Each morning, after my usual prayer discipline, I take my missal and turn to the Mass of the day, since I can't easily attend church every morning. I noted the martyrs celebrated last week, and this week are commemorated the giant, St. Paul, and his companion, St. Timothy. St. Paul's feast day is tomorrow, Januray 25.
Today is the feast of Timothy. He was born in Lystra, Asia Minor. His father was a pagan and his mother, Jewish. He was already Christian when St. Paul met him in Lystra. He was so impressed by the holiness of Timothy that he made him companion in his travels. Paul ordained him and made him Bishop of Ephesus. Timothy was stoned to death at Ephesus about 97 A.D.
Paul's 1st Epistle to Timothy 6: 11-16, exhorts him in the Faith. It is the Epistle read in today's Mass.
Dearly beloved: Follow after justice, godliness, faith, charity, patience, mildness. Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life, wheunto thou art called, and has confessed a good confession before many witnesses. I charge thee before God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate, a good confession; that thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; which, in His times, He shall show who is the Blessed and only Mighty, the Kind of kings, and Lord of Lords; who alone hath immortality, and inhabiteth light inaccessible; whom no man hath seen, nor can see; to whom be honor and empire everlasting. Amen.
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In these days of more and more "Christophobia," stronger and even deadly attacks on Christians and their faith, the exhortation to Timothy should ring loudly in our ears.
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