Menaion of the Orthodox Church

The 3rd Day of the Month of May

Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs Timothy & Maura

At Vespers

On “Lord, I have cried…”, these stichera, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”

Assembling, all ye who love the martyrs, let us together praise with faith today Maura and Timothy, valiant among the martyrs, who suffered mightily and slew the adversary, who loved Christ and hated the world, the worthy inhabitants of the noetic Sion.

O Timothy, thou didst undergo the binding of thy body, the plucking out of thine eyes, the driving of spikes into thine ears, and being crushed with a heavy stone; and thou didst cast down the enemy, being upborne to divine glory, O glorious one. Wherefore, assembling with faith, we praise thee with supplication, O glory and boast of martyrs.

With radiant effulgence thou didst cast the enemy into darkness, suffering in purity, O glorious Maura; for thou didst endure the boiling of the cauldron, the cutting off of thy fingers, being burned with torches and crucifixion for a time, and hast passed over to divine rest, where the choir of the martyrs ever rejoiceth.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Doxasticon from the Pentecostarion.

Troparion, in Tone IV

In their sufferings, O Lord, Thy martyrs received imperishable crowns from Thee, our God; for, possessed of Thy might, they set at nought the tyrants and crushed the feeble audacity of the demons. By their supplications save thou our souls.

At Matins

Canon of the martyrs, the acrostic whereof is “I honor the pangs of Timothy and Maura”, the composition of Joseph, in Tone VI

Ode I

Irmos: Traversing the deep on foot, as though it were dry land, and seeing the tyrant Pharaoh drowned, Israel cried aloud: Let us chant unto God a hymn of victory!

O ye sacred people, in sanctity let us honor the sacred and honored festival of the sacred athletes, that we may be delivered from misfortunes by their entreaties.

Striving, that they might receive from Christ crowns of sacred victory, the valiant martyrs manifestly chose to die rather than live; wherefore, they have received glory.

Undaunted by the pain of the flesh and unafraid of either the tortures or the fire of the persecutors, O martyred athletes, ye manfully proclaimed Christ before the tribunal.

Theotokion: The transcendent Word, receiving human essence from thy pure blood, O pure one, hath deified us and delivered us from corruption; wherefore, we, the faithful, ever glorify thee.

Ode III

Irmos: There is none as holy as Thee, O Lord my God, Who hast uplifted the horn of Thy faithful and established us on the rock of the confession of Thee, O Good One.

Opening the books of God to the people in sacred manner, and enlightening their hearts, O Timothy, warrior of Christ, rejoicing, thou didst enter upon honorable martyrdom.

Setting thy soul afire with divine desire, O martyr, thou didst patiently approach the fire of tortures; wherefore, the divine dew of Christ cooled thee, O blessed one.

Thy mind enlightened by thy gaze directed toward God, thou didst not feel the touch of the cruelly heated iron implements, O glorious martyr Timothy.

Theotokion: Though He is dispassionate by nature, thy Son, O pure Virgin, received flesh of thy pure blood, and by His suffering on the Cross hath delivered me from the passions.

Kontakion of the martyrs, in Tone IV, Special Melody: “Having been lifted up…”

Having endured multifarious wounds and received crowns from God, pray ye to the Lord in behalf of us who celebrate your most sacred memory, O Timothy all-great and all-glorious Maura, that He grant peace to our city and people; for He is the confirmation of the faithful.

Sessional hymn, In Tone I, Special Melody: “Thy tomb, O Savior…”

Worshiping God, the wise Timothy and the glorious Maura cast falsehood into darkness; and having endured martyrdom, they have been enlightened beyond the rays of the sun, and have become concelebrants with the angels. Yea, we glorify them with faith.

Glory…, Now and ever…: Sessional hymn from the Pentecostarion.

Ode IV

Irmos: Christ is my power, my God and my Lord, the honored Church doth sing, crying out in godly manner with a pure mind, keeping festival in the Lord.

Having desired great glory, ye were vouchsafed it, becoming children of the divine Light, O great martyrs of Christ, ye peers of the angels.

Joining the ranks of the saints, and having thine ears attuned to the divine laws, O glorious Timothy, thou didst mightily endure the deprivation of thy hearing.

Having uplifted thee upon a tree, the vain-minded weighted thy head down with a stone, O glorious Timothy; yet Christ strengthened thee who art adorned with divine suffering.

Ye truly spurned those who ran the course of inconstancy, O blessed ones, and gave yourselves over to pangs; wherefore, ye have received the good things prepared from of old.

Theotokion: O divinely joyous and pure one, thou abode of purity, dwelling-place of the Master of all and fulfillment of all the prophets: have pity on those who hymn thee.

Ode V

Irmos: With Thy divine light illumine the souls of those who with love rise at dawn unto Thee, O Good One, that they may know Thee, O Word of God, to be the true God Who calleth all forth from the darkness of sin.

O divinely blessed Maura, thou didst listen lovingly to the luminous discourses of thy spouse, and, rejecting the darkness of evil, becamest light through martyrdom.

Arming thyself with the divine Spirit, O honored Maura, rejoicing, thou didst go forth to do battle with the deceiver; and having vanquished him, thou hast received crowns of victory, O martyr.

The honored Maura, confessing Thee alone, O Jesus, as the Lord Who fashioned man with Thy hands, had her fingers severed, manfully enduring unjust torture.

Theotokion: Still thou the tempest of my thoughts, the uprisings of my passions and the turmoil of perils, O divinely joyous Virgin, and save me who hymn thy mighty works.

Ode VI

Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, fleeing to Thy calm haven I cry unto Thee: Lead up my life from corruption, O greatly Merciful One!

Furnished with the Cross as mast and sail, O holy martyrs, with faith ye safely traversed the deep of perils and have come to rest in the havens of God.

Having heated a brazen cauldron, the ungodly cast thee into it as thou confessed Christ, O Maura; but thou didst remain unharmed, and they found that thou hadst been cooled by the dew of the Spirit.

Bound, O martyrs, ye manfully loosed all the bonds of the enemy, and, putting off the flesh, ye have utterly bound your souls to Christ with love, O ever all-memorable ones.

Theotokion: O most good Mistress who gavest birth in the flesh to the all-good God, bless thou my heart, which hath been afflicted with the passions, that I may magnify thee with faith and love.

Kontakion & Ikos from the Pentecostarion.

Ode VII

Irmos: The Angel caused the furnace to pour forth dew upon the pious youths, and the command of God, which consumed the Chaldæans, prevailed upon the tyrant to cry out: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Burned all over with torches, the all-glorious Maura did not feel the pain, bearing the fire of the love of Christ in her heart and crying out to Him with fervor: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Shaking the slumber of evil from thine eyes, O Timothy, thou didst endure the blinding of thine eyes, gazing upon Christ with the eyes of thy heart, and chanting: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Having disdained things below, the divine martyrs have inherited a dwelling-place on high. Let them be honored with sacred hymns, that they may chant unceasingly with us: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Theotokion: O all-hymned Virgin who gavest birth to the all-hymned God, those who hymn thee do thou show forth as partakers of light, and by thy supplications deliver them from Gehenna and fire, and from all the malice of the enemy.

Ode VIII

Irmos: From the flame didst Thou pour forth dew upon the venerable ones, and didst consume the sacrifice of the righteous one with water; for Thou, O Christ, dost do all things soever Thou desirest. Thee do we exalt supremely for all ages!

Keeping the laws of the Almighty, O valiant martyrs and heirs of Christ, ye did not submit to the dominion of the iniquitous, nor did ye offer worship to the wicked demons.

Manifestly joined together in an excellent union, together ye took the easy yoke of the Lord upon your necks, O martyrs, and have been admitted to the flocks of the martyrs.

Having suffered for many days upon the tree of a cross, O all-lauded ones, ye portrayed the honored suffering of Him Who of His own will suffered for our sake. Him do we exalt supremely for all ages.

Stretched out, ye endured pangs and a most violent death, O holy ones; wherefore, ye have passed over to the life which is devoid of pain, hymning Christ for all ages.

Theotokion: Thou hast been adorned, O Virgin, having given birth to Christ the Lord Who is all-comely in beauty, Who illumineth the faithful with divine rays. Him do we exalt supremely for all ages.

Ode IX

Irmos: It is not possible for men to behold God, upon Whom the ranks of angels dare not gaze; but through thee, O most pure one, hath the Word appeared incarnate unto men; and magnifying Him with the armies of heaven, we call thee blessed.

Ye have been vouchsafed to behold the glory of Him Who in His loving-kindness abased Himself, O all-lauded ones; for ye kept His laws and came to share in His sufferings. Wherefore, assembling, we piously honor you.

O wise ones, ye spent as many days nailed to your tree as in His loving-kindness Christ spent hours on His Cross. And confessing Him as the Ruler of all, ye surrendered your spirit into His hands.

The army of the angels and the blessed choir of the prophets, apostles, martyrs and the venerable assembled to witness your departure from life, O martyrs; and the Master of all crowned you with wreaths of victory, in that He is all-good.

O valiant and wise athletes of Christ, beg ye remission of sins, correction of life and the avoidance of all evils for us who honor you with love and celebrate your honored festival.

Theotokion: Illumine me with thy light, O Virgin who art divinely joyous among women, and deliver me from eternal fire, that I may magnify thee, and glorify thee, and hymn thy mighty works as is meet.