Monday, January 24, 2011

This saint entered the Temple of the goddess, Diana, and rebuked the pagan worshippers inside...

              January 24 -- St. Timothy

St. Timothy was born in a town called Lystra in present day Turkey.  His father was a Gentile and his mother, a Jew. 

St. Paul converted Timothy and made him a disciple and eventually the first Bishop of Ephesus.  Ephesus was home to a large number of pagans who worshiped the goddess, Diana-an idol possessed by the devil.  St. Timothy, manifesting incredible courage, entered the Temple of Diana , and faced an enormous crowd of worshippers.

When he exhorted them to renounce this idolatry, they stoned him.  He died from his wounds.

Evidently, St. Timothy had a divine inspiration to act in this manner.  He saw the evil and confronted it "head on". Depending on the circumstances, we might need to do the same.  At other times,  we might have to be more circumspect and, with perception, use more indirect combat.  Nonetheless,  the destruction of evil  is the core of our action.

Let us pray to have the discernment to know when and how to be most effective against the enemies of God.

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