UGANDA: Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Mass at the Uganda Martyrs’ Shrine, Namugongo
28 November 2015
Pope
Francis on Saturday morning celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the
National Sanctuary of the Ugandan Martyrs at Namugongo. The Shrine commemorates
the martyrdom of 22 young Catholic converts during an anti-Christian
persecution that took place under Mwanga II, the king of Buganda.
full text of Pope Francis’ prepared homily for the Holy Mass at the Sanctuary
of the Ugandan Martyrs at Namugongo:
shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my
witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the
earth” (Acts 1:8).
From
the age of the Apostles to our own day, a great cloud of witnesses has been
raised up to proclaim Jesus and show forth the power of the Holy Spirit. Today,
we recall with gratitude the sacrifice of the Uganda martyrs, whose witness of
love for Christ and his Church has truly gone “to the end of the earth”. We
remember also the Anglican martyrs whose deaths for Christ testify to the
ecumenism of blood. All these witnesses nurtured the gift of the Holy Spirit in
their lives and freely gave testimony of their faith in Jesus Christ, even at
the cost of their lives, many at such a young age.
too have received the gift of the Spirit, to make us sons and daughters of God,
but also so that we may bear witness to Jesus and make him everywhere known and
loved. We received the Spirit when we were reborn in Baptism, and we were
strengthened by his gifts at our Confirmation. Every day we are called to
deepen the Holy Spirit’s presence in our life, to “fan into flame” the gift of
his divine love so that we may be a source of wisdom and strength to others.
gift of the Holy Spirit is a gift which is meant to be shared. It unites us to
one another as believers and living members of Christ’s mystical Body. We do
not receive the gift of the Spirit for ourselves alone, but to build up one
another in faith, hope and love. I think of Saints Joseph Mkasa and Charles
Lwanga, who after being catechized by others, wanted to pass on the gift they
had received. They did this in dangerous times. Not only were their lives
threatened but so too were the lives of the younger boys under their care.
Because they had tended to their faith and deepened their love of God, they
were fearless in bringing Christ to others, even at the cost of their lives.
Their faith became witness; today, venerated as martyrs, their example
continues to inspire people throughout the world. They continue to proclaim
Jesus Christ and the power of his Cross.
like the martyrs, we daily fan into flame the gift of the Spirit who dwells in
our hearts, then
we will surely become the missionary disciples which Christ
calls us to be. To our families and friends certainly, but also to those whom
we do not know, especially those who might be unfriendly, even hostile, to us.
This openness to others begins first in the family, in our homes where charity
and forgiveness are learned, and the mercy and love of God made known in our
parents’ love. It finds expression too in our care for the elderly and the
poor, the widowed and the orphaned.
as the mother and seven sons from the Second Book of Maccabees encouraged one
another in their moment of great trial (7:1-2. 9-14), so too, as members of
God’s family, we are to assist one another, to protect one another, and to lead
one another to the fullness of life. Here I think with gratitude of all those –
bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and catechists – who in so many
ways help to support Christian families. May the Church in this country
continue, especially through its parish communities, to assist young couples to
prepare for marriage, to encourage couples to live the marital bond in love and
fidelity, and to assist parents in their duty as the first teachers of the
faith for their children.
the Apostles and the Uganda martyrs before us, we have received the gift of the
Holy Spirit to become missionary disciples called to go forth and bring the
Gospel to all. At times this may take us to the end of the earth, as
missionaries to faraway lands. This is essential to the spread of God’s
Kingdom, and I ask always for your generous response to this need. But we do
not need to travel to be missionary disciples. In fact, we need only to open
our eyes and see the needs in our homes and our local communities to realize
how many opportunities await us.
too the Uganda martyrs show us the way. Their faith sought the good of all
people, including the very King who condemned them for their Christian beliefs.
Their response was to meet hatred with love, and thus to radiate the splendour
of the Gospel. They did not simply tell the King what the Gospel does not
allow, but showed through their lives what saying “yes” to Jesus really means.
It means mercy and purity of heart, being meek and poor in spirit, and
thirsting for righteousness in the hope of an eternal reward.
witness of the martyrs shows to all who have heard their story, then and now,
that the worldly pleasures and earthly power do not bring lasting joy or peace.
Rather, fidelity to God, honesty and integrity of life, and genuine concern for
the good of others bring us that peace which the world cannot give. This does
not diminish our concern for this world, as if we only look to the life to
come. Instead, it gives purpose to our lives in this world, and helps us to
reach out to those in need, to cooperate with others for the common good, and
to build a more just society which promotes human dignity, defends God’s gift
of life and protects the wonders of nature, his creation and our common home.
brothers and sisters, this is the legacy which you have received from the
Uganda martyrs – lives marked by the power of the Holy Spirit, lives which
witness even now to the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This
legacy is not served by an occasional remembrance, or by being enshrined in a
museum as a precious jewel. Rather, we honour them, and all the saints, when we
carry on their witness to Christ, in our homes and neighbourhoods, in our
workplaces and civil society, whether we never leave our homes or we go to the
farthest corner of the world.
the Uganda martyrs, together with Mary, Mother of the Church, intercede for us,
and may the Holy Spirit kindle within us the fire of his divine love!
Abawe Omukisa! (God bless you!)
