Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops / Monday of Week 3 in Ordinary Time
First Reading
2 Timothy 1:1–8
Paul, called by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, writes to Timothy, encouraging him to recall his sincere faith — passed down through family — and to fan into a flame the gift God gave him. He reminds Timothy that God’s gift is not a spirit of timidity, but of power, love and self-control, and urges him not to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 95(96):1-3,7-8,10
Sing to the Lord a new song; his salvation is near.
The psalm calls all the earth to proclaim God’s glory, to worship and bow down before the Lord, and to recognise his saving power.
Gospel
Mark 3:22–30
The scribes from Jerusalem say Jesus is possessed by Beelzebul. Jesus responds with a parable: a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, and he explains that Jesus is doing his work by the Spirit of God — and warns about blasphemy against the Spirit.
Reflection
Today’s readings draw our attention to two complementary aspects of discipleship: courage and clarity of mission.
Paul’s letter to Timothy is a call to inner boldness grounded in God’s gift. Paul reminds him — and us — that the Christian life is not sustained by human strength alone, but by the Spirit of power, love and self-control. To fan that gift into flame means choosing to let God’s life burn brightly in our relationships, choices and witness.
In the Gospel, Jesus faces opposition and misinterpretation. Some attribute his work to evil, but Jesus refocuses the charge: a divided kingdom cannot stand. His ministry — teaching, healing, reconciling — flows from God’s unifying purpose. There is no contradiction in his work; it coheres around God’s life-giving action.
These readings invite us to examine where we may have grown timid or divided, and to re-orient toward the courage and unity that Christ’s mission calls us into. To let God’s gift burn brightly is to let love lead, clarity sustain and unity shape our witness in the world.
A moment of pause
Where in your life do you need to let the gift of God burn more brightly — with courage, love, and unity?
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