Memorial of Timothy and Titus, co-operators of Paul and bishops of Ephesus and Crete. Baca lebih lanjut
Memorial of Timothy and Titus, co-operators of Paul and bishops of Ephesus and Crete.
Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Spirit of the Lord is upon you.
The child you shall bear will be holy.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
2 Timothy 1,1-8
From Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God in accordance with his promise of life in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, dear son of mine. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord. Night and day I thank God whom I serve with a pure conscience as my ancestors did. I remember you in my prayers constantly night and day; I remember your tears and long to see you again to complete my joy. I also remember your sincere faith, a faith which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure dwells also in you. That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift of God that you possess through the laying on of my hands. God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power and love and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to our Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but share in my hardships for the sake of the gospel, relying on the power of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Look down, O Lord, on your servants.
Be it unto us according to your word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The day after Saint Paul's conversion, the Church recalls two of his closest associates, Timothy and Titus. The first was baptized by Paul himself and received from him the imposition of hands as the Apostle himself recalls in the letter of which we heard the beginning. Paul reminds Timothy and the entire community to whom the letter is addressed that it is from Jesus himself that he has received the mission of proclaiming the "promised life" of God to all people. Paul, on the eve of his death (4: 6-8), writes to this "delighted son" with passionate feelings. In the Letter to the Philippians, the apostle writes: "I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. But Timothy's worth you know, how like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel" (Phil 2:20-22). While he is in prison, Paul continues to serve God with a pure conscience, and in prayer he reminds God of his communities and his collaborators: chains do not block his communion with his brothers and sisters. Paul writes that he wishes to see Timothy again: the encounter would fill his soul with joy and comfort: "Do your best to come to me soon" (2 Tm 4:9). But the consolation the apostle feels already is Timothy's faithfulness to the Gospel; a fidelity that runs deep in the roots of his very religious family, starting with his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice. The ministry entrusted to Timothy is not easy, even for his young age. Paul, however, reminds him of "the gift of God" given to him through the imposition of his hands (see 1 Tim 4:14). And he asks him to revive it with prayer, fidelity, and dedication, so that its light may become ever clearer and more and more a source of strength for him. The other disciple that today the Church remembers, Titus, is a Greek from Antioch, and therefore a precious fruit of Paul's preaching to Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas therefore bring him with them to present him to the community of Jerusalem (Acts 15). Paul proudly calls him, "My true son in the same faith." And he entrusts him first to the leadership of the Corinthian community, and then to Crete, where his memory is still venerated today.
Doa merupakan jantung kehidupan Komunitas Sant'Egidio dan merupakan prioritas yang paling penting. Di penghujung hari, setiap Komunitas Sant'Egidio, besar maupun kecil, akan berkumpul di sekeliling Tuhan untuk mendengarkan sabda-Nya. Sesungguhnya Sabda Allah dan doa merupakan landasan seluruh kehidupan Komunitas. Para rasul tidak bisa tidak selain tetap di sekitar kaki Yesus, seperti yang dilakukan oleh Maria dari Bethani, untuk menerima kasih dan belajar cara-Nya (Fil. 2:5).
Sehingga setiap malam, ketika Komunitas kembali ke kaki Tuhan, Komunitas mengulangi kata-kata dari rasul tak bernama: "Tuhan ajarkanlah kami cara berdoa" Yesus, Sang Guru, terus menjawab: "Ketika kamu berdoa, katakanlah: Abba, Bapa". Hal itu bukanlah satu seruan sederhana. Dengan kata-kata ini, Yesus membiarkan para murid untuk berperan serta dalam hubungan mereka sendiri dengan Bapa. Oleh sebab itu, fakta bahwa sebagai anak-anak Bapa yang bertahta di surga, muncul sebelum kata-kata yang mungkin kita ucapkan. Jadi doa di atas segalanya merupakan cara untuk menjadi manusia. Ini untuk mengatakan bahwa kita anak-anak yang berpaling kepada Bapa dengan iman, dan yakin bahwa hal itu akan didengar.
Yesus mengajar kita memanggil Allah dengan sebutan "Bapa Kami" Tidak hanya "Bapa" atau "Bapaku" Para murid, meskipun mereka berdoa dengan cara mereka, tidak pernah terisolasi tidak juga menjadi yatim; mereka selalu menjadi anggota keluarga Tuhan.
Dalam doa bersama, di samping misteri anak Allah, ada juga misteri persaudaraan, seperti Bapa Gereja mengatakan: "Kamu tidak bisa memiliki Allah sebagai Bapa tanpa memiliki gereja sebagai ibu". Ketika berdoa bersama, Roh Kudus menyatukan para rasul di ruangan atas bersama dengan Maria, Bunda Allah, sehingga mereka dapat memusatkan pandangan mereka kepada wajah Tuhan dan belajar dari Dia rahasia hati-Nya.
Komunitas Sant'Egidio di seluruh dunia berkumpul bersama di berbagai tempat doa dan menghamparkan di hadapan Tuhan harapan dan penderitaan manusia yang lelah dan letih seperti yang di katakan oleh Injil (Mat. 9:37). Dalam kumpulan di masa lalu ini kita bisa melihat jumlah massa yang sangat besar di kota-kota modern ini, jutaan pengungsi yang terus melarikan diri dari negeri mereka, orang miskin yang terpinggirkan ke tepi kehidupan dan mereka yang menantikan seseorang yang akan merawat mereka. Berdoa bersama termasuk di dalamnya tangisan, seruan, permohonan, keinginan bagi damai, penyembuhan dan penebusan manusia di dunia ini. Doa tidak pernah sia-sia, doa terus menerus kepada Tuhan sehingga mengubah kecemasan menjadi harapan, air mata menjadi kegembiraan, putus asa menjadi kebahagiaan, dan kesepian menjadi persatuan. Semoga Kerajaan Allah hadir segera di antara manusia.
