Icons have always been and will be faithful assistants for every believer. They not only protect our home from enemies, but also give us the opportunity to become purer spiritually and closer to God.

The icon of St. Timothy is a fairly common image that appeared long before the arrival of Christianity on Russian soil. This is a symbol of faith and love for God in many Catholic countries. In Orthodoxy, this image is valued no less, despite its lower prevalence.

History and description of the icon

This icon was painted in honor of the great Saint Timothy, who lived in apostolic times. Timothy of Ephesus is a disciple of the Apostle Paul. Timothy was inspired after seeing Paul heal a sick man. He dedicated the rest of his life to Christ and his teachings.

Timothy carried out the instructions of St. Paul. Together they carried the word of God throughout the world, increasing the number of Christians and spreading goodness and grace. All this happened in the 1st century, immediately after the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Serving people was a very dangerous occupation because the world was still pagan. People were afraid of everything new, and rulers were even more afraid of losing their power.

As a result, Timothy was appointed bishop in the city of Ephesus. More than 10 years later, Timothy was killed by pagans who tortured him.

Around the 4th century, images of the holy martyr Timothy began to appear, in which he was depicted in full height or waist-deep. Ancient icons are distinguished by their full image. Now almost all icons are written differently. Timothy holds a scroll in his hands, which personifies holy scripture. The saint can also be depicted holding a cross in his hands.

Where is the icon of St. Timothy

This icon is in Moscow, in the Church of Elijah the Prophet, which is located in Kitay-Gorod. Very ancient image Timothy of Ephesus is in Domodedovo, in the Moscow region, in the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross. In the Church of St. Nicholas in Shchepi, Timothy is depicted together with Saint Thaddeus in full growth. Very few temples can be found with the image of Timothy. There are no churches left dedicated to him.

Celebration date

Timothy of Ephesus in the Orthodox faith is remembered with prayers on January 17, February 4. These days, at services they remember his exploits and self-sacrifice, which we will never forget.

What does an icon help with?

During his lifetime, the saint helped people gain faith. He does the same thing to this day, but through icons. At home, such an icon will save you from evil people and dangers. On the way, Saint Timothy of Ephesus will be useful to those who travel long distances. Prayers in front of the icon calm the soul, give peace and help find solutions to even the most difficult problems in life.

Prayer to Saint Timothy

“Down the Heavenly Light on our souls and ask God for us, Saint Timothy. Help us strengthen our faith and gain the blessings of the Lord, so that our Earthly and Heavenly lives are not brought closer together, but made one. Help us to see our Lord in our deeds, in people’s faces, in our thoughts and dreams. Pray to God for us, His sinful and unworthy servants. May He guide us on the true path and show us all the beauty of this world, teach us how to manage life correctly. Forever and ever. Amen".

This icon and prayer will protect you from unbelief and any spiritual problems. Do not forget to read this prayer on the days of remembrance, January 17 and February 4. Honor the memory of the saint by addressing him. Go to church and light a candle for all the saints.

Let this image protect you from all troubles. This icon will be a good gift for any twelfth holiday. Pray to Timothy of Ephesus, who, along with the other apostles, started great era Christianity. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

17.01.2018 05:53

Matrona of Moscow is one of the saints beloved and revered by Orthodox believers. Since birth she...

The Holy Apostle Timothy came from the Lycaon region1, and received his upbringing and education in the famous city of Lystra2, which became famous not so much for the abundance of earthly fruits as for this God-planted fruitful branch. This young shoot grew, however, from a not entirely healthy root: for just as a fragrant rose grows from thorns, so Saint Timothy descended from an unbelieving Greek, who was known for his pagan wickedness and was so mired in vices that his son later surpassed all people in virtues and high morality. The mother and grandmother of Saint Timothy were Jewish, both holy and righteous, adorned good deeds, as the holy Apostle Paul testifies to this in the words: “I desire to see you, remembering your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, bringing to mind your unfeigned faith, which formerly dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice; I am sure that she in you" (2 Tim. 1:4.5).
While still a youth, blessed Timothy, nourished by his mother not so much on bodily food as on the word of the Lord, avoided pagan and Jewish error in every possible way and then turned to the holy Apostle Paul, that God-voiced church trumpet. It happened like this. The Holy Apostle Paul, together with the disciple and apostle of Christ Barnabas3, came to Lystra, as Divine Luke tells about this in the Acts of the Apostles: “they withdrew, he says, to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and their surroundings” (Acts 14:6). Upon his arrival there, the holy Apostle Paul performed a great miracle: he healed a man lame from his mother’s womb with a single word. Seeing this, the inhabitants of the city were greatly surprised, saying: “The gods have come to us in human form.” When they learned that these are not gods, but people, and are called apostles and preachers of the Living God, moreover, they are opponents of false gods, and for this purpose they were sent, to turn people from demonic delusion to the True God, who can not only heal the lame, but also to raise the dead, then many turned from their error to piety (Acts 14:8-18). Among these was the mother of this blessed Apostle Timothy, who remained a widow after the death of her husband. She joyfully accepted the holy Apostle Paul into her home, took care of his maintenance and the comforts of life, and finally gave him her son, St. Timothy, for his education, as a gift for the miracle performed in their city and for the light received from him true faith. Saint Timothy was still very young in years, but very capable and prepared to receive the seed of the word of God. Saint Paul, having accepted the young man, not only found in him meekness and a disposition to goodness, but also saw the grace of God in him, as a result of which he loved him even more than his parents in the flesh. But since Saint Timothy was still very young and could not bear the hardships of travel, the holy Apostle Paul left him in his mother’s house, assigning skilled teachers to him who would teach him the Divine Scripture, as he himself recalls in his letter to Timothy: “You have known the sacred scriptures from childhood” (2 Tim. 3:15). The Apostle Paul himself, at the instigation of the Jews, was stoned by the people, was dragged out of the city, after which he went to other cities.
Several years later, when the holy Apostle Paul, having left Antioch, wanted to visit the brethren in all the cities in which he had previously preached the word of God, then, taking Silas with him, he came to Lystra6, where Saint Timothy lived. Seeing that he had reached perfect age and was excelling in every virtue, and that he was highly respected by all the Christians there, the Apostle Paul accepted him into his apostolic ministry and made him his constant companion in all his labors and a co-servant in the Lord. When he wanted to leave the city, then for the sake of some Jews, who lived in large numbers there and in the surrounding places, he circumcised Timothy according to the law of Moses (Acts 16:3), - not because this was necessary for salvation, for new grace is given instead of circumcision in holy baptism, but so that the Jews would not be offended by him, since they all knew about his origin from a pagan. Coming from Lystra, the holy Apostle Paul passed through cities and villages, teaching and preaching the Kingdom of God and enlightening everyone with the light of piety. Behind him, like a star following the sun shining from the third heaven, followed the Divine Timothy7, perceiving the unflickering light of piety, the teaching of the gospel of Christ and learning high deeds and a virtuous life, as the holy Apostle Paul himself testifies to this: “you followed me in teaching and life , affection, faith, generosity, love, patience, in persecution, suffering" (2 Tim. 3:10, 11).
Thus, Saint Timothy drew all the virtues from the chosen vessel, the Apostle Paul, and received from him, for the sake of Christ, apostolic poverty. Without acquiring any wealth for himself, neither gold, nor silver, nor any other material goods, he moved from place to place, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. He adopted the custom of repaying good for evil; reproached - he blessed, persecuted - endured, reviled - rejoiced in spirit, and in everything he showed himself to be God's servant, being a true imitator of his teacher. The Holy Apostle Paul, seeing his disciple so successful in virtues, made him first a deacon, then a presbyter, and finally a bishop,8 although he was young in years. Having become, through the laying on of apostolic hands, a servant of the Mysteries of Christ, Saint Timothy became a most zealous imitator of the apostolic hardships and labors, not inferior to the other apostles in suffering and labor during the preaching of the teachings of Christ. Neither youth nor weakness of body could ever prevent him from fulfilling the feat he had undertaken. In all his activities, he revealed greatness of spirit, as his teacher, the holy Apostle Paul, testifies to this in his first letter to the Corinthians: “If Timothy comes to you, see that he is safe with you, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as and I. Therefore let no one despise him" (1 Cor. 16:10-11). A little higher, praising him, the holy Apostle Paul wrote: “I have sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ” (1 Cor. 4:17). Likewise, in his other epistles, he calls Saint Timothy his brother, saying: “Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy’s brother” (Phil. 1:1), “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy’s brother” (2 Cor. 1:1), “Paul, the ambassador of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy the brother” (Col. 1:1). And he also writes: “We have sent Timothy our brother and servant of God, and our fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to confirm you and comfort you in your faith” (2 Thess. 3:2). These and many other testimonies in praise of Saint Timothy are found in the letters of the Apostle Paul. However, St. Timothy did not boast about this, but, living in humility and strict observance of himself from sin, he exhausted himself so much with constant labor and fasting that his teacher himself, looking at his exploits and fasts, greatly pitied him. He urged Saint Timothy not to drink only water, but to drink a little wine for the sake of his stomach and frequent ailments (1 Tim. 5:22), with which, although his body was constantly burdened, his spiritual purity remained intact and free from any damage. . Saint Timothy and his teacher passed through all the ends of the world: now in Ephesus, now in Corinth, now in Macedonia, now in Italy, now in Spain, they proclaimed the word of God, so that with full right one could say about them: “Throughout all the earth Their sound travels, and their words reach the ends of the world" (Ps. 18:5). At the same time, Saint Timothy was insightful in reasoning, quick in answers, - in preaching the word of God - a skillful orator, in the presentation of the Divine Scriptures - a fascinating interpreter, in church administration and defense of the truths of the faith - a most worthy shepherd. What is especially worthy of attention is that he received abundant grace, since he drew his teaching from a twofold source: he not only had Saint Paul as his teacher, but also learned from Saint John, the beloved disciple of Christ. When Saint John was exiled by the Roman Emperor Dominian10 into exile on the island of Patmos11, Timothy was instead the bishop of the city of Ephesus, where, after a short time, he suffered for his testimony about Jesus Christ in the following way.
Once in Ephesus, a particularly solemn holiday was celebrated, called "katagogium", on which idolaters, men and women, wearing images of various strange creatures, took idols and drakolia in their hands and walked around the streets of the city with shameless dancing. At the same time, they sang songs in discordant voices and rushed at those they met like robbers, and even killed many. They also committed many other nasty iniquities, with which they thought to express the veneration of their vile gods. Seeing this, blessed Timothy was inflamed with the fire of Divine jealousy and, appearing at this ungodly spectacle, openly and boldly preached the One True God, our Lord Jesus Christ - he clearly showed their errors and self-delusions regarding their gods and freely expressed much that was useful for conviction their. They, wandering in the darkness of pagan errors, did not understand and did not understand the words of the apostle, but, unanimously rushing against him, cruelly beat him with the daggers in their hands, mercilessly and inhumanly dragged him along the ground, trampling him underfoot, and finally tortured him until death12. The Christians who came later found him barely breathing. They carried him out of the city, and when he died, they buried him in a place called Peony in Greek, i.e. obese. After a long time, the venerable relics of the holy Apostle Timothy, by order of King Constantius, son of Constantine the Great, were transferred by the holy martyr Artemios13 from Ephesus to Constantinople and placed in the church of the holy apostles along with the relics of the holy Apostle Luke and Andrew the First-Called. This was pleasing to God, for in their lives everything was common: character, teaching and preaching of the Gospel. Therefore, a common tomb befitted them after death, especially since their rest in heaven is common in the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Father and the Holy Spirit reigning forever. Amen.
Troparion, tone 4:
Having learned goodness, and being sober in all with a good conscience, you shrouded yourself in a sacred manner, you drew from the chosen vessel the ineffable, and you fulfilled the same flow of faith, Apostle Timothy, pray to Christ God to save our souls.
Kontakion, tone 1:
Let us all sing of Timothy, the divine disciple and traveler of Pavlov, with faithfulness, and with this we reverence the wise Anastasius, who rose from Persia like a star, and drove away our spiritual passions and bodily ailments.

1 Lycaonia is the southeastern region of Asia Minor. Christianity was planted here by St. apostle paul
2 Lystra is a city in Lycaonia, on its border with Isauria. Now on the site of Lystra is the village of Latik or Ladik.
3 Holy Apostle Barnabas, from the ranks of the seventy apostles, companion of the Apostle Paul on his apostolic travels. His memory is celebrated by the Church on June 11.
4 This is clear from the fact that the Apostle Paul everywhere calls him his son (1 Cor. 4:17; 1 Tim. 1: 2,18; 2 Tim. 1: 2, 2: 1). From this it is also clear that the Apostle Timothy owes his conversion to Christianity to the Apostle Paul.
5 St. Ap. Strength is from the face of the seventy, a disciple and closest collaborator of the holy Apostle Paul. The Church celebrates his memory on January 4.
6 This was on the second apostolic journey of St. Apostle Paul.
7 From Lystra St. Timothy accompanied the Apostle Paul on all his subsequent travels and zealously carried out all his instructions. He accompanied him on his second journey from Lystra to Troas, and from here through the Macedonian cities to Greece - Athens and Corinth. On the third journey. Paul Timothy accompanied him in Ephesus, where the apostle stayed for a long time, and from where the apostle sent him to Macedonia to collect alms and then to Corinth, where the apostle stayed for three years, and he accompanied him in Macedonia and Greece, and accompanied him on the way back routes to Troas and Asia. Subsequently St. ap. Timothy was with the Apostle Paul in Rome and was imprisoned with him, but was later released. After that, he again accompanied the Apostle Paul on the journey he took to visit the churches of Asia Minor and Macedon; at this time he was ordained bishop of the Ephesian Church, thus becoming the first bishop of the Ephesian Church. During separation from the ap. Timothy St. The Apostle Paul wrote him two letters of a pastoral nature.
8 Dedication to St. ap. Timothy into the pastoral ministry, according to the apostle, was preceded by prophecies about him (1 Tim. 1:18), and the consecration itself was made after a preliminary confession of faith (1 Tim. 6:12), with the laying on of the hands of the priesthood, and he was given a special gift of God’s grace for worthy performance of the duties (1 Timothy 4:12-16) to which he was called.
9 In 60 A.D. St. The Apostle John left Jerusalem, where he remained until the Dormition Mother of God, and preached the word of God in Asia Minor and especially in Ephesus, and thus could directly guide the apostle. Timothy in his pastoral ministry.
10 The Roman Emperor Domitian, a cruel persecutor of Christianity, reigned from 81 to 96.
11 This was in 96. Patmos is a bare, barren, rocky island of the Aegean Sea (Archipelago), southwest of Ephesus, classified as one of the so-called Sporadic Islands.
12 St. Ap. Timothy died a martyr around 97.
13 Memory of St. The Great Martyr Artemy is celebrated by the Church on October 20. Transfer of St. the relics of the apostles: Luke the Evangelist, Andrew the First-Called and Timothy were committed on June 24, 356.

Followers Christian teaching There were a lot of people called saints in ancient times. The first of them can be called the apostles - the closest disciples of Jesus Christ, who had an extremely responsible mission. It consisted in preaching Christianity in all cities and countries. These were special people; the Holy Spirit descended on them. One of the holy apostles bore the name, which translated from Greek means “who worships God.”

Childhood and youth of the righteous

The devotee of piety, who will be discussed in this article, was born in the Lycaon region of Asia Minor. His father was a vicious pagan, his mother was a virtuous woman named Eunice, originally from Jewish lands. She, as well as the grandmother of the future Apostle Lois, who was no less righteous, played a leading role in shaping the personality of the Holy Apostle Timothy. WITH early childhood the boy absorbed, like a sponge, the teachings of two pious women, rejecting everything vicious that was inherent in his father. However, the latter passed away when Saint Timothy was still young.

The upbringing and teaching of literacy to a young boy took place in the city of Lystra. This place later became famous for being one of the areas where the holy apostles carried out their sermons, and also as the homeland of the ascetic of piety Timothy, who became one of the disciples of Jesus. According to legend, the young righteous man entered the true path thanks to the Supreme Apostle Paul who came to Lystra. He arrived in the homeland of Timothy along with another disciple of Christ, Barnabas. This event is described in the holy book “Acts of the Apostles” on behalf of the Divine Luke: “they withdrew, he says, to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and their surroundings” (Acts 14:6). The arrival of the holy apostles was marked by a miracle performed by the ascetic of piety himself, Paul. The supreme apostle healed a lame man from birth with just one word. The inhabitants of the city were in amazement after what happened and were inclined to think that, under the guise of people who possessed an amazing gift, the gods had descended to earth. And having realized their error and learned the truth, seeing that Paul and Barnabas were messengers of God, preachers, many rejected paganism and converted to Christianity.

The mother of the future Saint Timothy, by that time a widow, received with particular joy the appearance of the apostles in the city. She sheltered the preacher Paul, surrounded him with care, comfort, and, in the end, entrusted the righteous man with teaching her own son. The Chief Apostle accepted Timothy, seeing in the young man a grain of goodness and meekness. But he needed to continue his mission, and it was not possible to take with him a righteous man who was still very young and weak in body. Therefore, Saint Paul left the youth in the care of skilled teachers, whose duty he charged with introducing young Timothy to Holy Scripture so that he understands the essence Christian doctrine. The apostle himself was seized by the Jews, beaten for preaching, and the saint hastily left the city of Lystra.

Spiritual growth

Several years have passed. The Holy Apostle Paul, having left Antioch, desired to see again the areas where the brethren remained to preach the Word of God. Among the places planned for visiting was Lystra, the place where Timothy lived. Saint Paul discovered upon arrival that his charge had successfully learned the wisdom of Christ, led a virtuous lifestyle, preached and was respected by numerous Christian converts. The Chief Apostle made Timothy his faithful companion and entrusted him with the duty of apostolic service. He performed the rite of circumcision on the student in order to protect the ascetic from the attacks of the Jews, who knew about his pagan origin. young man.

Saint Paul set a worthy example for Timothy. And the young man gratefully followed his earthly teacher, imitating him with numerous virtues and deeds of serving God. Saint Timothy did not care about material things. He did not have any property, and the young man did not try to acquire wealth. His main goal was the proclamation of the Gospel to the people. The Apostle Paul, contemplating the zeal of the young man, made him first a deacon, then a presbyter, and then a bishop. And all this despite his young age!

The Holy Apostle Timothy did not lag behind the other apostles in any way. In serving God he showed greatness of spirit. The Apostle Paul, it must be said, treated the young man with warmth. This can be seen in the letter to the Corinthians, where he calls Timothy either “my beloved and faithful son in the Lord” or “brother.” Together with the Apostle Paul, the young man walked all over the world: he was in Ephesus, and in Macedonia, and in Spain. Timothy showed the ability to be an orator, an interpreter of Holy Scripture, a pastor, and a philosopher.

Except Supreme Apostle Paul, the young man also studied with another disciple of Christ - St. John. At one time he ended up in exile on Fr. Patmos by the will of Emperor Dominian. He was replaced in the episcopal position in Ephesus by none other than Timothy. But, unfortunately, this good deed turned into a tragedy for the saint...

Death of the Apostle

Once upon a time, the traditional pagan celebration “katagogium” was celebrated in Ephesus. During this event, idolaters walked around the city streets in strange masks, singing and dancing, holding images of their gods in their hands. Others rushed at those around them, like robbers.

The Holy Apostle Timothy could not calmly look at the vicious acts of the opponents of Christian teaching. Therefore, he appeared to the vile pagans and began to preach the Word of God to them. The holy apostle denounced the vices of the initiators and participants in the spectacle, pointing out to them their errors. The idolaters did not heed the true words of the righteous man. On the contrary, they attacked the defenseless ascetic, began to trample him with their feet and swords, and tortured him to death. Subsequently, Christians found their shepherd to be, as they say, on his last legs. Soon they buried the deceased Saint Timothy in the Greek Peony.

The relics of the apostle were transferred to Constantinople many years later. There they were placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles with the remains of Andrew the First-Called and Luke.

Feast of the Ascetic

Since ancient times, the Slavs have associated many different signs with the day of remembrance of the disciple of St. Paul. Let’s start with the fact that the date of February 4 was called nothing less than “Timofey the half-winter.” They said this: “Timofey the half-winter man cuts the icy winter in half. It’s no wonder that Afanasy Lomonos is freezing his nose (January 31), wait for the Timofey frosts.” The latter were considered the most crackling, even stronger than the harsh baptismal ones. They were called "posims". The duration of this period is short - only a few days. Afterwards, wait for light, purely symbolic frosts.

There were frequent snowstorms on Timofey. There was a corresponding saying: “Blizzards and blizzards came in February.” If on this day, February 4, at 12.00 the sun was above the horizon, spring should have been expected earlier than usual. Warming was predicted by moisture on the window frames and Frost patterns sloping towards the bottom.

The name Timofey has ancient Greek roots. Translated into Russian, it means “who worships God.” In Rus' it became widespread after the adoption of Christianity. The patron saint of all bearers of the name is considered Christian martyr Timofey, Prince of Pskov. He strictly defended Orthodox faith, for which he suffered oppression and was canonized.

Name day celebration dates

Timofey celebrates his name day several times a year.

• On January 1, the Orthodox calendar honors the martyr Timothy, a deacon.
• January 17, February 4 - the day of the Apostle Timothy.
• They honor the memory of the martyr Timothy of Sicily.
• February 14 is the day of remembrance of St. Timothy the Confessor.
• February 26th to Orthodox calendar celebrate the feast of St. Timothy, Patriarch of Alexandria.

• honor the memory of St. Timothy of Caesarea.
• April 29 is the day of the righteous Timothy.
• June 2 is the real name day in honor of Timothy, who received the name at Baptism.
• On June 23, Orthodoxy honors the memory of the Hieromartyr Timothy, Bishop of Prussia.
• August 14 is the feast day of St. Timothy, Bishop of Prokoness.

This is how many days a year Timofey can celebrate his name day. According to the Orthodox calendar, there are several more dates that remind of holy personalities with a similar name.

The influence of a name on character

Almost all Timothys are distinguished by excessive sensitivity and receptivity. They are constantly tense. Timothys are very inquisitive and show interest in many things. Timothy is easily wounded, but he will never take revenge for it. True, it is very difficult for him to forgive grievances; it is easier to forget about what happened. Rather, he will simply stop communicating with the offender. Friends should choose their words carefully when communicating with Timothy. He will not tolerate even the most harmless ridicule directed at him. Parents should also be on guard with their son. He reacts heavily to any disagreements. But for those who respect him, Timofey is ready to help limitlessly. As a rule, Timofey often gets sick in childhood, especially with ENT diseases.

Timothy takes apprenticeship well. He enjoys going to school and has no problems with his studies. He is distinguished by obedience, perseverance, and good memory. He is best at exact sciences, especially physics and mathematics. Humanities subjects present some difficulties. Timofeev should always be praised. Recognition from their classmates is also very important to them. Timofey loves attention. Name day, he celebrates with special joy. He especially loves going to the circus and theatrical performances.

Winter Timothys prefer sports. Due to their stubborn nature, they achieve good results in this area.

How to communicate with Timofey correctly?

Timofeevs need to be raised correctly from early childhood. Life situations also shape his character. If Timofey’s pride was severely damaged, then he will remember the insult for a long time, and this may affect his further communication with people. But this is a fairly rare case. Most often, Timofey’s poise helps him to calmly endure conflict situations without immersing yourself in them. He will quickly forget about the conflict, turning his attention to more pleasant communication with close people. Balanced Timofey always behaves restrainedly in unfamiliar company, but among relatives and friends he is quite open. He is especially frank during personal, emotional conversations. Timofey prefers to celebrate his name day exclusively with close people.

Energy name

The name Timofey means calmness, moderation, but at the same time mobility and independence. Since the name is quite rare, it immediately affects the ear and even has a psychological impact. The emotional fluctuations inherent in the name are transferred to its owner. As a rule, Timothy can have fun, be in thoughtful solitude, and show indignation. But in public, Timofeys try not to open their inner world. Nevertheless, they love increased attention to their person, but more often they achieve it by simply going into the shadows.

Russian icons of St. Timothy the Apostle are revered by many Orthodox Christians as miraculous. On the Orthodox icon he is depicted as a middle-aged man, despite the fact that he lived a long and godly life. He is dressed in bishop's vestments and holds in his hands Holy Gospel. The saint lived at the same time as Christ and was one of the 70 apostles, a disciple of Paul. In the year 65, he was ordained by the Apostle as Bishop of Ephesus, and served God in this rank for 15 years, until his martyrdom. The holy apostle died at the hands of the pagans whom he tried to reason with. That day they held a celebration in honor of their gods, danced and made sacrifices. Enraged by the bishop's intervention, they mocked him for a long time, and then stoned him to death. The memory of St. Timothy is honored not only by Orthodox Christians around the world, but also by Catholics. The miraculous icons of the Apostle Timothy remind us of his feat and inspire reverence.

Prayer before the icon of St. Timothy helps bring an unbeliever to Christ

The holy apostle carried out his feat with faith and self-denial. He preached Christ, led His church for many years, and took care of his flock. This name is mentioned many times in the pages of the New Testament. The Holy Apostle Paul loved his disciple very much and valued him for his self-denial and service to others. In his letter to the Philippians, he wrote that he could not find a better shepherd for them, and that he would care for them the same way he cared for him, Paul. Before miraculous icon St. Timothy prays for the return of the lost to the true path, for the strengthening of faith, for the granting of strength in fulfilling the will of God. Translated from greek name Timothy means “one who honors God.” In Russia there are many churches in honor of the apostle-martyr. The parishioners of these churches pray before the icon of the saint for the strengthening of Orthodoxy, the prosperity of the Church of God and the repulsion of external enemies. Russian Orthodox icon It is customary to give Timothy to people who bear this beautiful ancient name, because for them the saint is their closest helper and prayer book.

Where to buy a beaded icon of St. Timothy

We always try to support our loved ones, including through prayer. By giving icons to family and friends, Orthodox Christians believe that the holy image will protect them and save them from evil. If you have a friend named Timofey, be sure to give him a beaded icon of the saint. Such a gift will not only carry a spiritual message, but will simply remain a memory for a lifetime. If you do not know how to embroider, then you can buy an icon of St. Timothy in a church, in an icon shop, in an Orthodox online store, or order it from an icon painting workshop. Modern manufacturers of icons will offer you the widest selection of Christian icons - from laconic, placed in simple wooden frames, to exclusive ones, decorated with enamel, silver, semi-precious stones, and floral patterns.

Christian holidays and days in February

There were a lot of followers of Christian teaching, called saints, in ancient times. The first of them can be called the apostles - the closest disciples of Jesus Christ, who had an extremely responsible mission. It consisted in preaching Christianity in all cities and countries. These were special people; the Holy Spirit descended on them. One of the holy apostles bore the name Timothy, which translated from Greek means “who worships God.”

The childhood and youth of the righteous Timothy

The devotee of piety, who will be discussed in this article, was born in the Lycaon region of Asia Minor. His father was a vicious pagan, his mother was a virtuous woman named Eunice, originally from Jewish lands. She, as well as the grandmother of the future Apostle Lois, who was no less righteous, played a leading role in the formation of the personality of Saint Timothy. From early childhood, the boy absorbed, like a sponge, the teachings of two pious women, rejecting everything vicious inherent in his father. However, the latter passed away when Saint Timothy was still young.

The upbringing and teaching of literacy to a young boy took place in the city of Lystra. This place later became famous for being one of the areas where the holy apostles carried out their sermons, and also as the homeland of the ascetic of piety Timothy, who became one of the disciples of Jesus. According to legend, the young righteous man entered the true path thanks to the Supreme Apostle Paul who came to Lystra. He arrived in the homeland of Timothy along with another disciple of Christ, Barnabas. This event is described in the holy book “Acts of the Apostles” on behalf of the Divine Luke: “they withdrew, he says, to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and their surroundings” (Acts 14:6). The arrival of the holy apostles was marked by a miracle performed by the ascetic of piety himself, Paul. The supreme apostle healed a lame man from birth with just one word. The inhabitants of the city were in amazement after what happened and were inclined to think that, under the guise of people who possessed an amazing gift, the gods had descended to earth. And having realized their error and learned the truth, seeing that Paul and Barnabas were messengers of God, preachers, many rejected paganism and converted to Christianity.

The mother of the future saint, by that time a widow, received with particular joy the appearance of the apostles in the city. She sheltered the preacher Paul, surrounded him with care, comfort, and, in the end, entrusted the righteous man with teaching her own son. The Chief Apostle accepted Timothy, seeing in the young man a grain of goodness and meekness. But he needed to continue his mission, and it was not possible to take with him a righteous man who was still very young and weak in body. Therefore, Saint Paul left the youth in the care of skilled teachers, whose duty he charged with familiarizing young Timothy with the Holy Scriptures, so that he would understand the essence of the Christian doctrine. The apostle himself was seized by the Jews, beaten for preaching, and the saint hastily left the city of Lystra.

Spiritual growth of the ascetic Timothy

Several years have passed. The Holy Apostle Paul, having left Antioch, desired to see again the areas where the brethren remained to preach the Word of God. Among the places planned for visiting was Lystra, the place where Timothy lived. Saint Paul discovered upon arrival that his charge had successfully learned the wisdom of Christ, led a virtuous lifestyle, preached and was respected by numerous Christian converts. The Chief Apostle made Timothy his faithful companion and entrusted him with the duty of apostolic service. He performed the rite of circumcision on the student in order to protect the ascetic from the attacks of the Jews, who knew about the pagan origin of the young man.

Saint Paul set a worthy example for Timothy. And the young man gratefully followed his earthly teacher, imitating him with numerous virtues and deeds of serving God. Saint Timothy did not care about material things. He did not have any property, and the young man did not try to acquire wealth. His main goal was to proclaim the Gospel to the people. The Apostle Paul, contemplating the zeal of the young man, made him first a deacon, then a presbyter, and then a bishop. And all this despite his young age!

Saint Timothy did not lag behind the other apostles in any way. In serving God he showed greatness of spirit. The Apostle Paul, it must be said, treated the young man with warmth. This can be seen in the letter to the Corinthians, where he calls Timothy either “my beloved and faithful son in the Lord” or “brother.” Together with the Apostle Paul, the young man walked all over the world: he was in Ephesus, and in Macedonia, and in Spain. Timothy showed the ability to be an orator, an interpreter of Holy Scripture, a pastor, and a philosopher.

In addition to the Supreme Apostle Paul, the young man also studied with another disciple of Christ - St. John. At one time he ended up in exile on Fr. Patmos by the will of Emperor Dominian. He was replaced in the episcopal position in Ephesus by none other than Timothy. But, unfortunately, this good deed turned into a tragedy for the saint...

Death of the Apostle Timothy

Once upon a time, the traditional pagan celebration “katagogium” was celebrated in Ephesus. During this event, idolaters walked around the city streets in strange masks, singing and dancing, holding images of their gods in their hands. Others rushed at those around them, like robbers. Saint Timothy could not calmly look at the vicious acts of the opponents of Christian teaching. Therefore, he appeared to the vile pagans and began to preach the Word of God to them. The holy apostle denounced the vices of the initiators and participants in the spectacle, pointing out to them their errors. The idolaters did not heed the true words of the righteous man. On the contrary, they attacked the defenseless ascetic, began to trample him with their feet and swords, and tortured him to death. Subsequently, Christians found their shepherd to be, as they say, on his last legs. Soon they buried the deceased Saint Timothy in the Greek Peony.

The relics of the apostle were transferred to Constantinople many years later. There they were placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles with the remains of Andrew the First-Called and Luke.

Feast of the ascetic Timothy in the traditions of the people

Since ancient times, the Slavs have associated many different signs with the day of remembrance of the disciple of St. Paul. Let’s start with the fact that the date of February 4 was called nothing less than “Timofey the half-winter.” They said this: “Timofey the half-winter man cuts the icy winter in half. It’s no wonder that Afanasy Lomonos is freezing his nose (January 31), wait for the Timofey frosts.” The latter were considered the most crackling, even stronger than the harsh baptismal ones. They were called "posims". The duration of this period is short - only a few days. Afterwards, wait for light, purely symbolic frosts.

There were frequent snowstorms on Timofey. There was a corresponding saying: “Blizzards and blizzards came in February.” If on this day at 12.00 the sun was above the horizon, spring should have been expected earlier than usual. Warming was predicted by moisture on the window frames and frosty patterns sloping downwards.