Yesterday we celebrated the conversion of St. Paul, and what a dramatic conversion it was! From being such a ferocious persecutor of Christians, he turned into the most fervent disciple of Jesus. And his fervor was not limited to just traveling and preaching to the people of distant lands, but like a loving, caring father, he continuously wrote letters to his flocks in Corinth, Ephesus, Galatia, Colossus, etc. encouraging them in the faith.
Timothy and Titus
Today is the feast of Saints Timothy and Titus, both of whom were bishops. The first reading has 2 options; in the first one, Paul is writing to Timothy and in the second one, Paul writes to Titus.
Timothy was not Paul’s son, but their relationship was that of a father and son. Paul loved him dearly, and not just him but his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois also. For their names to be mentioned in Scripture, they must have had a strong impact on Paul, as he recalls their sincere faith.
St Paul himself conferred on Timothy the Sacrament of Confirmation, imposing his hands on him and thus imparting the gifts of the Holy Spirit, filling Timothy with zeal to proclaim the good news and to bear his “share of hardship with the strength that comes from God.”
Titus was one of Paul’s most trusted companions. He was a faithful worker who had accompanied Paul on a number of his journeys. Late in Paul’s life, after years of discipleship, Paul asked Titus to carry on the work he had started on Crete, an island well known for its deplorable moral state.
Crete
Last summer I had the great privilege of going on an excursion to several countries in Eastern Europe, and one of our stops was in Crete. Not only did we visit the Palace of Knossos but also were blessed to visit the Church of St. Titus and view his relics.
Paul’s exhortations align beautifully with today’s Responsorial Psalm (96) where we are encouraged to “Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.”
How do we do this? We’re not missionaries, you say? Actually, we are. Not like St. Paul, for sure, or probably not like some of our religious brothers and sisters working in rural remote areas. But we can evangelize right where we are.
Evangelization
Like, while walking my dog in the park just a couple of days ago, I was approached by two young women from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints aka Mormons. They wanted to read me a short bible verse which I agreed to, and then engaged in conversation. However, I felt impelled to let them know about my Catholic faith, the true faith instituted by Jesus Christ, and how privileged we are to be able to receive Him in the Eucharist, every day if we choose to.
Remember, the Kingdom of God is at hand, and we are part of that kingdom with the same mandate as St. Paul to go out and evangelize, and use words if necessary, according to St. Francis of Assisi. The way we live our lives on a daily basis is evangelization. Our coworkers and friends do take note of our attitudes and behaviors, which hopefully embody kindness and compassion, as well as a strong conviction in what we believe as Catholics.
So even if you are as insignificant as a mustard seed, know that you can grow into a large bush providing shade and shelter for others.
Go make a difference in the world!
Thank you for this beautiful reflection, Arlene. In 2012, we lost a baby that we named Timothy Titus because this would have been his due date. Your reflection is extra special getting to read these names that are so dear to my heart. God bless!