Wednesday: God's Abundance Never Fails

Yesterday Saul's conversion to become Paul the missionary, speaking for God in so many different and distant places.  Today the feast honoring two of Paul's closest collaborators, Timothy and Titus.  Some history first:  Timothy was entrusted with the church in Ephesus (modern Turkey) and Titus shepherded the church in Crete (the largest of Greece's island, south of the mainland).  Clearly there was no short "drive" between the two places.  The word of God was spreading far and wide.

While the readings that could be used today (either a portion of the Second Letter to Timothy or the Letter to Titus) are both encouragements to his colleagues in the struggles that are theirs as the Bishops of the fledgling church in those areas.  However, what Paul reminds Timothy in the First Letter to Bishop of Ephesus, is about his own challenges.  Throughout Paul's writings we can find moments when the Apostle to the Gentiles speaks of his resistance to the word of God.  But, he assures Timothy, that "the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus" (1 Tim 1:14).

This is the consolation for us today: despite whatever weaknesses might overcome our intentions or purposes to do good, the grace of God is not lost.  God will continue to pour out his graces to us through the faith and love that exist in his Son, the Redeemer of humankind.  When sin is in our hearts, the love of God for us abounds all the more.  So, for us the challenge is that we should never forget how strongly God works to bring us ever into his love and care.  Like the fountains above ... God-graces pour out to us from different sources if we but listen for his voice.