As one reads the letters to Timothy and Titus, we sense that St Paul truly loved them and that he considered them his family and friends.
We are to love everyone. We have natural friendships with parishioners, coworkers, neighbors and acquaintances. Some friendships can be frivolous. Friends need to be a good fit for our spiritual life.
God has given us such people to tenderly love. St Francis de Sales tells us friendships are precious if your bond is charity, devotion and Christian perfection. Kindred spirits encourage, pick up, and help one another in the pitfalls of life, evils and dangers. They should warn you if you associate with bad people, sin, gossip, slander, be angry, embittered or unforgiving.
The relationship between St Paul, St Timothy and St Titus is good. Yes, there might have been differences but their overall goal was to increase in holiness, spread His Gospel and bring fellow souls to heaven. It should be ours as well.
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