Bishops
Biographical Information about St. Timothy[1]
Biographical Information about St. Titus[2]
Readings for the Memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus[3]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Things are somewhat confusing with regard to the selection of readings for today. The USCCB site and the Ordo for the dioceses of the United States have presented the first reading, an option, and the responsorial psalm from the options for the Memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus but the Gospel from the readings for Saturday of the Second week in Ordinary Time. I am doing my commentary on the readings for the Memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus. If you wish to read the readings in their proper order, please go to the Supplemental Bench for today. I have placed both sets of readings there as well as the usual information about the saints being memorialized.
Reading 1 2 Timothy 1:1-8
St. Paul writes to one of his key disciples, St. Timothy, from Rome where he is a prisoner. It is clear that the affection between the two of them is strong as Paul reminds him of his installation as Bishop (‘…the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands”). Paul encourages Timothy to remain strong and faithful to the Gospel, even in the face of opposition.
Or Titus 1:1-5
This selection is the introduction to St. Paul’s letter to Titus. In the second paragraph he lets us know what Titus’ mission is – to form the Church on Crete (which according to the best scholarship, Paul himself never visited.).
Responsorial Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
“Announce his salvation, day after day.” This song of praise to the Lord invites all humanity to participate in God’s salvation.
Gospel Mark 3:20-21
This short passage provides a sense of the challenges Jesus faces in his mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God. His fame had clearly spread as a consequence of his teaching, his natural charisma, and his miraculous healing power. The disbelief of even his relatives is a barrier to be overcome.
Or Luke 10:1-9
It is only in the Gospel of St. Luke that we hear the story of Jesus sending the seventy (two). This event is supported by other non-biblical writings (see Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 265-c. 340) Church History, Book. 1). The instructions given to those sent out are very similar to the instructions given to the Twelve, as was the message they were sent to proclaim.
Reflection:
When we come to the stories and feast days like the ones we see today on the Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus we begin to appreciate how lucky we are that those who went before us were made of stern stuff. It is very clear in the Gospel of St. Mark that, in spite of the reasonably common acceptance of Christ’s divinity today, it has not always been so. That statement is probably an understatement based upon the comment that Jesus’ relatives (I’m guessing St. Joseph’s kin) thought he was “…out of his mind.”
Granted that the early saints of the Church, like Titus and Timothy, had the benefit of close encounters with the original Apostles (Paul is counted as one even though, as we saw yesterday, he encountered Christ only after the Lord had risen.). These brave people went into a clearly hostile environment. They were the pioneers, breaking ground in territory where people, when approached in the evangelical mission, would respond “Jesus who?”
We can only imagine what it must have been like to try to convince a pagan that the tradition they had followed their whole lives was misguided and false. Those were not gentile times and the closest modern analogy we can think of would be modern Afghanistan. There, apostasy from the Muslim Faith is punishable by death and the same is true for people who attempt to promulgate any other religion but Islam.
Those days, for the most part, are behind us. Most of the world, thanks to the early missionaries, is at least aware of the Savior and his message of peace. There is still much to be done. The faith we share is hard. It requires discipline and there are rules. Many of these rules prohibit activities that those who have no hope feel they need, the hedonistic pleasures of the flesh, the pursuit of wealth to satisfy greed. When a person is not aware that Christ came so they could have a life of light and love beyond this one, they are forced to be selfish in this short life. They are constantly looking at that looming horizon of death with fear and clawing desperately to place it behind them, all the time knowing that it is inevitable.
It is these people living among us that we reach out to today, in the tradition of Timothy and Titus. They desperately need to hear the message of Christ’s consolation so they can know that they do not need to be alone, they do not need to fear. As we celebrate the memorial of these early leaders of our faith, let us thank God for Saint Timothy, Saint Titus and their willingness to break ground for us in the face of what must have been horrific opposition. We accept the gauntlet they threw down and carry the Word of God forward to those who need to experience the His mercy.
Pax
[1] The second picture is “St. Timothy Meditating” by Charles Joseph Stanland, c. 1838 - 1916
[2] The first image is “St. Paul and St. Titus,St. Simon and the prophet Ezekiel” by an UNKNOWN illuminator of sacred scripture from the 15th Century.
[3] After Links to Readings Expire
Biographical Information about St. Timothy[1]
Biographical Information about St. Titus[2]
Readings for the Memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus[3]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Things are somewhat confusing with regard to the selection of readings for today. The USCCB site and the Ordo for the dioceses of the United States have presented the first reading, an option, and the responsorial psalm from the options for the Memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus but the Gospel from the readings for Saturday of the Second week in Ordinary Time. I am doing my commentary on the readings for the Memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus. If you wish to read the readings in their proper order, please go to the Supplemental Bench for today. I have placed both sets of readings there as well as the usual information about the saints being memorialized.
Reading 1 2 Timothy 1:1-8
St. Paul writes to one of his key disciples, St. Timothy, from Rome where he is a prisoner. It is clear that the affection between the two of them is strong as Paul reminds him of his installation as Bishop (‘…the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands”). Paul encourages Timothy to remain strong and faithful to the Gospel, even in the face of opposition.
Or Titus 1:1-5
This selection is the introduction to St. Paul’s letter to Titus. In the second paragraph he lets us know what Titus’ mission is – to form the Church on Crete (which according to the best scholarship, Paul himself never visited.).
Responsorial Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10
R. Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.
“Announce his salvation, day after day.” This song of praise to the Lord invites all humanity to participate in God’s salvation.
Gospel Mark 3:20-21
This short passage provides a sense of the challenges Jesus faces in his mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God. His fame had clearly spread as a consequence of his teaching, his natural charisma, and his miraculous healing power. The disbelief of even his relatives is a barrier to be overcome.
Or Luke 10:1-9
It is only in the Gospel of St. Luke that we hear the story of Jesus sending the seventy (two). This event is supported by other non-biblical writings (see Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 265-c. 340) Church History, Book. 1). The instructions given to those sent out are very similar to the instructions given to the Twelve, as was the message they were sent to proclaim.
Reflection:
When we come to the stories and feast days like the ones we see today on the Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus we begin to appreciate how lucky we are that those who went before us were made of stern stuff. It is very clear in the Gospel of St. Mark that, in spite of the reasonably common acceptance of Christ’s divinity today, it has not always been so. That statement is probably an understatement based upon the comment that Jesus’ relatives (I’m guessing St. Joseph’s kin) thought he was “…out of his mind.”
Granted that the early saints of the Church, like Titus and Timothy, had the benefit of close encounters with the original Apostles (Paul is counted as one even though, as we saw yesterday, he encountered Christ only after the Lord had risen.). These brave people went into a clearly hostile environment. They were the pioneers, breaking ground in territory where people, when approached in the evangelical mission, would respond “Jesus who?”
We can only imagine what it must have been like to try to convince a pagan that the tradition they had followed their whole lives was misguided and false. Those were not gentile times and the closest modern analogy we can think of would be modern Afghanistan. There, apostasy from the Muslim Faith is punishable by death and the same is true for people who attempt to promulgate any other religion but Islam.
Those days, for the most part, are behind us. Most of the world, thanks to the early missionaries, is at least aware of the Savior and his message of peace. There is still much to be done. The faith we share is hard. It requires discipline and there are rules. Many of these rules prohibit activities that those who have no hope feel they need, the hedonistic pleasures of the flesh, the pursuit of wealth to satisfy greed. When a person is not aware that Christ came so they could have a life of light and love beyond this one, they are forced to be selfish in this short life. They are constantly looking at that looming horizon of death with fear and clawing desperately to place it behind them, all the time knowing that it is inevitable.
It is these people living among us that we reach out to today, in the tradition of Timothy and Titus. They desperately need to hear the message of Christ’s consolation so they can know that they do not need to be alone, they do not need to fear. As we celebrate the memorial of these early leaders of our faith, let us thank God for Saint Timothy, Saint Titus and their willingness to break ground for us in the face of what must have been horrific opposition. We accept the gauntlet they threw down and carry the Word of God forward to those who need to experience the His mercy.
Pax
[1] The second picture is “St. Timothy Meditating” by Charles Joseph Stanland, c. 1838 - 1916
[2] The first image is “St. Paul and St. Titus,St. Simon and the prophet Ezekiel” by an UNKNOWN illuminator of sacred scripture from the 15th Century.
[3] After Links to Readings Expire
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