Saturday, January 26, 2008

Feast of Sts. Titus and Timothy


Today is the feast of Sts. Titus and Timothy. In my opinion, they are two rather under-appreciated saints. They were young bishops during apostolic times, and they are both original recipients of Pauline epistles.

St. Paul's letters to these two saints are filled with encouragement as well as practical advice for guiding their respective local Churches. One of my favorite verses of the New Testament can be found in the first letter of St. Paul to St. Timothy:

"Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity."*

Because the Church was so new, (and probably also due to the anti-Christian sentiment of the times), Sts. Timothy and Titus must have faced some extraordinary difficulties in their episcopate. I use this feast day as a special opportunity to pray for younger members of the diocesan clergy, who would seem to face some analogous challenges in their ministry today.

* 1 Timothy 4:12, the New American Bible

No comments: