Daily Retreat 11/10/08
2008 Nov 10 Mon: Leo the Great, pp, dr M (Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time)
Ti 1: 1-9/ Ps 23(24): 1b-2. 3-4ab. 5-6/ Lk 17: 1-6
From today’s readings: “To Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.... Lord, this is the people that longs to see Your face.... Scandals will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur!”
What remains to be done....
One of the latest Pauline epistles is addressed to Titus, who was a companion of St. Paul during much of his missionary activity and was ultimately appointed by Paul as bishop overseeing the early Church in Crete. The letter to Titus is rather brief (only three chapters), and in general, easy to understand, so no excuses for not reading the whole thing!
Paul begins this letter with his most elaborate self- introduction, which is worth a closer look. The Apostle recognizes that his God-given mission and vocation to service is not for his own glory, but for "the sake of the faith of God's chosen ones and the recognition of religious truth, in the hope of eternal life...." A nice general summary, not only of Paul, but of the purpose of all Christianity!
Paul's purpose in leaving Titus on Crete was that he "might set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters" (also translated "elders" or "priests") as his co-workers. Paul goes on to enumerate prerequisites for presbyters and essential character qualities of bishops. We pray that every leader of the Church today live up to this description by proving himself "blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled, holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents."
Ti 1: 1-9/ Ps 23(24): 1b-2. 3-4ab. 5-6/ Lk 17: 1-6
From today’s readings: “To Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior.... Lord, this is the people that longs to see Your face.... Scandals will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur!”
What remains to be done....
One of the latest Pauline epistles is addressed to Titus, who was a companion of St. Paul during much of his missionary activity and was ultimately appointed by Paul as bishop overseeing the early Church in Crete. The letter to Titus is rather brief (only three chapters), and in general, easy to understand, so no excuses for not reading the whole thing!
Paul begins this letter with his most elaborate self- introduction, which is worth a closer look. The Apostle recognizes that his God-given mission and vocation to service is not for his own glory, but for "the sake of the faith of God's chosen ones and the recognition of religious truth, in the hope of eternal life...." A nice general summary, not only of Paul, but of the purpose of all Christianity!
Paul's purpose in leaving Titus on Crete was that he "might set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters" (also translated "elders" or "priests") as his co-workers. Paul goes on to enumerate prerequisites for presbyters and essential character qualities of bishops. We pray that every leader of the Church today live up to this description by proving himself "blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled, holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents."
posted by FrPitstick | 11/08/2008
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