ST TIMOTHEUS, MARTYR - 22 AUGUST

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN AUGUST

Saints celebrated on the 22nd of August

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

ST TIMOTHEUS, MARTYR 

During the pontificate of Melchiades (311-13), St Timotheus came from Antioch to Rome, where he preached for fifteen months and lived with Sylvester, who later became pope. 

HE PREACHED FIFTEEN MONTHS IN ROME

The prefect of the city, Tarquinus Perpenna, threw him into prison, tortured, and finally beheaded him in 311.

HE OCCURS IN THE EARLIEST MARTYROLOGIES

A Christian woman named Theon buried him in her garden. This is related in the legend of Sylvester. The name of Timotheus occurs in the earliest martyrologies. [He is commemorated on this day along with St Symphorian.] 

(From Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913)

SAINT TIMOTHEUS' ENTRY IN THE ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:

"At Rome, on the Ostian road, the birthday of the holy martyr Timotheus. After he had been arrested by Tarquinius, prefect of the city, and kept for a long time in prison, as he refused to sacrifice to the idols, he was scourged three times, subjected to the most severe torments, and finally beheaded."