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2 Timothy 1: 1-12
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God
for the promise of life in Christ Jesus,
to Timothy, my dear child:
grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to God,
whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did,
as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day.
For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel
with the strength that comes from God.
He saved us and called us to a holy life,
not according to our works
but according to his own design
and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,
but now made manifest
through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus,
who destroyed death and brought life and immortality
to light through the Gospel,
for which I was appointed preacher and Apostle and teacher.
On this account I am suffering these things;
but I am not ashamed,
for I know him in whom I have believed
and am confident that he is able to guard
what has been entrusted to me until that day.
The Word of the Lord.
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On paper, Saint Paul’s accolades are impossible to repeat:
The Risen Christ appeared to him; Paul helped to co-author half of the New Testament; he was an Apostle; the greatest missionary of his age, travelling an estimated 10,000 miles on foot; and a man of exceptional spiritual and physical endurance.
But there’s one thing, in particular, that I find endearing about him. Although he had no children of his own, Paul had the tender heart of a father.
He ordained a number of men to the priesthood, including Timothy, whom he refers to as his, “spiritual son.”
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In our first reading, we hear part a letter, which Paul writes to Timothy, revealing several important truths about their relationship.
First, Paul writes to encourage Timothy, who seems to be struggling in his faith. “I remind you,” he says, “to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.”
We don’t know exactly why Timothy was struggling – it could have been the near certain guarantee of Paul’s death, who’s writing to him from prison; the fear of being persecuted himself; or something as simple as dryness in prayer or burn out.
But, “I remember you constantly in my prayers,” Paul says, “night and day.”
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Paul continues with tender-hearted affirmation, reminding Timothy that he follows in the footsteps of other faithful Christians, including his own grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice, who came to faith before him. Their faith, he says, “dwells in you.”
Then Paul concludes by challenging Timothy – as I suppose as any father would – to, “bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.”
Such is the nature of a healthy father-son relationship: there is tenderness and affirmation, but also the firm reminder to become who God created them to be.
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I’d imagine Paul has the same fatherly love for each of us. While he assures us of his prayers, he also reminds us to, “Bear our share of hardship for the Gospel.”
What might that look like for each of us today?
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Image credits: (1) Realistic Poetry International, Ian Wilcox, Facebook (2) AnaStpaul (3) Catholic Campus Ministry
