Daily Catholic Lectio
Fri, 26 January 2024
Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
2 Timothy 1:1-8. Mark 4:26-34
Saints Timothy and Titus, Memorial
Mustard Seeds
Today we commemorate the co-workers of Saint Paul, Saints Timothy and Titus, the bishops of Ephesus and Crete.
Paul calls Titus his ‘brother’ (cf. 2 Cor 2:13), ‘partner and co-worker’ (cf. 2 Cor 8:23), and ‘son’ (cf. Tit 1:1), and calls Timothy his ‘dear son’ (cf. 2 Tim 1:1). Paul longs to meet Timothy (cf. 2 Tim 1:3–4). We could perceive that Timothy and Titus were very young (cf. 1 Tim 5:12, Tit 2:15).
Joining hands with his co-workers, Paul says, “We have purity, understanding, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love” (cf. 2 Cor 6:6). Timothy and Titus supervise their flock with these virtues. Paul is also remembered today, along with Timothy and Titus.
What are the lessons for us (and for the priests and the religious) today?
(a) Celebrating our co-workers
Today, ‘clerical jealousy’ is a common phenomenon. It makes us take offence at our fellow priests or religious. Paul never felt jealous of his co-workers. He celebrated his co-workers and their talents.
(b) Heir in vocation
Paul makes Timothy and Titus his heirs in vocation. Today we lack vocations to priesthood and consecrated life. If every priest and religious finds an heir to him or her, there will be no lack of vocations.
(c) Our values define us
Paul writes, “For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man” (cf. 2 Cor 8:21). It is necessary that we are favourable in the sight of human persons through our virtues.
(d) Spirituality that forgets the cloak
Paul asks Timothy to bring his cloak that he left at Troas. This shows the simple and minimal lifestyle of the early church missionaries. They worked. They journeyed. They wrote. They did not mind their comforts.
(e) Perseverance
Would Paul have regretted following Jesus? What might he have felt when his beneficiaries in mission said, “But in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing” (cf. 2 Cor 10:10)? Paul never went back to his past life. He had the perseverance to go forth. In today’s first, he instructs Timothy not to be timid or afraid but to be brave and perseverant.
(f) Not to be negligent
“Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you” (cf. 1 Tim 4:14). Often times, we are negligent of our hierarchical and charismatic gifts.
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In the gospel reading, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to ‘seed that grows by itself,’ and ‘mustard seed.’ The metaphors show that God alone takes control of his kingdom, and the insignificant beginning becomes impactful later.
Timothy and Titus were the mustard seeds. They grew to be ministers of the word, and they bore witnesses through their lives.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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