Holy Martyrs Timothy and Maura (c. 286)
The holy Martyrs Timothy and Maura (+c. 286) met a martyr’s end during the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Diocletian. Saint Timothy, who lived in the village of Penapeis (the Thebaid of Egypt), was the son of a priest and served as a reader. His obedience included keeping and copying the service books. Evil tongues denounced Timothy to the governor Arrian, saying he kept books forbidden by the emperor. Arrian had the saint seized and demanded that he hand over the church books. When he received a refusal in reply, he ordered him to be tortured. Timothy bore the terrible pain bravely and gave thanks to the Lord. The executioners hung the saint up by his feet and tied a stone to him. Then Arrian learned that the martyr had a young wife named Maura, and had her arrested too. The saint encouraged his wife and urged her to confess Christ with him. The lamb of Christ answered: “I am ready to die with thee.” By Arrian’s order the woman’s hair was torn out and her fingers cut off. Saint Maura bore the torture with joy. Then the saint was thrown into boiling water, but she did not even feel pain and was kept unharmed. The governor thought that the servants had poured cold water into the cauldron and ordered Maura to pour some water on his hand. When the martyr did as she was told, Arrian groaned with pain; confounded by the miracle, he believed in the true God and gave the order to release Maura, but the power of the devil over him was so strong that he took back his word and ordered the confessor of Christ to be tortured with still crueller torments. The indignant people demanded that the governor stop tormenting the innocent woman. Saint Maura turned to the people and calmed them: “Do not defend me; my only defender is God, in whom I hope.”
After long tortures, by Arrian’s order, the saints were crucified. On the tenth day the martyrs met their end. This happened in 286. Later a church dedicated to them was built in Constantinople and the day of their commemoration was established.
