The sunken thought of martyrdom began to haunt him at every step, but, however, not having tested his strength, he did not dare to follow his intention without preparation and advice from experienced elders.
Wanting to test himself exactly, he, with the blessing of the Lavra abbot, moved to the Esphigmen monastery, where he placed himself under the guidance of that same abbot, who, together with Elder Herman, participated in the preparation of St. Agafangel to the suffering feat. Here Timothy was soon tonsured into the great angelic image - the schema and, under the leadership of the abbot, began to prepare himself to endure torment for the name of Jesus Christ.
Having daily before the eyes of St. relics of Agafangel, Timothy revered the holy martyr and asked him in his prayer to ask him from the Greatly Gifted Lord for grace: to suffer for His holy name. As you can see, St. Agathangel heeded Timothy's plea, for his heart was so inflamed with love for our Lord Jesus Christ that he was unable to bear it any longer and wanted to suffer for the sweetest Jesus as soon as possible. And therefore he announced his intention to the abbot, begging him to give him a blessing for his martyrdom. But the abbot, wanting to test Timothy and as if not heeding his request, refused him his blessing, which, however, did not at all bother Timothy, who, out of his deep humility and unquestioning obedience, accepted the words of the abbot, as if from the Lord Himself. Meanwhile, quite a lot of time passed during which Timothy not only did not weaken in his intention, but even often reminded and asked to be released to a suffering feat.
When the experienced leader saw Timothy’s unchanging and firm thought, he agreed and, giving him his blessing, sent him with a letter to the Miriophyte diocese on the banks of the Propontis to Hieromonk Herman, a former companion of St. Agafangel, who at that time was on church business in these places, asking him to prepare Timothy for the suffering feat.
Arriving in Propontis, he found Elder Herman, to whom he handed a letter from the Abbot of Esphigmen. Having read the letter, Herman with joy and brotherly love accepted Timothy as a future martyr, comforted him with hospitality and gave him shelter.
Preparing Timothy for the feat of martyrdom, Herman spiritually rejoiced that the Lord God, in His great mercy, deigned to prepare one more martyr for the confession of His holy name, and a few days later, seeing Timothy’s firmness in intention, blessed him for the feat of martyrdom. At the same time, there was also a follower of Timothy, Hieromonk Euthymius, who, seeing his courageous determination, was inflamed with jealousy and wished to suffer with him for Christ and accept martyrdom.
And thus, guided by blessing and prayer, Euthymius and Timothy went to Kisani, where they went into the house of a former Christian, an acquaintance of Timothy, but now an outcast. After the usual greeting, Timothy began to persuade the outcast to turn again to Christ, while threatening him with eternal torment and deprivation of the benefits that are prepared for the followers of Christ. But the embittered outcast, instead of gratitude for their good advice, reported them to the judge, who immediately ordered to bring St. martyrs at the judgment seat.
When St. The martyrs entered the judgment seat and appeared before the judge, then they boldly confessed themselves to be Christians, denouncing their delusion and false belief in Mohammed. The judge, hearing the blasphemy against his faith, became seething with anger and ordered the servants to tightly tie the hands of the saint. martyrs back and, considering their guilt not subject to his authority, sent them to Adrianople. At the same time, the servants showed brutal zeal: they are the hands of St. Timofey was pulled so tightly that his shoulders were joined together.
The next day, the sufferers of Christ arrived in Adrianople; here they learned that the day before, two ascetics of Christ, Hieromonk Nicholas and Monk Barnabas, courageously professed the Christian faith and that after a short admonition, the judges ordered them to be thrown into different prisons and, having driven their feet into stocks, to beat them on their heels every day for one month, adding two blows every day, starting with thirty-eight blows. This news strengthened Euthymius and Timothy, and they joyfully looked forward to suffering for Christ who loved them.
When St. The martyrs Euthymius and Timothy were brought to the court, then the judges, after the usual admonitions, seeing their inflexibility, ordered Hieromonk Euthymius to be imprisoned and beaten on the heels in the same way as Nicholas and Barnabas, while Timothy was left without punishment, declaring to him that if he did not convert to the Muslim faith within one month, then the next month he would be put to death.
Two days later, Timothy’s elder, Herman, arrived in Adrianople, who, through a messenger, secretly visited St. The martyrs learned that they wished to receive Holy Communion. Christ's Mysteries, and therefore immediately went to the house patriarchal church, took several particles of antidora there and on the same day sent three particles to St. martyrs with that Christian who informed him of their desire to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, and in a short letter informed the sufferers that tomorrow he himself would come to them in prison. The next day, Herman, having inquired from one Christian that debtors were being imprisoned in the same prison in which Euthymius and Timothy were imprisoned, as well as for non-payment of taxes, began to ask him to report him to the tax collector, as if he had not paid the legal tax. As soon as the collector heard about this, he immediately came to the hotel where Herman was staying, and, calling him, began to demand a receipt for the payment of taxes. And since Herman did not have not only the receipt, but also the money, the collector sent him to prison.
Who can adequately describe the joy when the students saw their teacher in prison?! What joyful tears watered their cheeks at the sight of their benefactor and mentor! They were all having fun and kissing each other with tears. The whole night was spent in vigil and prayer, and the gloomy prison turned into a church; At the end of the vigil, the martyrs of Christ confessed to their elder and then partook of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. And as soon as morning came, Herman was ransomed by pious Christians and he was released.
Meanwhile, to the shame of the enemies of Christianity, the Lord clearly worked miracles through His confessors, for no matter how cruel the torturers beat the passion-bearers on the heels, the martyrs of Christ, instead of the usual groans, rejoiced and gave thanks for the blows they had inflicted; After each beating, the executioners’ hands became relaxed, and they, seeing their weakness, gnashed their teeth in anger.
Finally, the day approached on which God’s Providence was pleased to call St. Martyr Timothy. On this day, the judges demanded him to appear in court and, after various flattering promises and threats, they ordered his head to be cut off and thrown into the river along with his body, which was carried out by the executioners on October 29, 1820.
Elder Herman grieved a lot because the enemies of the Church of Christ deprived Christians of the consolation of having St. the relics of the sufferer of Christ Timothy, and therefore, wanting to purchase at least his bloody clothes, he offered the executioners a significant amount of money, for which he received what he wanted. Then with this precious burden he went to the Holy Mountain. Passing by the village where the daughters of St. Timothy, Herman came to them, told them the good news about the martyrdom of their father and gave them a portion of the saint’s clothes. Upon arrival on Mount Athos, the brethren of the Esphigmen monastery met the martyr's clothes with a procession of the cross, carried them into the church with honor and placed them in the ark with the clothes of St. Martyr Agafangel.
After the execution of St. Timothy, the confessors of Christ: Euthymius, Nicholas and Barnabas, were released from prison and dishonorably driven out of the city. Through the prayers of St. Venerable Martyr Timothy, O Christ our God, make us worthy to receive eternal glory in heaven. Amen.