Old Testament – Confident.Faith

Today we celebrate the Festival of St. Titus, Pastor and Confessor. Like Timothy, St. Titus was a friend and coworker of St. Paul. Whereas it is not known if Titus accompanied Paul on his first and second missionary journeys, it is known that Titus accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey, along with Barnabas, to Jerusalem to bring aid during a famine. Likely after the trip to Jerusalem, Paul and Titus parted ways, with Titus staying in Crete and eventually working in Dalmatia and then, according to tradition, serving as bishop in Crete until his death in about AD 96.

Today we celebrate the Festival of the Conversion of St. Paul. Originally a zealous persecutor of the Church, St. Paul (then Saul of Tarsus) met Christ on the road to Damascus. Blinded by a bright light, Saul heard the words “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” to which Saul replied “Who are You, Lord?” to which Christ replied “I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting.” Upon arriving in Damascus, Saul was sought by a disciple named Ananias, who had been sent by the Lord to heal Saul. Upon receiving his sight, Saul was baptized and went on to become the Apostle Paul, a man whom God called ‘a chosen instrument … to carry [Christ’s] name before the nations’.

Today we celebrate the Festival of St. Timothy, Pastor and Confessor. Best remembered as a companion of St. Paul, St. Timothy grew up in a Christian household. After meeting Paul on his (Paul’s) second missionary journey, Timothy accompanied Paul on further missionary journeys and was with Paul in Rome. According to tradition, Timothy was martyred in Ephesus around AD 97, where he served as bishop after Paul’s martyrdom in Rome.

Exodus 15–18

Song of Moses; Israel Complains; Jethro

Exodus 11–14

Death of the Firstborn; Israel Leaves Egypt; Crossing the Read Sea

Exodus 7–10

Moses Performs Signs before Pharaoh; the Plagues