"Peter replied, 'Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We’ve already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God.'"(John 6:68-69)Saint Timothy and Saint Titus, bishops - Memorial
Feast of the Day:
Saint of the Day:
SAINTS TIMOTHY AND TITUS
Bishops and Disciples of St. Paul
(1st century)
St. Timothy was a convert of St. Paul. He was born at Lystra in Asia Minor. His mother was a Jewess, but his father was a pagan; and though Timothy had read the Scriptures from his childhood, he had not been circumcised as a Jew. On the arrival of St. Paul at Lystra the youthful Timothy, with his mother and grandmother, eagerly embraced the faith.Seven years later, when the Apostle again visited the country, the boy had grown into manhood, while his good heart, his austerities and zeal had won the esteem of all around him; and holy men were prophesying great things of the fervent youth. St. Paul at once saw his fitness for the work of an evangelist. Timothy was forthwith ordained, and from that time became the constant and much-beloved fellow-worker of the Apostle.
In company with St. Paul he visited the cities of Asia Minor and Greece-at one time hastening on in front as a trusted messenger, at another lingering behind to confirm in the faith some recently founded church. Finally, he was made the first Bishop of Ephesus; and here he received the two epistles which bear his name, the first written from Macedonia and the second from Rome, in which St. Paul from his prison gives vent to his longing desire to see his "dearly beloved son," if possible, once more before his death. St. Timothy himself not many years after the death of St. Paul, won his martyr's crown at Ephesus. As a child Timothy delighted in reading the sacred books, and to his last hour he would remember the parting words of his spiritual father, "Attende lectioni-Apply thyself to reading."
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St. Titus was a convert from heathenism, a disciple of St. Paul, one of the chosen companions of the Apostles in his journey to the Council of Jerusalem, and his fellow-laborers in many apostolic missions.From the Second Epistle which St. Paul sent by the hand of Titus to the Corinthians we gain an insight into his character and understand the, strong affection which his master bore him. Titus had been commissioned to carry out a twofold office needing much firmness, discretion, and charity. He was to be the bearer of a severe rebuke to the Corinthians, who were giving scandal and were wavering in their faith; and at the same time he was to put their charity to a further test by calling upon them for abundant alms for the church at Jerusalem. St. Paul meanwhile was anxiously awaiting the result. At Troas he writes, "I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus, my brother." He set sail to Macedonia. Here at last Titus brought the good news. His success had been complete. He reported the sorrow, the zeal, the generosity of the Christians, till the Apostle could not contain his joy, and sent back to them his faithful messenger with the letter of comfort from which we have quoted. Titus was finally left as a bishop in Crete, and here he, in turn, received the epistle which bears his name, and here at last he died in peace.
The mission of Titus to Corinth shows us how well the disciple caught the spirit of his master. He knew how to be firm and to inspire respect. The Corinthians, we are told, "received him with fear and trembling." He was patient and painstaking. St. Paul "gave thanks to God, Who had put such carefulness for them in the heart of Titus." And these gifts were enhanced by a quickness to detect and call out all that was good in others, and by a joyousness which overflowed upon the spirit of St. Paul himself, who "abundantly rejoiced in the joy of Titus."
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
God our Father,
you gave your saints Timothy and Titus
the courage and wisdom of the apostoles:
may their prayers help us to live holy lives
and lead us to heaven, our home.
BLESSED JOSE GABRIEL BROCHEROPriest
(1840 - 1914)
José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero was born on the outskirts of Santa Rosa de Rio Primero, Cordoba, on March 16, 1840. He was the fourth of 10 children, who lived from their father’s rural work. He grew up in a profoundly Christian family. Two of his sisters were nuns of the Garden of Olives.
Having entered the College Seminary of Our Lady of Loreto on March 5, 1856, he was ordained a priest on Nov. 4, 1866. As an assistant in the pastoral tasks of the Cathedral of Cordoba, he carried out his priestly ministry during the cholera epidemic that devastated the city. Being Prefect of Studies of the Major Seminary, he received the title of Master in Philosophy from the University of Cordoba.
At the end of 1869 he took on the extensive parish of Saint Albert of 4,336 square kilometers (1,675 square miles), with just over 10,000 inhabitants who lived in distant places with no roads or schools, cutoff by the Great Highlands of more than 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) of altitude. The moral state and material indigence of its inhabitants was lamentable. However, Brochero’s apostolic heart was not discouraged, but from that moment on he dedicated his whole life not only to bring the Gospel to the inhabitants but to educate and promote them. The year after arriving, he began to take men and women to Cordoba to do the Spiritual Exercises. It took three days on the back of a mule to cover the 200 kilometers (125 miles), in caravans that often exceeded 500 people. More than once they were surprised by strong snow storms. On returning, after nine days in silence, prayer and penance, his faithful began to change their lives, following the Gospel and working for the economic development of the region.
In 1875, with the help of his faithful, he began the building of the Houses of Exercises of the then Villa del Transito (locality that today is named after him). It was inaugurated in 1877 with groups that exceeded 700 people, a total of more than 40,000 going through it during his parish ministry. As a complement, he built the House for women religious, the Girls’ School and the residence for priests. With his faithful he built more than 200 kilometers of roads and several churches. He founded villages and was concerned about the education of all. He requested and obtained from the authorities courier posts, post offices and telegraphic posts. He planned the rail network that would go through the Valley of Traslasierra joining Villa Dolores and Soto to bring the beloved highlanders out of the poverty in which they found themselves, “abandoned by all but not by God,” as he said.
He preached the Gospel, using the language of his faithful to make it comprehensible to his listeners. He celebrated the sacraments, always carrying what was necessary for the Mass on the back of his mule. No sick person was left without the sacraments, as neither the rain nor the cold stopped him. “Woe if the devil is going to rob a soul from me,” he said. He gave himself totally to all, especially the poor and the estranged, whom he sought diligently to bring them close to God. A few days after his death, the Catholic newspaper of Cordoba wrote: “It is known that Father Brochero contracted the sickness that took him to his tomb, because he visited at length and embraced an abandoned leper of the area.” Because of his illness, he gave up the parish, living a few years with his sisters in his native village. However, responding to the request of his former faithful, he returned to his House of Villa del Transito, dying leprous and blind on Jan. 26, 1914.
José Gabriel Brochero was beatified in September 2013 by Pope Francis. © Innovative Media Inc.
Saint Timothy and Saint Titus, bishops - Memorial
Second Letter to Timothy 1:1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus.
God himself chose me to be an apostle, and he gave me the promised life that Jesus Christ makes possible.
2 Timothy, you are like a dear child to me. I pray that God our Father and our Lord Christ Jesus will be kind and merciful to you and will bless you with peace!
Do Not Be Ashamed of the Lord
3 Night and day I mention you in my prayers. I am always grateful for you, as I pray to the God my ancestors and I have served with a clear conscience. 4 I remember how you cried, and I want to see you, because that will make me truly happy. 5 I also remember the genuine faith of your mother Eunice. Your grandmother Lois had the same sort of faith, and I am sure that you have it as well. 6 So I ask you to make full use of the gift that God gave you when I placed my hands on you.[a] Use it well. 7 God’s Spirit[b] doesn’t make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control.
8 Don’t be ashamed to speak for our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, just because I am in jail for serving him. Use the power that comes from God and join with me in suffering for telling the good news.[Footnotes:
1.6 when I placed my hands on you: Church leaders placed their hands on people who were being appointed to preach or teach (see 1 Timothy 4.14).
1.7 God’s Spirit: Or “God.”]
Psalm 96: Sing a New Song to the Lord
96 Sing a new song to the Lord!
Everyone on this earth,
sing praises to the Lord,
2 sing and praise his name.
Day after day announce,
“The Lord has saved us!”
3 Tell every nation on earth,
“The Lord is wonderful
and does marvelous things!
7 Tell everyone of every nation,
“Praise the glorious power
of the Lord.
8 He is wonderful! Praise him
and bring an offering
into his temple.
10 Announce to the nations,
“The Lord is King!
The world stands firm,
never to be shaken,
and he will judge its people
with fairness.”
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Daily Mark 3:22 Some teachers of the Law of Moses came from Jerusalem and said, “This man is under the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons! He is even forcing out demons with the help of Beelzebul.”
23 Jesus told the people to gather around him. Then he spoke to them in riddles and said:
How can Satan force himself out? 24 A nation whose people fight each other won’t last very long. 25 And a family that fights won’t last long either. 26 So if Satan fights against himself, that will be the end of him.
27 How can anyone break into the house of a strong man and steal his things, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can take everything.
28 I promise you that any of the sinful things you say or do can be forgiven, no matter how terrible those things are. 29 But if you speak against the Holy Spirit, you can never be forgiven. That sin will be held against you forever.
30 Jesus said this because the people were saying that he had an evil spirit in him.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10: The Work of the Seventy-Two Followers
1 Later the Lord chose seventy-two[a] other followers and sent them out two by two to every town and village where he was about to go. 2 He said to them:
A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in. 3 Now go, but remember, I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. 4 Don’t take along a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals. And don’t waste time greeting people on the road.[b] 5 As soon as you enter a home, say, “God bless this home with peace.” 6 If the people living there are peace-loving, your prayer for peace will bless them. But if they are not peace-loving, your prayer will return to you. 7 Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they give you, because workers are worth what they earn. Don’t move around from house to house.
8 If the people of a town welcome you, eat whatever they offer. 9 Heal their sick and say, “God’s kingdom will soon be here!”[c][Footnotes:
10.1 seventy-two: Some manuscripts have “seventy.” According to Jewish tradition, there were seventy nations on earth. But the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament has “seventy-two” in place of “seventy.” Jesus probably chose this number of followers to show that his message was for everyone in the world.
10.4 waste time greeting people on the road: In those days a polite greeting could take a long time.
10.9 will soon be here: Or “is already here.”]
Saint Timothy and Saint Titus, bishops - Memorial
Commentary of the Day:
Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 101; PL36
Lord of the harvest
The gospel that has just been read to us invites us to seek out what this harvest might be of which the Lord says to us that: “The harvest is great, the laborers are few, so pray the lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” So it was that, in addition to those twelve disciples whom he called apostles (those who have been sent), he sent out seventy-two others. All of them, as his own words reveal, were sent to work at a harvest that had already been prepared. What harvest is this? They were not going to reap a harvest from the gentiles, where nothing had yet been sown, so we must think of a harvest among the Jews. It was in order to reap this harvest that the Lord of the harvest came. But to the other peoples he sent, not reapers but sowers. Among the Jews, then, there was a harvest but elsewhere, the sowing. And it was particularly while reaping among the Jews that he chose the apostles. Harvest time had come, the harvest was ripe, for the prophets had done their sowing among them…
Did not the Lord declare to his disciples: “You say the harvest will be a long time. I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for harvest,” (Jn 4,35)? And again, he said: “Others have done the work and you are sharing the fruits of their work,” (v.38). Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and the prophets have done the work; they worked hard to sow the seed. At his coming the Lord found the harvest to be ripe and he sent out the reapers with the scythe of the gospel.
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