Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops
Conversion of St. Paul is a key moment in the work of evangelization. Bishops Timothy and Titus were the closest associates of the Apostle to the Nations.
Paul mentions in his letters that he was called to be an Apostle, although he did not dwell too much on this event (cf. Gal. 1: 13-17; 1 Cor. 9: 1; 15: 8). He only wants to confirm the authenticity of his ministry. Although he was not one of the twelve, he received a mission from Jesus Christ himself, and the risen one.
Paul's encounter with the risen Jesus at Damascus, described three times by Luke in the Book of Acts (chapters: 9, 22 and 26), was a real conversion for the Apostle. After this meeting, Paul changed his entire understanding of God's will and the reality of salvation. Paul's conversion was a key moment. From that moment on, the Church opens herself to the pagan world. The man who will take the Gospel to the Gentiles is both a Jew and a Roman - Apostle Paul of Tarsus.
In the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel, Paul was helped by baptized Jews and pagans, men and women, single people who gave their lives for Christ, such as Timothy, Titus and Apollos Barnaba. We find a long list of Paul's associates in the concluding greetings of the Letter to the Romans (16: 1-16: 21-23).
Titus
Titus, an Antiochian by descent, was a Greek, a pagan baptized by St. Paul. In 2 Cor 8: 16-23, Paul describes him as his collaborator, who was appointed by the elders of the Church to be a companion on his missionary journeys and who zealously carried out the ministry of preaching the Gospel. He was a great organizer, so Paul could rely on his decisions (cf. 2 Cor 12:18).
Titus and Paul went to the apostolic council in Jerusalem in AD 49 or AD 50. As a baptized Gentile, he was a living example of Paul's convictions and new practice of introducing pagans into the Church, bypassing Jewish customs. Paul categorically objected to having Titus circumcised, rightly seeing it as a struggle for the essence of the principle of the new faith (justification through faith in Christ, and not through the fulfillment of customsunder the Mosaic Law - cf. Gal 2: 1-5; 16; Rom 1-7). At the Council of Jerusalem, such a position was recognized as correct, which was quite a breach for the extreme wing of Judeo-Christians (cf. Acts 15: 1-35).
From the Letters of Paul, especially from 2 Corinthian, we know that Titus accompanied the Apostle on his third missionary journey in the years 53-58, collaborated with him in Ephesus, and helped solve the problems in Corinth.
Titus' later evangelizing activity is connected with the island of Crete, where Paul made him a bishop. The local tradition, confirmed by archaeological excavations, connects Titus with the ancient capital of Crete - Gortyn, where we can see the ruins of the church dedicated to Titus.
Titus was also with Paul at the beginning of the Apostle's second imprisonment in Rome (AD 67). From there, Paul sent him on a mission to Dalmatia (today: Croatia - cf. 2 Tim 4:10).
According to tradition, Titus, after the martyrdom of St. Paul in Rome, returned to Crete and evangelized there for the rest of his life. And he proclaimed the Gospel of Christ not only orally, but even credited with sending an apocryphal letter regarding virgins in the early Church.
Timothy
Paul's beloved disciple, Timothy, was one of his closest associates. He came from Lystra in Lycaonia (today central Turkey). His father was a pagan, Greek by descent, and his mother was Jewish. Mother Eunice and Grandmother Lois raised Timothy in the tradition of Judaism (cf. 2 Tim 1: 5; 3:14), although her son was not circumcised because of her pagan husband.
Timothy met Paul on his first apostolic journey in 45-49 (cf. Acts 14: 6-9). Then Timothy, his mother, and grandmother were baptized by Paul. The apostle became interested in Timothy also during his second missionary trip and chose him to cooperate in spreading the Gospel (Acts 16: 1-5). Because of the Jewish members of the ecclesial communities in Asia Minor, Paul had Timothy circumcised in order to make his mission more effective and avoid unnecessary difficulties (Acts 16: 3).
From then on, Timothy accompanied Paul constantly in his evangelizing work. He also became a sharer in the Apostle's experiences and persecutions. Paul entrusted him with overseeing the work of preaching the Gospel and preparing mission areas, which he later reached (cf. Acts 17:14; 18: 5; 1 Thess. 3: 2). As a missionary courier, Timothy kept Paul in contact with the ecclesial communities in Thessaloniki and Corinth, as well as in Philippi, Ephesus and other cities of Macedonia and Greece (cf. Acts 17:14f; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4; 1 Cor 4:17; 16:10; 2 Cor 1:19; Phil 2:19; 1 Thess 3: 6). Timothy also accompanied Paul on his dramatic return journey from his third missionary trip to Jerusalem (cf. Acts 20:3-21). He was at the Apostle's side during his imprisonment in Rome (AD 61-63) (cf. Col 1:1; Phil 1). Together with St. Paul wrote letters and sent greetings to various Churches. Timothy's name is not mentioned in three epistles (Ga, Eph, and Titus).
No one was so closely associated with the Apostle of the Nations as Timothy. That is why Paul commissioned him to watch over the church community in Ephesus, well known to both missionaries. Timothy stayed there until the end of his life.
Paul, sensing the imminent end of his journey on the path of Jesus, wanted to convey to his beloved disciple the last will and the last instructions, which he expressed in the Second Letter to Timothy. The exhortation addressed to Timothy says: "But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry" (2 Tim 4: 5), The Apostle Paul motivates with this promise: “From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance."(2 Tim 4: 8).
I am moved by Paul's sentence about Timothy: "But you know his worth, how as a child with a father he served along with me in the cause of the gospel." (Philippians 2:22) Something of the mystery of the Church is revealed here: close, almost family ties; working together for a cause greater than us; working for others.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george