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 the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul with good reason. The
two men assisted Paul in his missionary efforts. Timothy accompanied Paul on part of his
so-called second missionary journey. He
also stayed with Paul in Corinth for over a year. Later Paul placed Timothy’s name alongside his
own as the authors of the Second Letter to the Corinthians. This same letter speaks of Titus as Paul’s
emissary. He carried a letter, now lost,
from Paul to the 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 Paul was hardly a one-person show. Indeed, in part his ability to collaborate
made his evangelizing efforts successful.
He also felt great affection for his associates. Finally, he 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 since apostolic times has utilized
the gifts of all its members.
Collaboration promotes the development of these gifts. In the synod that Pope Francis has called for
this year and next year collaboration will be paramount. Clergy and lay persons will listen to each
other’s experiences and hopes.
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