Reading and meditation on the Word of God on the Word of God on Monday of the third week in ordinary time, January 26th, 2026, Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops

Delivered by Andrew, Shendy and Alfred Jost from the Parish of Saint Albert the Great in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Titus 1: 1-5; Rs psalm 96: 1-2a.2b-3.7-8a.10; Luke 10: 1-9.TRUST BETWEEN TEACHER AND STUDENT Our meditation today is entitled: Trust BetweenTeacher and Student. The trust between teacher and student is the foundationthat makes a vocation grow, a mission strong, and the proclamation fruitful. Wesee this clearly in St. Paul's relationship with his two disciples, Timothy andTitus. Paul not only "taught," but entrusted them with assignments, gavethem hope, and shaped their spiritual character.  So did Jesus when he sent the seventy disciples out inpairs: He not only gave commands, but gave them trust that they were capable ofbringing peace, healing, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. In faith, trust orconfidence is not just a feeling of security, but a decision to walk togetherin truth and mission. The greatest advantage of trust is the birth of theinner strength to be responsible. A trusted student will feel that his life ismeaningful: he is brave to take a step, does not give up easily, and is willingto learn from mistakes. Trust also creates room for growth—the student is notafraid to fail because he knows he is being guided, not judged. In addition,trust reinforces the unity of vision: teachers and students serve not for theirown name, but for God's mission. Thus, when Paul sent Timothy and Titus intothe ministry of the early Church, he was affirming that faith can animatecourage, faithfulness, and perseverance in duty. However, trust is something fragile and must bemaintained. In order for trust not to be lost, the most important thing ishonesty, consistency and humility. Trust collapses not just because of bigmistakes, but often because of small habits: not keeping promises, not beingtransparent, covering up the truth, or starting to work with double motivation.Trust must also be nurtured through clear communication—just as Paul continuedto write, confirm, remind, and direct Timothy and Titus. If the teacher-disciplerelationship is not maintained, distance will grow, misunderstandings are easy,and the mission slowly loses its spiritual power. Here are some simple examples. A teacher gives somepractical tasks to students, then accompanies them with healthy evaluations. Acoach asks the student to lead a prayer or make a small service, and then whenfinished, the teacher does not immediately criticize, but appreciates first,then gives corrections with love: clear, concrete, and constructive. Studentsalso learn that they are trusted, but still directed to grow. This is thespirit of Jesus who sent the disciples two by two: there is responsibility,there is support, and there is togetherness. True faith is not to let peoplewalk alone, but to make people dare to walk because they know they are notwalking alone.Let us pray. In the name of the Father ... O merciful Lord,strengthen our faith in every form of Your trust to us, so that our faith inYou may grow healthy and strong. Hail Mary, full of grace... In the name of theFather ...