Feast of Timothy and Titus
by Frank Savadera, SJ
Shortly
before Christmas … I went to the St. Paul’s Bookstore to find a book that
I can read and share with friends. I came across this book entitled:
“The Art of Happy Living” by an Indian author named R.K. Jain. The book seems a bit "new age and eastern" yet something that is inspiring enough to be shared with others. What stuck to my mind was the author's description of
what "relationships" CAN BE for all of us.
He said: "relating with people is like digging for gold." Who wouldn’t wish to own gold? Yamashita treasure! Many treasure expeditions were launched in
the past to find gold. From the writings of Pigafetta, the historian who accompanied the first Spanish colonizers to our archipelago, we've learned how our lands we apparently teeming with gold. Nowadays, an ounce of gold amounts to US1,500 per ounce (P60,000.00). All the more … everyone wishes to … if they
can help it … grab onto whatever gold they can find.
But then as this Indian author was suggesting: our relationships
with people is like DIGGING for gold.
Before one discovers a nugget … an ounce of Gold … one must firstly SIFT
THROUGH tons and tons of DIRT. Isn’t this
the same with our relationships too? How
much DIRT do we need to DUST OFF and CART AWAY … TRUCKLOADS EVERYDAY … for the LOVE of finding that OUNCE of gold in
everyone? Sometimes … it can be quite
FRUSTRATING finding merely DIRT … the weaknesses of others … our weaknesses too. We can
easily give up on the quest.
St. Paul – he who embarked on the most difficult
mission of proclaiming the word of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles -- needed to DIG for GOLD … and he struck Gold in
the persons of TIMOTHY and TITUS. We
know this from the way he fondly spoke to the two bishops in his letters to
them:
To Timothy he says: my dear
child … I am grateful to God … as I
remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day. I yearn to see you again, recalling your
tears, so that I may be filled with joy
… I recall your sincere faith; your
grandmother Lois; your mother
Eunice." St. Paul expressed his concern for
Timothy: “Stop drinking only water, but
have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1
Tim 5:23)
St. Paul also talks about Titus and addresses
him as “My true child in a common faith.” He gave Titus a lot of instructions:
"In all things show yourself an example of good works." And expressed concern for the bishop. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he
says: “When I went to Troas … I had no
relief in my spirit because I did not find my brother TITUS.” In Macedonia … OUR FLESH HAD NO REST … we were
afflicted in many ways … but very much ENCOURAGED by the ARRIVAL of Titus.
Given such descriptions of his relationships with Titus and Timothy
… we can perhaps say that St. Paul struck Gold … as he also invites us to DIG
for GOLD in the hearts of those we meet each day.
