Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops.

“Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path... Other seed fell on rocky ground... Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain.... 

Jesus explains the parable:

"The sower sows the word.... Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” (Mark 4: 1... 20).

Wednesday 26th January 2022, in the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of Saints Timothy and Titus. Timothy (+ 97). Jewish mother and a Greek father. He was ordained by St Paul as Bishop of Ephesus. He was a disciple of Paul and traveled with Paul in some of his missionary journeys.

Titus (+ 96 or 107). Ordained Bishop of Crete by St Paul. Both Timothy and Titus had very difficult churches to oversee in Ephesus and Crete respectively.

Brethren, once upon a time, I was one of the idle piece of land somewhere in the mountain side of a small town. A Farmer called Joshua came to sow a basket full of seeds. The first time Joshua came to our town, I was one of the plot of land filled with thorns. Our dull town is filled with people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word. Naturally we bear no fruit. I wanted to become rich and enjoy life. The word sown by Joshua was meaningless to me.

Joshua came back to our town a few years later to sow seeds. Now I have been humiliated by disappointments and suffering in the dazzling lights of the big city. I was ready to listen to Joshua.

This is how Joshua describes our class today:

"But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

I belonged to this group because Joshua gave us a second chance. We graduated with joy!

"The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live for ever."

Brethren, Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.

Daily Bible Verse @Seekfirstcommunity.com