Faith-filled overseers of the flock are vigilant in care—gracious stewards of God’s Law and Gospel counsel; attentive stewards of God’s abundant grace—a vital treasure for believers. And these appointed laborers of Christ need to remain strong in godly virtue and order, equipped to battle fierce wolves and subtle evil that mingle in the lives of God’s people. Titus began as one who heard and believed Paul and transitioned to assigning elders to care for the congregations he and Paul had started. Jesus prepared the Twelve for such a transition. They were to be dependent only on Him, not on how people reacted to the Gospel. And we need to rely on God and not our own preparations. As we will hear in the First Reading, we are called “in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised” (Titus 1:2). Indeed, with the Twelve and Titus, for us “the kingdom of God has come near” (Luke 10:9).