St. Timothy and St. Titus “teach us to serve the Gospel with generosity, knowing, however, that this also entails a service to the Church herself.” (Benedict XVI)
Newsroom (26/01/2022 11:00 AM, Gaudium Press) Today, January 26, the Catholic Church celebrates the memory of two holy disciples of St. Paul the Apostle: St. Timothy and St. Titus.
Saint Timothy
Born in Lystra, the region where St. Paul met him on his first journey, St. Timothy was among the initial converts to the Gospel. Brought up in the Hebrew religion by his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, he showed great love for the Holy Scriptures from an early age.
An exemplary disciple, obedient and hardworking, St. Timothy assisted St Paul in his work with the Christian communities. He accompanied the Apostle to Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus and even Rome.
Saint Paul’s Letters to Saint Timothy
St Timothy was Bishop of the Church of Ephesus. Between 63 and 66 AD, he received the first letter from St. Paul. In his second letter, the Apostle invites Timothy to spend the winter with him in Rome.
In the letter, Paul asks his disciple to bring him the cloak left behind in Troas, probably because it was very cold in the Roman prison. St. Timothy witnessed St. Paul’s martyrdom. According to tradition, he was later martyred in Ephesus in 97 AD.
St. Titus
St. Titus was the second disciple of St. Paul. Born of pagan ancestry, Titus was converted and baptized by the Apostle himself. Called by Paul “my son,” he was already with him in Jerusalem, in 49 AD. He accompanied St Paul during his third trip and helped him write a letter to the Corinthians.
After being released from prison, St. Paul founded a Christian community in Crete and entrusted it to Titus. It was there that he received the Apostle’s letter. Later, he went to visit the Apostle in Rome. On that occasion, Paul sent him to evangelize Dalmatia (present Croatia), where he still has numerous devotees. After a long life, Titus died in Crete. (EPC)
Compiled by Gustavo Kralj