Memorial of St.
Timothy and St. Titus, bishops
(II Timothy 1:1-8; Mark 3:22-30)
The Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus follows on the heel
of the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul because the two men assisted Paul in
his missionary efforts. Timothy
accompanied Paul on part of his so-called second missionary journey and stayed
with him in Corinth. Later Paul places
Timothy’s name with his own as the authors of the Second Letter to the Corinthians. This same letter speaks of Titus as Paul’s
emissary who brought a lost letter to the Corinthians after they evidently
reacted to Paul’s scolding in First Corinthians. In Second Corinthians Paul calls Titus, “my
partner and co-worker with you.”
A few facts about Timothy and Titus can be gleaned from the
New Testament. Timothy was the son of a
Greek father and Jewish mother. Paul
permitted him to be circumcised because of his Jewish heritage. On the other hand, Paul insisted that Titus
not be circumcised because he was of completely Gentile origins. More significant than their personal stories
is what the references to the two men in the New Testament reveal about
Paul. They indicate that he was hardly a
one-person show. Indeed, it seems that in
part his ability to collaborate made his evangelizing efforts successful. He also felt great affection for his
associates and was magnanimous enough to mention them as contributors to his writing.
With the Church being hierarchical, some see
it as non-collaborative. But the Church
needs the benefits of the gifts of all its members. Collaboration promotes the development of
these gifts by recognizing their existence and facilitating their use. Only with
such collaboration can the Church fulfill its mission.
