The Church celebrates today the liturgical memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, close companions of the Apostle Paul and bishops of the Church in its earliest days. Both men received letters from St. Paul, which are included in the New Testament.
Pope Benedict XVI discussed these early bishops, noting “their readiness to take on various offices” in “far from easy” circumstances. Both saints, the Pope said, “teach us to serve the Gospel with generosity, realizing that this also entails a service to the Church herself.”
Ancient sources state that St. Timothy followed his mentor, St. Paul, in dying as a martyr for the faith. In the year 93, during his leadership of the Church in Ephesus, he took a stand against the worship of idols and was consequently killed by a mob. St. Titus is credited with leading the Church of Crete well into his 90s, overturning paganism and promoting the faith through his prayers and preaching. Unlike St. Timothy, St. Titus was not martyred, but died peacefully in old age.
For reflection: In his Second Letter to Timothy (1, 1-8), St. Paul expresses his deep affection for St. Timothy, his companion on many missions, and a strong desire to see him. He thanks God for St. Timothy’s faith which he owes to his Jewish mother Eunice and grandmother Lois. At the same time, St. Paul reminds him of the gift he received when Paul laid his hands on him. That gift, says St. Paul, was not one of timidity but one of power, love, and self-control, bringing with it the courage of witnessing to the Gospel even when, as in St. Paul’s case, it involved persecution and suffering. Like St. Paul, St. Timothy was to rely “on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy.” That remains pretty good advice for us, even all these years later.
