Monday – Saints Timothy and Titus, bb.

Reflection

 

Bishops Helpers of the Apostle Paul
Timothy for Ephesus and Titus for Crete
Writers of pastoral letters

Invitation

May I draw your attention to
the daily reading of the Gospel?

This invitation is intended to share with you the joy
of the Gospel. Everyone, without exception,
can experience that joy by opening their heart
to the healing power of God’s word.

Available every day.

Consideration

Timothy and Titus, Paul’s co-workers and travelling companions, represent the second generation of believers. They form the link to the Gentile Christians. Jesus’ sacrifice has placed God and man in a new relationship: the fear of God, which was characteristic of the Jewish religion, gives way to the new that Christ makes possible: an intimate, loving bond between the Father and his children – all his children. Believer or unbeliever, knowing or not knowing. At the time, the mission caused great commotion. That is why Paul took Titus with him to Jerusalem, to show that a Gentile could convert to Christianity.

FIRST READING         Tit. 1:1-5:

Paul to Titus, his true child in the common faith.

From the letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to Titus

From Paul,
servant of God and apostle of Jesus Christ,
to bring God’s chosen ones to faith
and knowledge of the true religion,
in the hope of eternal life.
Long ago, God, who cannot lie, promised eternal life,
and now, at the appointed time, He has revealed His word
in the proclamation entrusted to me
by the command of God our Saviour . . .

Paul to Titus,
his true child in the common faith:

Grace and peace to you
from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour!

I left you in Crete with the intention
that you would complete the organisation of the church
by appointing presbyters in every city
according to the guidelines I gave you.

INTERLUDIUM               Ps. 96(95), 1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10

Proclaim God’s glory to the nations,
his marvellous deeds to all peoples.

Sing a new song to the Lord,
sing to the Lord, all lands.
Sing to the Lord and glorify his Name.

Proclaim his salvation day after day,
tell the nations of his glory,
his marvellous deeds to all peoples.

Worship the Lord, all tribes and peoples,
worship the Lord for his glory and power,
worship the Lord for the renown of his Name.

Say to one another: the Lord reigns!
He has established the earth firmly,
He governs the nations with justice.

ALLELUIA                      Lk. 4:18-19

Alleluia.
The Lord has sent me
to bring the Good News to the poor,
to proclaim their release to the captives.
Alleluia.

GOSPEL          Lk. 10:1-9

The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.

From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to
Luke

At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two disciples
and sent them out two by two ahead of him
to every town and place
where he himself intended to go.
He said to them:
“The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.
“Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,
to send out labourers into his harvest.
“Go, then,
but see, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
“Carry no purse, no bag, no shoes,
and greet no one on the road.
“Whatever house you enter, let your first words be:
‘Peace be to this house!’
“If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
if not, it will return to you.
“Stay in that house and eat and drink what they offer you,
for the labourer is worthy of his wages.
“Do not go from house to house.
“In every town where you enter and are welcomed,
eat what is set before you, heal the sick who are there,
and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you.'”

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Laudato Si

Encyclical of

POPE FRANCIS

On Care for Our Common Home

9. At the same time, Bartholomew has once again drawn attention to
the ethical and spiritual roots of environmental problems,
which invite us to seek solutions not only in technology, but also in a change of heart, because otherwise we would only be addressing the symptoms. He has urged us to move from consumption to sacrifice, from greed to generosity, from wastefulness to the ability to share in an asceticism that “teaches us to give
to give and not simply to do without. It is a way of loving, slowly moving from what I want to what God’s world needs. It is liberation from fear, greed and dependence.”
We Christians are also called to “accept the world as a sacrament of communion, as a way of sharing with God and our neighbour on a global scale. It is our humble duty to help build a world where everyone can live in dignity and freedom. It is our humble conviction that the divine and the human meet in the smallest detail of the seamless garment of God’s creation, even in the last speck of dust on our planet”.
To be continued
Every day at 1 am