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As Timothy was tortured on the rack before the governor, Apollinaris, a Christian in the crowd, saw two angels in white supporting him.

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August 23 · Martyrs

Sts. Timothy and…

Sts. Timothy and Apollinaris

As Timothy was tortured on the rack before the governor, Apollinaris, a Christian in the crowd, saw two angels in white supporting him.

Traditional feast

August 23
1914 / pre-1969 calendar, per Baring-Gould (1897)

Current feast

July 20
Secondary source · Wikipedia

Represents

Martyrs

Their story

Adapted in modern English from Baring-Gould (1897–98) · original text below · little is known

(The surviving account on this page begins partway through the story.)

As Timothy was tortured on the rack before the governor, Apollinaris, a Christian in the crowd, saw two angels in white supporting him. He broke through the ring and knelt at Timothy's feet, asking his prayers and saying he too would die for Christ.

The governor had boiling lead poured into his mouth, and both were taken to prison while a crowd followed them, weeping and praising God. The next day they were beheaded outside the city.

Early life

The book says little or nothing about early life. This is how the account begins.

Thin entry · the 1897 book gives only 227 words. We have not filled the gap with invented detail.

Now, among the Christians looking on was one Apollinaris, and he thought he saw two angels in white standing by the martyr and staying him up. When Jesus, the King of Martyrs, suffered His agony in the Garden, an angel was sent to comfort Him; and if He needed the staying hand of an angel, how much more a feeble servant ? Would He, who had in His sorrow felt the comforting arm, deny it to one suffering for His love ?

What they represent

How they teach us to live

Drawn from themes in the original account

Pray a little every day. Prayer runs all through this account.

Keep their day. Remember them on August 23 with a short prayer, and ask for their help.

Read more

The full original · 227 words

Read Baring-Gould’s full account

Baring-Gould’s sources: Gallican and Roman Martyrologies. Ado, Usuardus, &c. Authority: — The account of the Passion of these Martyrs in Flodoard’s History of the Church of Reims. Flodoard lived in the 10th cent. The ancient Acts were probably accessible to him, and his account is taken from them.] S. Timothy, an Eastern, preached the Word of God at Reims towards the end of the third century. He was taken and brought before Lampadius the governor, who ordered him to be beaten till his back was raw, and then that quicklime and vinegar should be rubbed into his wounds.

Now, among the Christians looking on was one Apollinaris, and he thought he saw two angels in white standing by the martyr and staying him up. When Jesus, the King of Martyrs, suffered His agony in the Garden, an angel was sent to comfort Him; and if He needed the staying hand of an angel, how much more a feeble servant ? Would He, who had in His sorrow felt the comforting arm, deny it to one suffering for His love ?

Though men see it not, when men suffer for Him, His angels of comfort are standing by. To Apollinaris it was given to see the messengers of love; and he cried out, and burst through the ring into the open space where stood the rack, the fire of coals, the executioners and the martyr, and fell at the feet of Timothy, and said: — “ Good Timothy, pray for me. I saw two in shining garments comforting thee. Gladly will I also die for the name of Christ.” Then the governor angrily ordered Apollinaris to be seized, and boiling lead to be poured into his mouth to silence his tongue. And after that, both martyrs were carried to prison. But a multitude followed them weeping and praising God. And on the following day they were led forth outside the city, and died by the sword.

Feast days

Feast: July 20
Traditional: August 23

Nine days · Free

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One short email a day for nine days. The day's prayer, a line from Sts. Timothy and…'s story, and a nudge to keep going.

Also on August 23
C

Sts. Claudius

August 23 · Martyrs
S

St. Sidonius Apollinaris

August 23 · Bishop
St. Justinian

St. Justinian

August 23 · Hermit, Martyr
← All 1726 saints in the library
Sources & notes

Feast-day sources

Story sources

Sources

Credits

From Sabine Baring-Gould, The Lives of the Saints, new edition in 16 vols. (London: John C. Nimmo, 1897–98); text from the Internet Archive scan (OCR, lightly cleaned; errors possible). Public domain.

From Sabine Baring-Gould, The Lives of the Saints, new edition in 16 vols. (London: John C. Nimmo, 1897–98); text from the Internet Archive scan (OCR, lightly cleaned; errors possible). Public domain in the United States. Reproduced unedited, except for short bracketed notes in grey that we added to explain names and terms (“S.” is the old abbreviation for Saint). Some history and judgments reflect 19th-century scholarship.