Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus

The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for
authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place
of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their
households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They
contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties
at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."

So said Socrates many centuries before Christ. But there are those blessed souls who see a bright future in our youth and Saint Paul was one of them. His affection for his disciples Timothy and Titus is palpable.

These saints represent the next generation of Christian believers. Although he did not know Jesus before his crucifixion and was not among the twelve apostles, Saint Paul is counted as a first generation Christian. He laid foundations for churches in Asia and Europe; and, by his letters, dictated the development of theology for many millennia. But like all mortals he had to die and pass the baton to others.

Timothy and Titus were amid that blessed generation.

It has been said it takes only one generation to lose the faith forever. Despite the vast infrastructure of churches, shrines, schools and hospitals, art, books, songs and poetry our religion depends upon human beings sharing their faith with one another.

And God would take no chances with that. He gave us the Holy Spirit which raises up children in every generation who are eager and willing to receive and carry on the tradition.

But this is not a Field of Dreams proposition (“If you build it, they will come.”) Propagating the faith requires dedication, hard work and sacrifice. It demands long hours and toil from every devout person. There again, to our amazement and gratitude, the Holy Spirit stirs in every generation people to make the sacrifice.

There are always people who will count themselves among that group although they do not belong. They suppose attending church at Christmas and Easter is enough; they call themselves Christian though it means nothing in practice. But God knows who the true disciples are.

We are grateful to the Saints Timothy and Titus and Priscilla and Dorcas among us. We celebrate their courage and fidelity, and we hope to be counted in that number when the saints go marching in.