Cosmas
and Damian were unmercenaries and miracle-workers. They were brothers
both in the flesh and in the spirit, born somewhere in Asia Minor of a
pagan father and a Christian mother. After their father's death, their
mother Theodotia devoted all her time and effort to educating her sons
and raising them as true Christians. God helped her, and her sons
matured as sweet fruit and luminaries of the world. They were learned in
the art of medicine and ministered to the sick without payment, not so
much with medicine as by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were
called ``unmercenary physicians,'' that is, unpaid physicians, for they
healed freely and thus fulfilled the commandment of Christ: Freely ye
have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8). So careful were they in
healing men free of charge that Cosmas became very angry with his
brother Damian because he accepted three eggs from a woman, Palladia,
and ordered that he not be buried alongside his brother Damian after his
death. In fact, St. Damian did not accept these three eggs as a reward
for healing the ailing Palladia, but rather because she adjured him in
the name of the Most-holy Trinity to accept these three eggs.
Nevertheless, after their death in the town of Fereman, they were buried
together according to a revelation from God. The holy brothers were
great miracle-workers both during their life and after their death. A
snake crawled through the mouth and into the stomach of a certain farm
laborer during his sleep, and the unfortunate man would have died in the
greatest pain had he not, in the last moment, invoked the help of
Saints Cosmas and Damian. Thus, the Lord glorified forever the
miracle-working of those who glorified Him on earth by their faith,
purity and mercy.
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Kontakion - Tone 2 Having received the grace of healing, you grant healing to those in need. Glorious wonder workers and healers, Cosmas and Damian, visit us and put down the insolence of our enemies, and bring healing to the world through your miracles. |