Saint Charles Lwanga » Oil Painting Time-lapse by Tianna Williams with Ascension

St. Charles Lwanga was one of 22 Ugandan martyrs ordered to be put to death by King Mwanga in 1886 for refusing to perform immoral acts with him. When asked who was a Christian, Charles was the first to step forward. Later, he was separated from the group and cruelly burned in a slow fire from foot to head. He was only 25 years old.

Young, handsome, and intelligent, St. Charles had his whole life ahead of him. As he tried to teach and protect the young men whom he mentored, he must have found himself in many situations where it was not clear what he should say, what he should risk. Eventually, he faced the ultimate choice—but it was the last and most glorious, following countless smaller moments of obedience. He obeyed his conscience to the very end. 

In a culture of “follow your heart”, we don’t talk much about conscience. St. John Henry Newman called it the “aboriginal vicar of Christ in the soul.” It is that guiding sense of right and wrong we all have. In a hardened heart it might be reduced to a frail voice—but a conscience trained by faith and nourished with prayer is like a raging fire, impossible to ignore.

St. Charles burned with that holy fire. When the time came for him to choose between apostasy and martyrdom, it burned so much brighter than the flame consuming his body, and he went joyfully to his heavenly reward.

Look to St. Charles when you find yourself faced with difficult decisions. Quiet your mind and ask the Holy Spirit to inform your conscience. God will not let you flounder, though the choice may sometimes be a painful one. Be obedient now, in the small things, so that someday if you are faced with the ultimate choice, you can say like St. Charles and his companions, “You can burn our bodies, but you cannot harm our souls!”

St. Charles is the third painting in a series of sacred art I’m creating in collaboration with Ascension and Fr. Josh Johnson.

St. Charles Lwanga, pray for us!

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