2Tim 4:2

“It is our duty and obligation to remember and heed the special day of Easter Sunday every year. St. Paul taught his disciple Timothy to be aware of dates, saying, "Stand ready in season and out of season." Paul wrote that, of course, so that Timothy would do things when they were supposed to be done and avoid the blame for doing things at the wrong time.”

“Hence the Apostle says, "What will ye, shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness." First he speaks of a rod, and as with the rod of an almond tree had smitten the wanderers, that he might afterwards comfort them with the spirit of meekness. Just so did meekness restore the man whom the rod had driven from the Divine sacraments. To his disciple too he gave the same injunctions, "Reprove, beseech, rebuke." Here are two harsh terms and one gentle; but they are only harsh, that they may themselves be softened. For like as bitter food or drink becomes sweet to these bodies which are laden with excess of gall, and on the other hand sweet repasts are bitter to them, so also when the mind is wounded it languishes under the flattering touch of pleasure, but is healed again by the bitterness of correction.”

“Therefore, let food, and bathing, and banqueting, and the other necessities of life have a definite time. But let instruction about the love of truth from above have no set hour—let all the time belong to it. "In season, out of season, reprove, entreat, rebuke," Scripture says. And the prophet, "On his law he will meditate day and night." And Moses too asked the Jews to do this continually.”

“"Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." What means "in season, out of season"? That is, have not any limited season: let it always be thy season, not only in peace and security, and when sitting in the Church. Whether thou be in danger, in prison, in chains, or going to thy death, at that very time reprove. Withhold not rebuke, for reproof is then most seasonable, when thy rebuke will be most successful, when the reality is proved. "Exhort," he says. After the manner of physicians, having shown the wound, he gives the incision, he applies the plaster. For if you omit either of these, the other becomes useless. If you rebuke without convicting, you will seem to be rash, and no one will tolerate it, but after the matter is proved, he will submit to rebuke: before, he will be headstrong. And if you convict and rebuke, but vehemently, and do not apply exhortation, all your labor will be lost. For conviction is intolerable in itself if consolation be not mingled with it. As if incision, though salutary in itself, have not plenty of lenitives to assuage the pain, the patient cannot endure cutting and hacking, so it is in this matter. "With all longsuffering and doctrine." For he that reproves is required to be longsuffering, that he may not believe hastily, and rebuke needs consolation, that it may be received as it ought. And why to "longsuffering" does he add "doctrine"? "Not as in anger, not as in hatred, not as insulting over him, not as having caught an enemy. Far be these things from thee." But how? As loving as sympathizing with him, as more distressed than himself at his grief, as melted at his sufferings? "With all longsuffering and doctrine." No ordinary teaching is implied.”

“Preaching is always appropriate, whether to those who hear willingly or not.”

“"Reprove" applies to those who persist in their sin, that they might be led to understand it as sin. "Rebuke" is aimed at those actually engaging in sin. "Exhort" is directed to those who might be led back to their former state after penitence.”

“Every occasion constitutes an opportune time for preaching.”

“I know that it is written, "In the multitude of words you shall not avoid sin." But would that I were to speak only by preaching your word and by praising you, Lord! Not only would I avoid sin, but I would obtain a good reward, no matter how many words I spoke in this way. For the blessed Paul would not command a sin to his own true son in the faith, to whom he wrote, "Preach the word, be urgent in season, out of season." For are we to say that a man did not speak many words, who not only in season but also out of season did not keep silent, O Lord, respecting your word? But they were not many, therefore, because they were only what was necessary.”

“The opportune time for preaching and teaching is when the sinner needs the prophylaxis that will lead him to repentance. The sinner will be helped at exactly the right moment between the intention to sin and the commission of sin and will turn to penitence instead.”

“Every occasion is appropriate for teaching, so long as this is done boldly and with forethought.”

“In his teaching the abbot is ever to observe this rule of the apostle: "Reprove, beseech, correct." This consists in a judicious timing: to mix gentleness with sternness—at one time to show the severity of a master, at another the tenderness of a father. Use rigor with the irregular and the turbulent, but win to better things the obedient, mild and patient.”

“Rulers ought also to guard with anxious thought not only against saying in any way what is wrong, but against uttering even what is right overmuch and inordinately; since the good effect of things spoken is often lost, when enfeebled to the hearts of hearers by the incautious importunity of loquacity; and this same loquacity, which knows not how to serve for the profit of the hearers, also defiles the speaker. Hence Paul also, in admonishing his disciple to be instant in preaching, when he says, I charge thee before God and Christ Jesus, Who shall judge the quick and the dead by His appearing and His kingdom, preach the word, be instant opportunely, importunely, being about to say importunely, premises opportunely, because in truth importunity mars itself to the mind of the hearer by its own very cheapness, if it knows not how to observe opportunity.”

“That is to say, do not think its not time to preach, always let it be that time for you, not just in peace or in gladness, nor should you teach only in Church while you are being censored, but even if you are in prison laying in chains, do not cease preaching.”

“To what exactly does the apostle adjure? What does this mean? "Preach the word," do not hide, or do not bury in the ground, the gift that is in you. Oh, let us be frightened by this, we who are lazy to preach. Preach unceasingly, speak tirelessly, not once but always. Let there be no set time for you, but "in season," that is, in time of peace, tranquility, and being in church, and "out of season," that is, in dangers and outside the church—speak and preach. The apostle said "in season" and "out of season" in the same sense in which these expressions are used in ordinary speech. A favorable time for preaching is considered a time of peace and calm, and an unfavorable time for it is a time of calamities. Others again consider preaching in church to be timely preaching, and preaching outside the church to be untimely. Or yet another way: do not wait for the time of someone's fall, but teach before anyone falls. When you see that this must be done, that is, when you find someone sinning or intending to sin, do not let it pass without consequence. Rebuke him, that is, impose a penance and punishment, after you have exposed and proven to the one erring his error. Prohibition with punishment is like cutting, while consolation is like a pleasant plaster. Therefore, apply the plaster of consolation, lest cutting alone, producing extreme pain, cast one into despair. Combine this with all preventive measures. For one must also reprove with all longsuffering, so that the one reproved may believe everything not without reason; "and edification," explaining how he sinned and wherein the sin lies. Thus, one must also rebuke with longsuffering, imposing penalties not as upon an enemy, but as upon a son—correction. And in teaching, that is, instructing him of the benefit of punishment. Exhortation most of all requires longsuffering and teaching. With longsuffering not occasional, but "with all," that is, manifested on every occasion—in deeds, in words, and in outward appearance.”

“Then when he says, "preach the word," he exhorts him to be instant in doctrine, which is twofold: one is for all men; the other for some, at "reprove." First, therefore, he urges him to engage in general teaching; second, how to do so. He says, therefore, "preach the word" of the Gospel: "go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). For there are two elements in preaching: the announcement of the truth and instruction in morals; and the preacher should do both: "beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded to them in all the Scripture, the things that were said concerning him" (Luke 24:27). The manner is persistence and continuance; hence he says, "be instant in season, out of season": "my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches" (2 Cor 11:28). But he says, "out of season," which is against what is said: "a parable coming out of a fool's mouth is rejected; for he speaks it not in due season" (Sir 20:22) and in Proverbs: "a word in due time is best" (Prov 15:23). I answer that a preacher according to truth should preach in season; but according to the false opinion of his hearers, he should preach out of season, because for the preacher of truth every season is in season for the good, but out of season for the wicked: "he that is of God hears the words of God; therefore you hear them not, because you are not of God" (John 8:47); "how very unpleasant is wisdom to the unlearned" (Sir 6:21). For if a man were to take advantage of an opportunity to speak only to those who are willing to hear, he would benefit the just alone; but it is his duty to preach also to the wicked, that they may be converted; that is why he adds, "out of season": "cry, cease not, lift up your voice like a trumpet and show my people their wicked doing, and the house of Jacob their sins" (Isa 58:1). Then when he says, "reprove," he gives his advice in detail: first, he gives it; second, he describes the manner, at "in all patience." For a person who instructs anyone in detail can instruct him regarding the faith, so as to instill the truth and remove error; in regard to this he says, "reprove," namely, their errors: "rebuke with all authority" (Titus 2:15). Or he can instruct in matters pertaining to good morals, to which he should sometimes exhort good men, who are in lofty positions; and then he should speak calmly and gently; hence he says, "entreat": "an ancient man rebuke not, but entreat as a father" (1 Tim 5:1); "you who are spiritual should instruct such a one in a spirit of meekness" (Gal 6:1), and especially if they do not sin from malice. But if he instructs an evil person, he should rebuke him; hence he says, "rebuke": "wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in faith" (Titus 1:13); "refuse not the chastising of the Lord" (Job 5:17). But how shall he rebuke? "In all patience," lest you seem to be angry and to be rebuking from anger; but calmly: "the learning of a man is known by patience" (Prov 19:11); "they shall be patient that they may show" (Ps 91:15); "and doctrine," namely, in matters pertaining to the faith and to morals: "they shall feed you with knowledge and doctrine" (Jer 3:15).”

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. Preach the word. But what then is the obstacle? Do not hide the message, but proclaim it. be prepared. That is, repeat, look around and watch that no one sins. And do this promptly, untimely, that is, do not have a fixed and definite time for this, but at all times, even if it is not convenient, manage. And if you find, Paul says, someone sinning, correct. For nothing ought to be done before you have convinced: and after you have shown him to be guilty, rebuke. Find fault, blame. Then after the wound, apply a remedy. For Paul says, "encourage," so that such a person is not swallowed up by excessive grief. with great patience. For the matter requires patience, so that one should not simply trust those who speak, but come through every investigation and the test of time to the truth. and careful instruction. Paul says to admonish along with the rebuke, as one lays it upon a child, not as one punishing an enemy, for he knows when encouragement has more power than rebuke. About those who were devising new things to oppose Timothy.”