Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saints Timothy and Titus. It is a special day for my parish, as I attend St. Timothy Parish. Because it is a shared feast day, we have an option of two first readings, one from 2 Timothy and one from Titus. I’d like to concentrate today on the reading from 2 Timothy. Our Gospel reading for today is from Luke 10, the story of Jesus sending out the seventy-two.
St. Paul tells Timothy in his second letter to him, “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.” Interesting words…stir into flame the gift of God that you have. It makes one wonder if the gift of God had turned into an ember in St. Timothy’s life. I rather doubt that. But I think that fire for God can always burn more brightly in our lives.
Have you ever played with a campfire? If so, you know this image from St. Paul is spot on. When the flames die down, you stir things around so that the fresher wood will ignite. And when you add oxygen by blowing on the embers, look out. If we stir the embers of our faith and allow the breath of the Spirit to blow new life into us, we will be on fire! Burn, baby, burn!
Father, stir the embers of our faith and let the wind of your Spirit light us up! We pray in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
Help spark a fire in your spiritual life with a copy of Magnetic Christianity, available now at www.GusLloyd.com.
Thanks from your So. Baptist friend, Gus.
Lived in Sebring 35 years. You know Ryan Dorrell , friend of mine.
Anyway, KEEP ON PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.
I appreciate you so much!! May the Lord guide your every proclamation of His Word.
Thank you I needed this! We are standing up to our CAThOLIC school about issues and discussions regarding some of the teachings and “pandemic” rules and were told to just let it go! We are not letting it go especially because we send our children to a Catholic high school for a reason! We have been blessed with a voice and are finally using it for our children and feel very alone right now. Many parents complaining behind the scenes and they watch us being condemned. Our fire is not going to burn out! Our whole diocese and the Catholic schools in our area needs prayers…it is slowly dying and no one is fighting for our Mother Church or our children! We need new life and those willing to fuel the fire!