Yesterday, we celebrated the conversion of St Paul at Daily Mass. Today we celebrate and honor Timothy and Titus, two of Paul's companions on his missionary journeys. When I served as pastor of St Mary parish in Yazoo City, I used to frequently visit historic Glenwood Cemetery there. I would pass by the graves of four members of the Sisters of Charity who died in Yazoo City in the 1800s in the early days of the parish. These nuns were teachers at the Catholic school that was founded by their order. I remember reading an account stating that these nuns traveled from their home base in Kentucky to Yazoo City in a stage coach right after the Civil War. I often heard stories of those who remembered the sisters who taught at the school over the years, of their dedication, sacrifice, and hard work. I often thought of how the Catholic community in Yazoo City was a fruit of all those who came before us, those who made many sacrifices to pass down the faith to us.
As we celebrate the memorial of Timothy and Titus today, we honor these courageous missionaries who made many sacrifices to pass down the faith to others. Timothy, one of St Paul’s missionary companions, later became the administrator of the important Christian community in Ephesus, while Titus served the Church in Crete.
In the second letter of Timothy, St Paul recalls the importance of the Holy Spirit in the gift of our faith, of how our faith has been passed down to us, of how Timothy’s journey of faith was greatly influenced by the faith of his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. The faith of our fathers and mothers, the faith of our ancestors, lives on in us.
Paul exhorts Timothy to stir into flame the gift of God that has been given to him, telling him, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather of power, love, and self-control.” Truly living our faith and our Christian values in our lives, discerning the will of God for us and trying to follow it - this stirs into flame the gifts and the blessings that God has given to us.
Our lives of faith are not always easy. St Paul and his companions suffered great hardship and persecution for their faith, but their steadfastness and the grace of God kept their faith alive. May the faith of the great missionaries such as Paul, Timothy, Titus, and those who came to our Diocese in Mississippi stir the flame the flame of faith within us, keeping our faith fresh and vibrant.
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