Have Forgiveness

Minute Meditations True Strength Meek does not mean weak. Meekness requires true strength (Mt 5:5). True power is robed in humility. — from Tweet Inspiration Sts. Timothy and Titus     Timothy (d. 97?): What we know from the New Testament of Timothy's life makes it sound like that of a modern harried bishop. He had the honor of being a fellow apostle with Paul, both sharing the privilege of preaching the gospel and suffering for it. Timothy had a Greek father and a Jewish mother named Eunice. Being the product of a "mixed" marriage, he was considered illegitimate by the Jews. It was his grandmother, Lois, who first became Christian. Timothy was a convert of Paul around the year 47 and later joined him in his apostolic work. He was with Paul at the founding of the Church in Corinth. During the 15 years he worked with Paul, he became one of his most faithful and trusted friends. He was sent on difficult missions by Paul—often in the face of great disturbance in local churches which Paul had founded. Timothy was with Paul in Rome during the latter's house arrest. At some period Timothy himself was in prison (Hebrews 13:23). Paul installed him as his representative at the Church of Ephesus. Timothy was comparatively young for the work he was doing. ("Let no one have contempt for your youth," Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:12a.) Several references seem to indicate that he was timid. And one of Paul's most frequently quoted lines was addressed to him: "Stop drinking only water, but have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses" (1 Timothy 5:23). Titus (d. 94?): Titus has the distinction of being a close friend and disciple of Paul as well as a fellow missionary. He was Greek, apparently from Antioch. Even though Titus was a Gentile, Paul would not let him be forced to undergo circumcision at Jerusalem. Titus is seen as a peacemaker, administrator, great friend. Paul's second letter to Corinth affords an insight into the depth of his friendship with Titus, and the great fellowship they had in preaching the gospel: "When I went to Troas...I had no relief in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.... For even when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way—external conflicts, internal fears. But God, who encourages the downcast, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus..." (2 Corinthians 2:12a, 13; 7:5-6). When Paul was having trouble with the community at Corinth, Titus was the bearer of Paul's severe letter and was successful in smoothing things out. Paul writes he was strengthened not only by the arrival of Titus but also "by the encouragement with which he was encouraged in regard to you, as he told us of your yearning, your lament, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.... And his heart goes out to you all the more, as he remembers the obedience of all of you, when you received him with fear and trembling" (2 Corinthians 7:7a, 15). The Letter to Titus addresses him as the administrator of the Christian community on the island of Crete, charged with organizing it, correcting abuses and appointing presbyter-bishops. Comment: In Titus we get another glimpse of life in the early Church: great zeal in the apostolate, great communion in Christ, great friendship. Yet always there is the problem of human nature and the unglamorous details of daily life: the need for charity and patience in "quarrels with others, fears within myself," as Paul says. Through it all, the love of Christ sustained them. At the end of the Letter to Titus, Paul says that when the temporary substitute comes, "hurry to me." Quote: "But when the kindness and generous love of God our Savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life. This saying is trustworthy" (Titus 3:4-8). Patron Saint of: Stomach disorders Saint of the Day Lives, Lessons and Feast By Leonard Foley, O.F.M.; revised by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M.     Presence I pause for a moment and think of the love and the grace that God showers on me, creating me in his image and likeness, making me his temple.... Freedom Lord, may I never take the gift of freedom for granted. You gave me the great blessing of freedom of spirit. Fill my spirit with Your peace and Your joy. Consciousness Knowing that God loves me unconditionally, I look honestly over the last day, its events and my feelings. Do I have something to be grateful for? Then I give thanks. Is there something I am sorry for? Then I ask forgiveness. The Word of God   Reading 1 2 Tm 1:1-8 Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God for the promise of life in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear 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, as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day. I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, as I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and that I am confident lives also in you. For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God. Or Ti 1:1-5 Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God's chosen ones and the recognition of religious truth, in the hope of eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before time began, who indeed at the proper time revealed his word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted by the command of God our savior, to Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior. For this reason I left you in Crete so that you might set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you. Responsorial Psalm Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10 R. (3) Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations. Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name. R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations. Announce his salvation, day after day. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations. Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name! R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations. Say among the nations: The LORD is king. He has made the world firm, not to be moved; he governs the peoples with equity. R. Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations. Alleluia See 2 Tm 1:10 R. Alleluia, alleluia. Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mk 3:22-30 The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said of Jesus, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "By the prince of demons he drives out demons." Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin." For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."     Listen to audio of this reading     Watch a video reflection Conversation Do I notice myself reacting as I pray with the Word of God? Do I feel challenged, comforted, angry? Imagining Jesus sitting or standing by me, I speak out my feelings, as one trusted friend to another. Conclusion Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Meditation: 2 Timothy 1:1-8 Subscriber? Login to view archives. Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7) That's quite a spirit, isn't it? It's the spirit that sustained Timothy and Titus through arduous missionary journeys with Paul. It enabled them to preach the gospel effectively and to play a major role in the direction of the early Church. Both of these men lived extraordinary, difficult, and generous lives—true heroes of the faith! As disciples of Paul, Timothy and Titus were instrumental in spreading the gospel throughout Macedonia. Timothy led the church at Ephesus, becoming its first bishop in ad 64. He was stoned to death around ad 95 because he tried to stop a procession to the goddess Diana. Titus is known best for his pastoral skills. Paul relied on him to help bring unity to the divided church in Corinth, and later he sent him to Crete to help the struggling church there. Titus is also credited with evangelizing the region of Dalmatia, in modern-day Croatia. He is said to have died peacefully on Crete, when he was around ninety years old. But today's feast is not meant just to admire these two men. God wants us to imitate them as well. After all, the same spirit of power, love, and self-control has been given to us, too. It's the Holy Spirit! Few of us are called to serve as Timothy and Titus did, but we can still testify to the gospel wherever we are. It may mean caring for an elderly parent, being patient with a difficult child or a wearisome neighbor, or working faithfully at our everyday tasks. It doesn't have to look heroic in order to be heroic. Any time we rely on God's power, love, and self-control, we can make the ordinary parts of our lives extraordinary. Timothy, Titus, and all the saints show us that God wants to be a part of our lives. They tell us that he wants to take everything that appears ordinary and make it extraordinary. What a marvelous, generous God we serve! "Holy Spirit, thank you for giving me a share in your power, love, and self-control! Come and fill me, as you filled Timothy and Titus, so that my life can become extraordinary."   Psalm 96:1-3, 7-8, 10 Mark 3:22-30   my2cents: Today's 5 minutos ends with an exhortation "Let us make the Holy Spirit visible with our actions!".  St. Paul asks St. Timothy today to bear his share of the burden of being a Christ follower, of bringing the evangelization to the world, of being Christ that carries his burden.  The Psalms proclaim "Proclaim God's marvelous deeds to all the nations".  The Psalms proclaim for all families of all nations to give the Lord glory and praise, give the Lord Glory due His name.  So what do we, as families, give to the Lord?  Glory?  What's that?  Praise?  Well, really, what is that too?   We like to live in glory, where all is said good about us and nothing bad right?  Well, why does God's name get dragged around like a dirty rag all over the place, but your name has to remain untarnished?  Uh oh, the Gospel is coming in about dirtying the name of God, and the first commandments are coming up real fast.  But first, what is giving praise?  Well, what exactly are we giving to our Lord?  I notice some people give a little time and talent to God, but treasure?  "Oh, I've done enough, the church owes me" is the mentality, or "oh, I gave to someone in need, I no longer have to give in Church".  These are the mentalities that go against the praise and glory to God, because in the end, we are talking about giving until it hurts, and then remember, Jesus gave His life for me and for you, and for what?  So that you can defeat Satan yourself, and join Jesus Forever because He defeated both satan and death forever.  In comes Jesus in the Holy Gospel "How can Satan drive out Satan?", because the people there where calling Him the devil, and doing things by evil spirits.  This isn't so far fetched an idea as to not be possible still in our world.  People curse the Lord, and say "my sin is much greater than God's forgiveness (I can't be forgiven)", or this one,  " if your god was such a good god, how can he allow all this evil to be"?   It is the same question that Jesus had to answer.  Evil of the world is still trying to make a mark, an impression in your life that causes doubt.  Basically it is dirtying the Holy Spirit when you say that the Lord is not good, and basically, it is evil talking.  So, now that we have noticed a problem of the infectious disease of the soul called sin brought about by evil that twists the truth, how can we help?  What can we do?  Let's go back to the Holy Scriptures of today "give glory and praise...carry your burden, your cross" do your part with your heart.  I live in a world under a magesterium.  The King is Jesus, the Kingdom is the Holy Church, (also the bride and groom), the Kingdom of God and the realms of the Heavens intertwine in Holy  Mass.  We prostrate ourselves before our Lord, because He is about to make an appearance.  The Pope is coming to the U.S., and people are making preparations which is wonderful, and even I've thought about making a thousand mile drive with my family, but, how many of us can't even make a couple mile drive to the appearance of our Lord Jesus Himself in Holy Mass?  In Holy Adoration of the exposed body of Christ (exposition of the Blessed Sacrament)?  I can tell you how many, often, just a handful are there (in daily Mass or Adoration).  Oh sure we try to make "holy" his name and try to be good, but when He appears we treat Him with disregard.  We quickly dismiss what is truly there...the presence of God of Good forever.  Does it make it bad that I do no good?  God is good forever, and quite the opposite happens when I drag the Lord's name through mud (sin), the mud is splattered all over me, not Him.  And this is what God does not want.  The commandments are not for Him so much as they are for us, so that we may not lose our souls, but be saved through His grace.  And the commandments begin with what is extremely important "I AM the Lord your God!  You shall love me with all your heart, mind, and soul....and ....you shall Keep my name Holy and have no strange gods before me".    Why is this so important?  Because God is the center of the Universe...or is He the center in your life?    Lord, I want you at the center of my life, please, come into my soul, Holy Spirit, I want the world to see you alive!   adrian Subscribe

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