FINDING TIMOTHY

??I thank God for you.? ? 2 Timothy 1:3
Boyet and Vicky are two very good friends of mine. We worked together previously in one company yet managed to grow closer even as we pursued different career paths after our employment in the said company.
      Two years ago, we decided to meet regularly and just share one another?s joys, burdens and dreams. We decided we would be each others? support system. We committed to an honest and transparent relationship ? no judgments, no prejudices. But that?s not to say that there is no admonition. We try as best as possible to help one another lead a godly life ? whether through uplifting words of encouragement or stinging reminders of what is right and true.
      They say you have found a treasure when you have found a good friend. Well I?ve found two. They are to me what Timothy is to Paul ? people who have integrity, who can be trusted and will stand by me through anything.
      In your spiritual progress, try to look for the Timothies in your life. We need to welcome them in our lives for both accountability and support. Roy M.

REFLECTION:
Who are your best friends?

Thank You, Lord, for our Timothies.

2 Timothy 1:1-8 (or Titus 1:1-5)

Here we have Paul writing to Timothy to encourage him in his ministry as  pastor of the Church at Ephesus. He tells Timothy to allow the Holy Spirit to set fire to his heart so that the love that God has for His people will be in Timothy?s heart as well. We remember John Paul II as a great pastoral and father figure. Let us pray that all of our pastors will have the heart of God for their people.
  
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God for the promise of life in Christ Jesus, 2 to Timothy, my dear child: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 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. 4 I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, 5 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. 6 For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. 8 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.

P S A L M

Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10

R: Proclaim God?s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. 2 Sing to the LORD; bless his name. (R) Announce his salvation, day after day. 3 Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. (R) 7 Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; 8 give to the LORD the glory due his name! (R) 10 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)

G O S P E L

Luke 10:1-9

Sometimes I think that the Good News of our salvation is one of the greatest secrets in the world. There are too many of us who hesitate to share our faith with others. If we who believe are unwilling to take the risk of sharing our faith, then how are those who have never heard the Gospel going to get the opportunity to respond to it? We should see this call to evangelize as both a privilege and a duty. It is not just a chore but it should be the joy of our life to be a part of bringing someone back into relationship with Jesus!

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy [-two] others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. 2 He said to them, ?The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. 3 Go on your  way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. 4 Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. 5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, ?Peace to this household.? 6 If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. 8 Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, 9 cure the sick in it and say to them, ?The kingdom of God is at hand for you.??

my reflections
think: If we who believe are unwilling to take the risk of sharing our faith, then how are those who have never heard the Gospel going to get the opportunity to respond to it?

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God?s special verse/thought for me today________________

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T O D A Y ? S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Leviticus 6-9

We remember today Sts. Timothy and Titus. Timothy and Titus were more than companions of Paul in his missionary journey. They were his coministers in the work of evangelization. Paul believed in team ministry; thus, having preached the Gospel in a particular place, he moved on to other places and normally entrusted the newly founded Christian community to the care of good Christian men (and women?). To Timothy, Paul gave the care of the Church in Ephesus while the Church in Crete he entrusted to Titus. Paul referred to both Timothy and Titus as ?sons in the faith? because these two men were, in the first place, also fruits of his missionary toil.
      Let us be keenly aware of the importance of remembering our own collaborators in our different apostolates and ministries. They are important, not only because of the assistance they give us, but because they are primarily important to Jesus Himself. Like us, who have been called to a particular ministry or are involved in a specific apostolate in and of the Church, they too have been called and given a significant share in the work of the Kingdom.
      The first moment is the moment of prayer. Prayer brings us all together in love. Prayer melts differences that often wound an otherwise healthy working relationship. Prayer always affirms, nourishes, and deepens the bonds that exist.
      The second moment is the moment of joy. It is rather easy for us to remember our co-workers when we are in need of consolation or affirmation and when we are standing alone in making a point. It is always hypocritical for any ministry or apostolate to claim that it endeavors to bring joy to others when its ministers remember one another only when sadness befalls them. Our co-ministers should be the first one we minister to.
      The third moment is the moment of need. Our collaborators are given to us by the Lord so that we do not have to carry the burden of the work of the Kingdom alone. We do not have to be ashamed to turn to them and be helped. The Lord Himself, who already is the Messiah, invited others to share in His work for the Kingdom. Fr. Bobby T.

REFLECTION QUESTION: How is my relationship with my co-workers, co-ministers, or collaborators in my community?

Lord Jesus Christ, although You are the Messiah of the world, You deemed it worthy to invite us in the work of the Kingdom. Thank You. May we be tireless workers in Your vineyard. Help us to always value the significance of team ministry and show our appreciation of one another as we go about our ministries and apostolates. May our love for our collaborators in the work of the Kingdom be a potent evangelizing example for those we serve. Amen.

Sts. Timothy and Titus, bishops, pray for us.