We celebrate on this 26 January the memory of Saint Timothy and Titus. Born in Lystra, Timothy is the son of a Jew mother who was converted to Christianity and a Greek pagan father. Whereas Titus comes from a noble family of Crete.

Saint Timothy

Timothy, with his mother and grand-mother, met Saint Paul, for the first time during on his second trip. Paul converted him to Christianity. Since then he became a close and faithful companion of Saint Paul. He sent Timothy to the churches of Thessalonica, Macedonia and Corinth. After their first arrest, they travelled together until St. Paul asked him to stay at Ephesus, where Timothy became the first bishop. While trying to settle the discord among the Gentiles, Timothy was beaten and stoned. First buried with St. John, St. Timothy was transferred to Constantinople in the year 356.

Saint Timothy receive from Saint Paul two letters which are part of the canon of the Bible. Letters of exhortation to fight against heresies and deepen the faith.

Saint Titus

It was while studying literature that Titus heard a voice urging him to leave his country in order to save his soul, and revealing to him that the pagan search of the Greeks was in vain. Titus waited a year, but the voice invited him to read the Holy Hebrew Scripture. His uncle, the Proconsul of Crete, who heard the birth of the Messiah, sent Titus to Jerusalem where he met the Lord, who chose him to be one of the seventy-two disciples. Titus is an eye-witness to the life of Jesus: his passion, resurrection and ascension. We think that Titus meets Saint Paul in Antioche and accompanied him in Jerusalem to assist in Council.

Since Titus accompanied Paul and served him as a messenger to the church of Corinth and Ephesus. After the martyrdom of Saint Paul, Titus returns to Crete and died there at the age of 94.

The letter that Saint Paul addressed to him is in the Bible: conduct guidelines of Christian the communities of the Christian faithful.