It is 26th January 2019. We celebrate the memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus, Bishops. The readings are from 2 Timothy 1:1-8 and the Gospel from Mark 3:20-21. Very little do we know about these messengers of God yet what we know more than enough to believe their dedication, commitment and sacrifice for the Good News out of love for the Lord Jesus. St. Timothy was so dear to St. Paul and in his letter to Timothy, St. Paul lovingly called him, “my own son in the faith.” (1 Tim.1:1). He worked with St. Paul nearly 13 years. He was ordained a Bishop of Ephesus by St. Paul. He stood firm in preaching so boldly to people who worshiped the idols and subsequently he was stoned to death by them. St. Titus also was a companion to St. Paul in spreading the Gospel. Having preached in the island of Crete after his return from the prison, St. Paul ordained him a bishop of that island. The first reading invites us to “fan into flame the gift of God.” (1 Tim.1:6). God has entrusted us with a special gift. We need to unwrap the gift and use it for the glory of the spreading of the Gospel. Some of us have received a very special gift by the anointing of the Church through the Holy Spirit. But most of us do not even know what is the gift we possess through our faith in the Lord and eventually we become weak, timid, secretive, noncooperative and begin to hide our talents so as to escape from the sight of God and the Church that wants us them. Whenever we hide God’s gifts, we experience some kind of vacuum and guilt in our being. What we all require is to ascertain our gifts and assort them for the work of the Lord. More we use the gifts of our anointing as a believer, more we are blessed with courage and self-discipline. We do not need to ask for a new gift. We all need to recognize the given- gift in our life. The Spirit of God is more than willing to walk with us when we are able to fan into the flame the gift of God. Once the ashes begin settling on the gifts that we have received, it loses its flames and gradually dies down without our knowledge and awareness. What is the spiritual gift that we are still guiding and not willing to share it with God and the Community we belong? The responsorial Psalm praises, “Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.” (Ps.96:3). In the Gospel, the family and friends of Jesus considered Him as a man went out of His mind because of his generous life style to God and Good News. Most of the times our own family members and closest friends who dissipate and deviate us when we wish to be different and to make sense of things, we believe in. Our families call us insane when we utilize the gifts of God for the spreading the Good News. Their over-concern obstructs us, destruct us and even destroy our enthusiasm to share the gifts of God to the rightful owner of the gifts. Who is the one in our life not allowing us to fan into the flames of the gifts? Who are those people, friends and relatives in our lives names us abnormal when we are closer to God and in building of God’s kingdom here on earth? Let us not allow anyone the permission to control and cool down the flames of the gifts we have received? God counts on us when God entrusted those gifts to us. How long will we make the Lord wait to see us using the gifts? Let us discover our gift and unwrap them to utilize for the welfare of the Church and the spreading of the Gospel. May you have a good day. May God bless you.