SAINTS TIMOTHY AND TITUS, BISHOPS (MEMORIAL)

Stir into flame the gift of God that you have. 

Sometimes remodeling an old house can be harder than building a new house from the ground up. The old house will likely have settled, allowing cracks to emerge in the foundation. Decades of wear and tear might also have made parts of the house weak and in need of serious renovation. It takes a special kind of contractor to identify all the existing problems, prepare for future needs, and develop a plan that solves all of them while retaining the beauty and integrity of the original structure.

That might be one way to describe St. Paul, the “master builder” who wrote these words of encouragement to St. Timothy. As time progressed and the Church settled into place in various cities, strains started mounting and cracks began to show. Paul knew he couldn’t address all of them personally so he began training younger believers to guide and “renovate” the different churches. Sts. Timothy and Titus, whose feast we celebrate today, were two of Paul’s favorite “contractors.”

Paul sent Timothy to Ephesus and Titus to Crete with the charge to steady the churches there. You can imagine how challenging that must have been, considering their youth, but history tells us that both men showed great diplomacy and love.

Let’s honor Timothy and Titus today by praying for all those who minister in the Church. Let’s pray that they strike a Spirit-inspired balance, building on the good and renovating the areas that might be wearing down. It’s not always easy, and their work often goes unnoticed. But they play a vital role in helping us deepen our faith.

Let’s also look at any renovations that our homes—the domestic church—might need. Let’s ask the Spirit to help us identify the cracks that might be forming in the foundation of our faith. And let’s ask him to give us the wisdom to know how to strengthen whatever may be weak, even as we celebrate what is already strong.

“Thank you, Lord, for the examples of Timothy and Titus. Teach me how I can continue to build your Church on earth.”

Psalm 96:1-3, 7-8, 10
Mark 4:1-20
2 Timothy 1:1-8