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 Saint Paul Scott 449 (1967) The Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus is celebrated on January 26. Although there are no Vatican City stamps depicting these two early Christians, they were closely tied to the apostle Saint Paul, who is shown on the stamp above (from the 1967 set commemorating the 1900th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul). There are detailed Daily Emails discussing the life of Saint Paul that can be reviewed on the VPS website, including yesterday’s Email which, appropriately, celebrates his conversion to Christianity. One aspect of his life to be remembered is his apostleship during the earliest days of Christianity. Known as The Apostle of the Gentiles, Paul traveled extensively through present-day eastern Europe, western Asia, and the Middle East to spread the word of Christ and to plant the seeds of Christianity. During his travels, he converted and recruited both Timothy and Titus into his ministry. Born in 17 AD in Listra (located in present-day central Turkey), Timothy was chosen by Paul during his second missionary journey to the region. Timothy accompanied Paul through Asia Minor to Macedonia, and then on to Athens. Paul then sent him to Thessalonica and on to Corinth, where he continued his mission of evangelization. He died a martyr’s death by stoning at the age of 80 in Ephesus (in modern-day Turkey). Titus was born into a Greek pagan family and was converted by Paul during one of his journeys to the region. Titus went on to become one of Paul’s closest collaborators. He accompanied Paul to Jerusalem and attended the so-called Apostolic Council, which occurred during a crucial period in the conversion and baptism of the Gentiles. Titus served as a living example of the universality of Christianity, which drew no distinctions based on nationality, race, or culture. Titus eventually went to Crete and worked to spread Christianity to the island. He also lived to an old age and died a natural death in Crete around the end of the first century. In his later life, Saint Paul wrote two letters to Timothy and one to Titus. These are the only letters contained in the New Testament addressed not to communities but to individuals. In these letters, Paul the Apostle shares his affection for his two disciples. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI, Timothy and Titus "teach us to serve the Gospel with generosity, knowing that this also involves a service to the Church itself." REFERENCES: |
