Saints Timothy And Titus, Bishops

2 Timothy 1:1-8
Mark 4:26-34

Stir up the gifts of God …

As a Pharisee Paul had always been a Jewish conscientious worshiper of God, and later of God through Jesus Christ. He had even been, at first, a conscientious persecutor; after his conversion, he became an apostle to the Gentiles and today we celebrate two of his converts to Christianity. Timothy and Titus were third-generation Christians; They were his secretaries and later became bishops. Timothy, the bishop of Ephesus, and Titus the bishop of Crete respectively.

Timothy’s mom and grandmother were faithful Jewish women who taught the Old Testament scriptures to this boy they loved so much. They had seen Paul preach and heal while being persecuted and tortured. Paul preached believing in Jesus.
Acts 16:1; 2Timothy 1:5; 2 Cor. .2:3)

Paul suffered for the sake of Christ so they decided to follow in the path he had laid down; to die to self and allow Christ to shine, to say that I no longer live but Christ lives in me. Such fruitfulness and burning zeal should be our utmost desire today. We too have received the Holy Spirit who dwells in us and we belong to the family of God. One fold, one shepherd. Let us fan up the flames of the gifts of God in us with love for love conquers all.

We might take to our prayer St. Paul’s treatise on love from I Corinthians 13

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Let the love of God in us be the force, fan, and steerer of His gifts in us.

Fr Joseph Osho