A reading from Titus at daily Mass this week really caught my attention. As it bounced around inside my head, my brain struggling to make sense of it, Paul’s words hit me as being an excellent guidepost for living as a Christian in our modern time.
Titus 3:1-7
“Remind them to be obedient to the officials in authority; to be ready to do good at every opportunity; not to go slandering other people but to be peaceable and gentle, and always polite to people of all kinds.
There was a time when we too were ignorant, disobedient and misled and enslaved by different passions and dissipations; we lived then in wickedness and malice, hating each other and hateful ourselves.
But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour for humanity were revealed, it was not because of any upright actions we had done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own faithful love that he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our Saviour; so that, justified by his grace, we should become heirs in hope of eternal life.”
The Letter to Titus is not the most well-known of Paul’s writings. It, along with Timothy 1 and Timothy 2, form what have been deemed the Pastoral Epistles. They are correspondences, mostly attributed directly to St. Paul, to two of his leaders concerning the building and expanding the early Church.
In my imagination, I can picture Paul, knowing death is chasing him and rapidly catching up to him, brainstorming all his ideas for spreading the faith. The clock is ticking and Paul feels a sense of urgency to make sure the fundamentals of the Christianity and Church expansion continue in a set and consistent manner.
I see him sitting in his cell, late at night, candle burning down to a nub, frantically putting the thoughts swirling in his head down into these dispatches to Timothy and Titus. There is a sense of urgency to Paul’s words. He knowing his time was short and his burning desire to leave the young Church on solid ground.
In sports and coaching, there is a well-known passage from Timothy 2, probably the most recognizable passage from the Pastoral Epistles, that is a very appealing quote for athletes. You are probably familiar with it. I have seen it used often as a motivation quote. Athletes (all of us for that matter) can relate to Paul’s words advising them to work hard and give their best.
Timothy 2:6-8
“As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to depart.
I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come for me now is the crown of uprightness which the Lord, the upright judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his appearing.”
Although this passage may be the most recognizable and inspirational quote from the Pastoral Epistles, I think the words from Titus are a great passage to use as a starting point and as a focal point for my Advent 2014 preparation. In fact, it inspires the idea to use the Pastoral Epistles as an Advent Bible study this year.
St. Paul’s road map for building the early church sounds like a perfect fit for each of us, as followers of Christ, to reboot our faith in preparation for Christmas. We can use Paul’s guidance to rebuild our own personal “church” to allow for us to grow and expand our own faith in the upcoming year.
“Be ready to do good at every opportunity.”
Wise words from St. Paul.
Wise words for Christians at Advent.
Wise words for any time of the year.
Copyright 2014, Mike Hays
Mike Hays
Mike Hays is a husband, a father of three, a lifelong Kansan and works as a molecular microbiologist. Besides writing, he has been a high school strength and conditioning coach, a football coach and a baseball coach. His debut middle grade historical fiction novel, THE YOUNGER DAYS, is a 2012 recipient of The Catholic Writer's Guild Seal of Approval Award. You can find it at the publisher's website or on Amazon.
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