Saints Timothy and Titus
2 Tm 1:1-8
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
To Timothy, my beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God,
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Our Need For Each Other
I am having a knee replaced next week. I fret about how painful it will be and worry about whether the surgery will be successful. But what concerns me the most is the thought that I may need to ask my son to help me get up off the toilet. I hate the thought of being weak and vulnerable.
In today’s reading, arrogant, aggressive, macho St. Paul shows great vulnerability. His letter only talks about his longing to see Timothy, his good friend. But reading between the lines, I hear St. Paul saying, “I’m lonely, I’m scared, I cannot do this by myself”. We readily talk about our dependence on God, a concept that is very abstract. It is more difficult to face the concrete reality of our need for each other.
Who in your life fills you with joy? Who do you need? Can you tell them just that?
—Peg Anderson is an attorney with Fox Swibel in Chicago and is on the board of Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House in Barrington, Illinois.
Prayer
Dearest God, please give me enough strength to admit my weakness. Give me the courage to be vulnerable and ask other people for help. Give me enough confidence in your love for me just as I am, to be able to be me just as I am, without any pretenses or defenses, when I am with the people who love me.
—Peg Anderson