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| Sts. Timothy and Titus, Artist and Date are UNKNOWN |
Commentary:
(Note: the Gospel for this Memorial is from the Proper for Tuesday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time)
Reading 1: 2 Timothy 1:1-8
Commentary on 2 Tm 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.
CCC: 2 Tm 1:3 1794; 2 Tm 1:5 2220; 2 Tm 1:6 1577, 1590; 2 Tm 1:8 2471, 2506
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Or: Titus 1:1-5
Commentary on Ti 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).
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10
R. (3) Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations.
Commentary on Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10
“Announce his salvation, day after day.” This song of praise to the Lord invites all humanity to participate in God’s salvation. “This psalm has numerous verbal and thematic contacts with Isaiah Chapters 40-55, as does Psalm 98. Another version of the psalm is 1 Chronicles 16:23-33.”[4]
CCC: Ps 96:2 2143
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Gospel Mark 3:31-35
Commentary on Mk 3:31-35
This passage, while affirming our own adoption as brothers and sisters in Christ, does cause some confusion among those who take scripture at face value without understanding the culture of the time. The first part of this reading from St. Mark’s Gospel is somewhat controversial in that many of the Protestant and Evangelical apologists take the term “and his brothers” to mean his familial or biological brothers. The Church teaches that Mary bore only one child – Jesus. Responding to this scripture, Catholic scripture scholars teach that “…in Semitic usage, the terms ‘brother,’ ‘sister’ are applied not only to children of the same parents, but to nephews, nieces, cousins, half-brothers, and half-sisters; cf Genesis 14:16; Genesis 29:15; Leviticus 10:4.”[5]
Another possible explanation, although it comes from an apocryphal source from the 2nd or 3rd centuries A.D., is that the Lord’s foster father, St. Joseph, had been previously married (and widowed). According to “The History of Joseph the Carpenter” from this first marriage, “[2.]… he begot for himself sons and daughters, four sons, namely, and two daughters. Now these are their names— Judas, Justus, James, and Simon. The names of the two daughters were Assia and Lydia.” These would have been the half-brothers and sisters of the Lord.
Because of this, when Mary comes looking for Jesus in this selection, she is, as would be expected, joined by members of the extended family. Jesus extends the family even further though his adoption of those who, as those “seated in the circle” who listen to his word and believe, telling those gathered that “…whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
CCC: Mk 3:31-35 500
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Reflection:
When Jesus tells the waiting crowd in his native town that: “’For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother,’” he tells them that he came not just for a select few, but for all people of all nations. Those listening, likely even some of his relatives, would have been upset by this message. The memorial we celebrate today, the feast of Sts. Timothy and Titus, recalls to us these two Christian leaders of the infant Christian faith who also took the Lord’s controversial message into the world.
Sts. Timothy and Titus were both consecrated by St. Paul to assist in the work of building up the Christian community in places were Christ’s story was newly spreading. In the case of Titus, who was sent to Crete, he was breaking new ground, since most scholars agree St. Paul never visited there. We can only guess at the hardships and resistance they endured. In the case of Timothy, we know he was martyred like St. Stephen by being stoned.
The message passed clearly to us today is that if we live our faith in the secular world and, through word and example, attempt to bring others to understand God’s love, we to will meet resistance. Some of this resistance we know about. In most workplaces and schools it is forbidden to publicly express our faith. Much of the formal academic community resists violently any reference to our faith except as a “philosophy” to be considered along with others, not seeing it as anything beyond a moral code.
In other circumstances the resistance is much more subtle and, in some ways, more difficult to overcome. We speak of the resistance of our friends and acquaintances. We encounter in some of them the less formal rejection that seems as if they are accepting our message but behind our backs refute it and refer to us as “Jesus freaks” or “Holy Rollers”- noble title but used derogatorily can undue much of what we attempt.
Today we consider our own circumstances and look to Sts. Titus and Timothy for inspiration and intercession. We also seek the Lord’s help through prayer, remembering that if he faced opposition and hatred from those he loved, we should not expect a more gracious welcome.
Pax
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