My beloved brothers and sisters in Our Risen Lord, God, and Savior JESUS CHRIST.
CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN! ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! ΑΛΗΘΩΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ!
On the 3rd of May, Our Holy Orthodox Church Commemorates
the Holy and Glorious Martyrs TIMOTHEOS and MAVRA. (Part II)
The diabolical Arrianos decided to use Mavra, Timothy’s wife to break him. He said to her, "O Mavra, consider well thy youth and the sweetness of life…if thou shalt not offer a sacrifice unto the gods I will subject you to torments and punishments as those of thy husband. When Mavra heard these vile words from the tyrant, she exhibited the same heroism as Timothy. She answered, O impious man, I do not want thy favors, I refuse to pay homage to thine idols, I, am not afraid of thy punishments, I worship my Christ, the Creator of heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything visible and invisible…I prefer to die with him for my God…". Arrianos then commanded his soldiers to cut off all of Mavra’s hair and then ordered them to cut off the fingers of both her hands. Praying during the severing of her fingers, God, as a ready helper, did not abandon those that put their trust in Him. God strengthened the holy woman so that she should put to shame the devil, the ruler of darkness. The tyrant observing the courage of the sacred Mavra ordered another heinous torture. He ordered that a large cauldron be filled with water and brought to a boil. He then charged that Mavra he cast naked within the boiling water, so should suffer terrifying burns. Then God, Who once, in a paradoxical manner, caused dew to come upon the holy Three Children in the Babylonian fiery furnace [Dan. 3:25-26). Hence, the holy woman was preserved unscathed in a miraculous manner. The tyrant thought that his servants did not bring the water to a boil as he directed. He, consequently, in order to test the temperature, went up to the cauldron and said, "Mavra, sprinkle me with water that I may I might determine if it burns." The holy woman then filled her palms with water and poured it into the hands of the tyrant. He nearly fainted from the bitter pain of his scalded hands and dissolved flesh. As his body began to convulse. Although beside himself with pain, still managed to order that two crosses be made and that the two Christian Martyrs be crucified. When the holy ones heard their sentence of death, they joyfully thanked God Who counted them worthy, for His love, to receive death by crucifixion–just as the God-Man shed His undefiled blood upon the Cross for our love and salvation.
Straightway, Arrianus’s minions set about constructing the crosses for Saint Timothy and Saint Mavra. The executioners then seized the holy couple and led them to the execution site. The holy Martyrs were moved at the sight of the crosses upon which they would be transfixed; they, thereupon, bowed and piously kissed them, calling the Cross of Jesus "the Wood of Salvation." Then they both, bravely and calmly, surrender themselves to the executioners. Each contestant went and fell upon their cross as a bed of fragrant and dewy roses. Then, within moments, the soldiers hung the couple’s young bodies upon their crosses. The spectacle of the young couple upon their crosses seemed a tragedy to many, but, in reality, it was their loftiest moment. The two crosses were placed next to each other and were reminiscent to the Christians of the Passion of the God-Man. Each encouraged the other with heartfelt words of consolation which made manifest their mutual love, their oneness of soul, their faith in God, and their hope of immortality.
Our Lord Jesus Christ sent an Angel from heaven who stood by the holy woman and emboldened her. He then took her by the hand and they ascended, as in a trance, into the heavens. Once there, the Angel showed Mavra a lofty throne, beautifully adorned in white. The Angel exhibited another throne, also beautifully adorned in white, and s crown, saying, "These are allotted to thy husband Timothy whose place is higher than thine, because, as thou wilt testify, he was the agent of thy salvation." After nine days and nights upon their crosses, they surrendered their thrice-blessed souls into the hands of our Lord on the 3rd of May 286 A.D. The Holy Church chants: "Being joined together in an excellent marriage bond, you took up together the light yoke of Christ."
Then devout Christians bribed the soldiers with money and took down the Martyrs’ precious and holy relics from their crosses. They were honorably and reverently buried, to the glory of God Who enables His servants and handmaidens, without injury, to trample upon the serpent and scatter every device of the enemy. A church came to be dedicated to Saints Timothy and Mavra near the palace of Justinian (527-563 A.D.).
(Source: The Great Synaxarists of the Orthodox Church)
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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Resurrection,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 