The silent spectacle of the Youngest Martyrs
Whenever we talk of the Uganda Martyrs, we immediately think of St. Joseph Balikudembe and St. Charles Lwange. It is also commin to think of any other elder martyr with little plight shared on the young martyrs. It is therefore our intention to reflect on and highlight the plight of the youngest of the Uganda martyrs. Saint Kizito was the youngest of all the martyrs aged 14, Saint Gyaviira aged 15, Saints Denis Ssebugwaawo and Mugagga were 16 at their death. These four young martyrs; Kizito, Denis, Mugagga and Gyaviira were boys of good reputation in their respective families, the reason as to why they were chosen to serve in the prestigious palace of the king.
As pages, they enrolled for catechism and expressed great enthusiasm in learning and following Christ. It is due to their total dedication and witness to their faith that the four martyrs were identified from the many pages and sent to the private quarters of the palace. This new demanding task did not even deter them from pursuing their catechism classes, they sacrificed their sleep to run to their instructors at night and through their lifestyle, they attracted other pagan pages to their new faith. These young Uganda martyrs practiced their new faith in a predominantly traditional world.
However, it resulted in new missionaries who sought the truth of their faith, lived it and transmitted it. Uganda and the entire Africa is capable of evangelizing other continents just like saint Paul in the primitive Church, who was not from a superior position but from an apparent inferior position. Today, these young martyrs encourage us to lay down our lives for our faith. They encourage all the young people to be firm in their resolve to witness to Christ irrespective of where they are, the positions they hold and the environment
under which they are subjected. This was done by our ancestors and it encourages us today to take up the mantle handed to us by Jesus; go to the entire world and proclaim the good news (Mark 16:15). As young pages and catechumen, the young martyrs were quick to practice and live by their new faith in the respective areas of assignment. Kizito would be sent as a messenger with classified information between the royals and chiefs. Gyaviira would take care of the wardrobes and clothes of the king. Mugagga and Denis could monitor the treasuries and ensure full accountability and audit from the store keepers.
Kizito would whenever he had chance join the day scholars at the mission of the fathers. He would forego his sleep and join the Christian leaders in the palace for instruction since his assignments required him to be available the whole day. When threats against Christians had become evident, the priests accepted to baptize only the old catechumens leaving out the young ones. It was only at the eve of their sentence that they pleaded for Baptism. These four young martyrs were then baptized by Saint Charles Lwanga.
Today with numerous stories of sexual immorality in our society, where many young people have been left to venture into what seems pleasant to them with little guidance on sexuality, these young martyrs who resisted these evils within the palace aid us in fighting for the virtue of chastity as opposed to deceitful pleasures. Moreover, in our times where idolatry of wellbeing, material prosperity and corruption, are in a full glare especially, for the young people, the silent spectacle of the young Uganda martyrs should inspire and guide us in our faith. We must emulate their example through decency in our words, chastity and embracing marriage vocation for those called to it.
It is therefore important as young people to honour the Uganda martyrs as our spiritual leaders and try to imitate them in seeking to deepen our faith, transmitting it faithfully and witnessing to Christ, especially the virtue of chastity.
Fr. Herbert Nsambu SSS
