next successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet) urging young men to search for the wisdom of God. The author first praises God and blesses his name.  He then recounts that since his earliest time he sought wisdom through the law.  This wisdom guided him and matured in him.  It gave him peace and made his road smooth.  It is for this reason he lifts his prayer of praise, because after diligent effort he discovered the peace and wisdom he sought.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11
 
R. (9ab) The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
 
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The decree of the Lord is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
 
The precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
 
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the Lord are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
 
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
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Commentary on Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11
 
Psalm 19 is a hymn of praise. In this passage we give praise to God’s gift of the law which guides us in our daily lives. The hymn also extols the virtue of obedience and steadfastness to the law and its precepts. The passage also reflects the idea that following God’s statutes leads to peace and prosperity.
 
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Gospel: Mark 11:27-33
 
Jesus and his disciples returned once more to Jerusalem.
As he was walking in the temple area,
the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders
approached him and said to him,
“By what authority are you doing these things?
Or who gave you this authority to do them?”
Jesus said to them, “I shall ask you one question.
Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.”
They discussed this among themselves and said,
“If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say,
‘Then why did you not believe him?’
But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”–
they feared the crowd,
for they all thought John really was a prophet.
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.”
Then Jesus said to them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
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Commentary on Mk 11:27-33
 
This section of St. Mark’s Gospel begins a series of five “pronouncement stories.” This first story deals with a challenge to Jesus’ authority as Messiah and teacher. The chief priests (including Caiaphas, who was chief priest at that time) challenge the Lord, seeking to dissuade the people of his authenticity as teacher, and making it clear that they, the priestly aristocracy, have not supported his triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
 
Jesus responds to them by using John the Baptist, a popular figure and considered to be a prophet by the people, to deflect their challenge. We hear, in their internal dialogue, the difficult options they see. If they say that St. John was sent by God, they would be forced to accept his proclamation, including his pronouncement that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah. If they rejected John, they would be attacked by the crowd.
 
The group of Hebrew leaders could find only one solution. They confessed they did not know if John’s baptism was holy or not. This ambiguous response allows the Lord to let the implication of his own holiness remain unchallenged.
 
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Reflection:
 
There were once two brothers, Peter and Alex, who had very different views on life.  Peter thought that God owed him happiness and the other, Alex, felt he owed God his service.  Peter went out to beat the system.  He took whatever he could and played fast and hard with the rules.  Because he was smart and cunning, he became wealthy in worldly goods.  However, he was never at rest, he was always expecting that one of his schemes would catch up with him or someone he had dealt falsely with would come looking for him.  By secular standards he was viewed as a success.
 
His younger brother, Alex, always showed compassion and gave freely to those who needed his help.  He had many friends who, in turn, came to him in his need.  He always seemed happy even though he did not have much in the way of material wealth.
 
One afternoon, the two brothers happened to be together.  This rarely happened because Peter was always busy with his next scheme.  He was bragging to Alex about his huge summer house and the new yacht he had just purchased and why didn’t Alex come to work for him because there was lots of money to be made and the unsuspecting were everywhere.
 
Peter was surprised when Alex looked at him with a slow, sad smile and told him he was happy with his life.  Peter could not understand.  Sure, there was a lot of pressure doing what he did.  The hours were long, and he had to be careful when he went out, but he had it all.  Stupid kid, he never was very bright.
 
Two years later Peter was killed in a traffic accident.  He had started drinking.  It was the pressure you see, and he had run off the road while drunk, in a very expensive car, hitting a very old tree and was killed instantly.  Alex mourned him at the funeral service performed at the funeral home.  The size of the crowd startled the funeral director.  Peter did not have many friends, yet a large number of his brother’s friends came in support of Alex.  Alex, in his short eulogy said it was a shame his brother never found happiness and never understood he was looking for it in the wrong places. You see, Alex knew that what the heart desires most, peace and happiness comes only from the freedom of service to God and in the peace following his Son.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “St. Charles Lwanga and His Followers” by Albert Wider, 1962.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.