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Faithfulness

(1) 2 Timothy 1:1–8

Scripture: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (2 Tim 1:1–2).

Reflection: There is no doubt that Paul had an associate named Timothy. Some of the genuine Pauline letters are sent by Paul and Timothy, such as 2 Corinthians, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians. Paul identifies Timothy as his co-worker in Romans (16:21) and 1 Thessalonians (3:2). Luke mentions Timothy at least seven times in the Acts of the Apostles, identifying him as a disciple having a Jewish mother and a Greek father (16:1).

However, most biblical scholars do not think that Paul wrote either the first or second letter to Timothy. These letters betray a time long after Paul is dead. They are written in Pauline style and contain many Pauline ideas, but presume a developed church that did not yet exist during Paul’s lifetime. It is best to understand Timothy in the letters written to him as any leader of a church near the end of the first century and the beginning of the second century AD.

In today’s first option for this Memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus, the passage, which is proper for the memorial, consists of the first eight verses of the second letter to Timothy. The anonymous author of the letter displays his familiarity with references to Timothy in other biblical literature. In the greeting of the letter, the author refers to Timothy as “my beloved child” (1:2), echoing 1 Corinthians 4:17, where Paul calls him “my beloved and faithful child in the Lord.”

The author writes to Timothy, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you” (1:5). In 1 Corinthians 4:17, Paul reminds the Christians in Corinth that he sent Timothy to them to remind them “of [his] ways in Christ Jesus, as [he] teache[s] them everywhere in every church.” And in 1 Corinthians 16:10, Paul tells the addressees that Timothy is “doing the work of the Lord just as [he is].” In his letter to the Philippians, Paul tells the believers in Philippi that they know Timothy’s worth, that “like a son with a father he has served with [him] in the work of the gospel” (2:22).

Today’s passage is presented as a required option for this memorial because it tells Timothy “to rekindle the gift of God that is within [him] through the laying on of [Paul’s] hands” (1:6). The laying on of hands is the sign of the sacrament of holy orders today. Since Timothy is designated a bishop, the passage emphasizes his reception of God’s “spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline” (1:7). As a bishop, Timothy (any bishop or church leader at the end of the first century) is exhorted by the writer of the letter to remain faithful even if such steadfastness entails “suffering for the gospel” (1:8).

Today, not only do church leaders need to remain faithful, “relying on the power of God” (1:8), but all Christians need to hear this exhortation. In a culture that dictates that one can do whatever he or she feels like, faithfulness to the way of life of the gospel often takes a back seat. Likewise, faithfulness to prayer “night and day” (1:3) has become once a week for an hour on Sunday—if that. Faithfulness in bearing witness to the Lord often means rejection for following a code of ethics that illustrates “a holy calling” (1:9) instead of a greedy one. Celebrating the memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus serves as a call to all of us to examine our degree of faithfulness.

Meditation: In what specific ways are you faithful to the Christian holy calling?

Prayer: We give thanks to you, Mighty God, for Sts. Timothy and Titus, co-workers of St. Paul, and examples of faithfulness to our Lord Jesus Christ. Make our faith even more sincere; fill us with your Spirit of power, love, and good judgment. We ask this through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Adult Education

(2) Titus 1:1–5

Scripture: “I [, Paul,] left you [,Titus,] behind in Crete for this reason, so that you should put in order what remained to be done, and should appoint elders in every town, as I directed you . . .” (Titus 1:5).

Reflection: There is no doubt that Paul had an associate named Titus. Some of the genuine Pauline letters mention Titus, especially 2 Corinthians, in which Paul refers to him as his “partner and co-worker” (8:23). In his letter to the Galatians, Paul indicates that he “went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along” (2:1). In the same letter, he also indicates that Titus was “a Greek” (2:3).

However, most biblical scholars do not think that Paul wrote the letter to Titus. The letter betrays a time long after Paul is dead. It is written in Pauline style and contains Pauline ideas, but it presumes a developed church that did not yet exist during Paul’s lifetime. It is best to understand Titus in the letter written to him as any leader of a church near the end of the first century and the beginning of the second century AD facing false teachers. In other words, the letter presents an orderly way of life that can be applied to any follower of Christ dealing with falsehood.

Today’s memorial identifies Titus as a bishop, because in the last verse of the pericope from Paul’s letter to Titus, the apostle tells him to “appoint elders in every town” (1:5). Elders, who ultimately come to be known as priests, are appointed as pastors of parishes by bishops. Thus, Titus is identified as a bishop. In fact, in verses not included in this passage, the author mentions the characteristics (1:7–9) of a good “bishop” (1:7). This structure reflects a church well into the second century.

The words addressed to Titus are, fittingly, addressed to us today. All Christians are responsible for advancing “the faith of God’s elect” (1:1). We do this primarily through the lives we lead. Later in this letter, the author presents detailed instructions for older men, older women, young men, young women, and slaves.

Also, Christians are responsible for advancing “knowledge of the truth” (1:1). We know this as adult education. We live in a time when many Catholics don’t know the basics of their faith. Thus, the study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Bible, the sacraments, and other Church documents is essential for understanding our “hope of eternal life that God, who never lies, promised before the ages began” (1:2).

As the author of the letter mentions, this is “the faith we share” (1:4). It is not a personal faith, though belief begins with each individual person. The Church is one, holy, universal, and apostolic. Every Sunday we express that common faith in the Profession of Faith, also known as the Nicene Creed. Without adult education, it is easy for an individual me-and-Jesus attitude to develop instead of a community all-of-us-and-Jesus understanding. Celebrating the memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus gives all of us the occasion to examine our growth in advancing our faith through our understanding of it.

Meditation: In what specific ways do you live and learn about our common faith?

Prayer: Ever-living God, you never leave your Church unattended, but appoint for her leaders who will guide your people in the one common faith and teach them knowledge of the truth. Raise bishops and priests to serve your Church in faithfulness. Give them the courage to proclaim the revelation of your Word, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.