The holy wonder-workers and Unmercenary Physicians Cosmas and Damian and their mother, St. Theodota, were natives of Asia Minor (some sources say Mesopotamia). Their pagan father died while they were still quite small children. Their mother raised them in Christian piety. Through her own example, and by reading holy books to them, St. Theodota preserved her children in purity of life according to the commands of the Lord, and Cosmas and Damian grew up into righteous and virtuous men. Trained and skilled as physicians, they received from the Holy Spirit the gift of healing people’s illnesses of body and soul by the power of prayer. They even treated animals. With fervent love for both God and neighbor, they never took payment for their services. They strictly observed the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, “Freely have you received, freely give.”(Mt. 10:8). The fame of Saints Cosmas and Damian spread throughout the surrounding region, and people called them unmercenary physicians.
Holy unmercenary healers and wonderworkers, Cosmas and Damian, treat us in our weakness; freely you received, so freely give to us.
O most glorious physicians and wonderworkers who have received the grace of healing, you grant health to those in need. By your visitation, defeat our shameless enemies and by your miracles heal the world.
2 Corinthians 3: 12-18
Brothers and sisters: Our hope being [the glory that endures], we act with full confidence. We are not like Moses, who used to hide his face with a veil so that the Israelites could not see the final fading of that glory. Their minds, or course, were dulled. To this very day, when the old covenant is read the veil remains unlifted; it is only in Christ that it is taken away. Even now, when Moses is read a veil covers their understanding. “But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil will be removed.” The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. All of us, gazing on the Lord’s glory with unveiled faces, are being transformed from glory to glory into his very image by the Lord who is the Spirit.
Luke 8: 16-21
The Lord said, “No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel basket or under a bed; he puts it on a lampstand so that whoever comes in can see it. There is nothing hidden that will not be exposed, nothing concealed that will not be known and brought to light. Take heed, therefore, how you hear: to the man who has, more will be given; and he who has not, will lose even the little he thinks he has.”
His mother and brothers came to be with him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He told them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act upon it.”
Icon courtesy of Jack Figel, Eastern Christian Publications – ecpubs.com
Friday, October 31 –
