AMEND WHAT WAS DEFECTIVE…

Titus 1:1-9 
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth which accords with godliness,2 in hope of eternal life which God, who never lies, promised ages ago3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by command of God our Savior;
4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
5 This is why I left you in Crete, that you might amend what was defective, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you,6 if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of being profligate or insubordinate.
7 For a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,8 but hospitable, a lover of goodness, master of himself, upright, holy, and self-controlled;9 he must hold firm to the sure word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it.

Luke 17:1-6 

1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come!2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
3 Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him;4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
5 The apostles said to the Lord,”Increase our faith!”6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, ‘Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

MEDITATION

St PAUL speak ‘in persona Christi’ to the bishop of Crete Titus whom he appointed (vv1-4), to reaffirm that his (Paul’s) teaching is divinely (v4) inspired! Notice the apostolic hierarchical structure of the early Church when Paul remind Titus (v5) that as the bishop of Crete, he is duty-bound to heed his instruction to appoint more ordained ministers. 

What’s more, Paul set out the nessesary moral, ethical, virtuous criteria that all bishops must abide by, nevermind expose and confute false teachings, to ensure that the Gospel of Christ is not compromised. 

THE GOSPEL READING: Fully aware of Satans attempt to expectorate His chosen flock, Christ implore the apostles to administer the Sacrament of reconciliation (vv 3,4) to anyone who wish to repent of their sins. Upon hearing that they would be burdened with such a supernatural duty to forgive the sins of other fallible souls like themselves, the apostles indulge Christ to increase their faith to discharge such a superhuman act of faith! 

Satan is on the prowl day in and day out attempting to confound us with alluring false propositions; dysphorias that poison our sense and sensibilities. We are called to apply self-control; have clean hands and hearts, to not assent or be tempted by animallike sin that is contrary to and beneath our human dignity! The confessional is the place where Christ can begin to amend what is defective about us!

LET US PRAY: Psalms 24:1-6 

1 A Psalm of David.
The earth is the LORD’s and the fulness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein;2 for he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of his salvation.6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. [Selah]

Commentary. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days