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Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions

June 3, 2026 by Fr Joseph

In urging Timothy to stir into flame the gift of God that you have, Saint Paul touches on the mysterious interplay between God’s grace and our response and cooperation with that grace. Grace is not like some medication that once taken unfailingly accomplishes its healing work without our even being aware of it or needing to do anything ourselves. Instead, grace requires our constant and active cooperation in order that our freedom may not be compromised and that love—of which grace is an expression—may be preserved. Maintaining this delicate balance between grace and human cooperation is a challenge in the face of the temptation to either passively wait for God to do everything or try and do it all by ourselves—the old errors of Quietism and Pelagianism. However, there is still a third possibility, and one which Paul seems to be warning Timothy against, and that is apathy and indifference. For various reasons we can simply give up—neither passively waiting for God’s intervention, nor trying to do it all on our own. And of the three this is possibly the most dangerous because it represents a closing of the heart and a resistance to grace. Therefore, let us heed Paul’s exhortation and, through the intercession of Saint Charles Lwanga and his companions, be on guard against this indifference by constantly stirring into flame God’s gift—a gift that can only come to full fruition in hearts actively open to receive it.

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