Timothy and Titus were two of St. Paul’s favorite and most trusted disciples.
Timothy
had a Greek father and a Jewish mother named Eunice. His grandmother,
Lois, was the first to become Christian in the family. Timothy was a
convert of St. Paul around the year 47 and later joined his apostolic
work. He is the recipient of St. Paul’s Epistles to Timothy in the
Gospel. He was with the great Apostle when the church of Corinth was
founded and worked with him for fifteen years.
St. Paul sent
Timothy on difficult missions, often to face disturbances at churches he
had just established, and was installed by Paul as his representative
to the church of Ephesus.
Timothy was relatively young for the
work he was doing as we read in Tim. 4:12, “Let no one have contempt for
your youth,” and that he suffered with his health when we read in Tim.
5:23 “Stop drinking only water, but have a little wine for the sake of
your stomach and your frequent illnesses.”
Timothy was with St.
Paul in Rome during his house arrest, and at some point was in prison
himself. Around the age of eighty he tried to halt a pagan procession
and was beaten and stoned to death.
Titus
was Greek and a convert from paganism; he is mentioned in several of
the Pauline epistles. He is seen as a peacemaker, administrator and
great friend of the Apostle Paul. When St. Paul was having trouble with
the community at Corinth, Titus was the bearer of his severe letter and
with tact, firmness and charity succeeded in smoothing things out, which
gave St. Paul great joy.
St. Paul charged Titus with the
administration of the Christian community in the Isle of Crete and
instructed him to organize the faithful, correct abuses and appoint
presbyter-bishops. There is no record of his death.
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Sts. Timothy and Titus
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