Remembering Timothy and Titus

The theme of today's readings is that of discipleship. In the gospel from Luke 10:1-9, we hear how Jesus chose 70 of his disciples and sent them ahead of him in to avoid all distractions on the way as their mission was to announce the peace of the kingdom in all the villages they visited. Yesterday, we heard how Saul, the persecutor of the early Christians, was transformed into Paul the great missionary disciple. Just as Jesus chose apostles and disciples to continue and extend his work, Paul also realized that he needed companions to guide and strengthen the communities that he had founded. Today we celebrate two of his closest collaborators, Timothy and Titus. Acts of the Apostles and the letters to the Corinthians contain many references to the way they accompanied Paul on his missionary journeys. Although it is more likely that the New Testament pastoral letters to Timothy and Titus were written by a later disciple of Paul, they give us valuable insights into the qualities necessary to be a disciple. I Timothy 3-5 tells us that their aim is to teach the people in the new communities to love Jesus with a love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience and a sincere faith. Then in instructions relevant for the church today, Titus is told to appoint suitable lay leaders in every town to guide the community there. ''Grant us, your disciples today, Lord, a heart of love to serve you in your people and a faithful heart to live and transmit the peace of your kingdom. Amen.''