Timothy and Apollinaris

The Lives Of The Saints: Volume 09, August · -* Timothy and Apollinaris. 243

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Timothy and Apollinaris. 243

our Lord 285, Lysias being proconsul of Cilicia, by whose command SS. Cosmas and Damian, brothers and physicians, and a great number of other martyrs suffered.

SS. TIMOTHY AND APOLLINARIS, MM.

(end OF 3RD CENT.)

[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.”

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Martyrologium Romanum · Latin witness

Rhemis, in Gallia, natalis sanctorum Timothei et Apollinaris, qui, ibidem consummato martyrio, caelestia regna meruerunt.