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2 Timothy 1: 1-8
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.
I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears,
so that I may be filled with joy,
as I recall your sincere faith
that first lived in your grandmother Lois
and in your mother Eunice
and that I am confident lives also in you.
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.
The Word of the Lord.
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A recent study from MIT found that the average human eye can detect a candle flame flickering in the dark from over a mile and a half away.
Imagine that. One tiny flame can break through nearly 9,000 feet of darkness.
That is the type of power that Christians have when active in this world. We can break through social, emotional, and spiritual darkness.
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Consider what Saint Paul is doing for Timothy, his “spiritual son,” in our first reading.
We don’t know the precise reason why, but Timothy is struggling, both in his ministry and in his faith.
Spreading the Gospel in the first century was hard, often dangerous, work. The fact that Paul’s writing to Timothy from prison reiterates that.
But Paul affirms him, reminding Timothy that sharing the Gospel is not only an honor and a privilege, but also a responsibility. It’s something that every Christian is called to do.
Tradition tells us that Timothy continued his priestly ministry for nearly four more decades until he himself was martyred in the year 97 AD.
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Who knows what would’ve happened had Timothy not received such encouragement from Paul. But that one letter was like one little flame, bringing light to a young minister when he was living in difficulty.
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That’s something we can all do today – be like Saint Paul and bring light to someone who may need it.
A phone call. A handwritten letter. A word of affirmation. A text.
Simple things that might make a difference for a few seconds, a few minutes, or like Paul’s Letter to Timothy, for years to come.
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Image credits: (1) FindMotivation.org (2) Heater Tips (3) Simple Truths, Pinterest