The Letter to Titus lists those domestic virtues that are conducive to a good home life and a strong Christian community.
The older people have a special responsibility to reflect dignity and self-control and to be steeped in faith, hope, and endurance. In this way the word of God will not be discredited. The same ideals are to be held before younger men.How many times at work have we gone the extra mile, covered
for someone while they ran a not-so-important errand, or stayed late to finish
the urgent but not really necessary request from the boss, and then not been
thanked for it? How many times at home have we had dinner waiting on the table
when our spouse came home, gassed up our child’s car, or did the grocery shopping,
and then not been thanked for it?
****
Let us Pray: God, merciful Father, you know what is
in our hearts. Whether our Intercessions are good or selfish, we leave
everything to your compassionate judgment. But this we ask of you: Confirm us
in the will to serve you and our people in loyalty and love and for the rest,
we are in your hands, for you are our God and Father through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
***
Saint Josaphat
Feast day November 12
Josaphat was born John Kuncevic in the Ukraine around 1580.
He worked as a merchant until 1604, when he became a monk of the Ukrainian
Order of Saint Basil and took the name Josaphat. Five years later, he was
ordained a priest of the Byzantine Church. People came to him for spiritual
advice. They were moved by his preaching and by his life, for he fasted often
and was faithful to the prayers and customs of the people. In his thirties, he
was made bishop of Vitebsk and then archbishop of Polotsk.
He found the diocese in terrible condition, and he saw much unrest among the people. Josaphat had been raised in the Byzantine culture, and he was also faithful to the rule of the Church of Rome. There were strong groups, however, who opposed Rome and Latin rule. These people named their own bishop. Disturbances broke out as people took sides. Josaphat decided to go to Vitebsk, the center of the disturbance. While Josaphat was there, a priest named Elias kept shouting insults at him. A deacon had the priest locked up. The mob rioted and demanded the release of Elias. He was released, but the angry mob broke through all barriers until they made their way to Bishop Josaphat. They beat him and then shot him to death on November 12, 1623. The man who had worked for unity all his life was killed by a violent mob. People were shocked, and much honor was paid to his memory.
