Icon of Sts. Cosmas and Damian - 00STCD01

Feast Day/Commemorated: November 1

The Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenary Physicians, Cosmas and Damian, along with their mother, Saint Theodota, were natives of Asia Minor, living in the sixth century. Their pagan father died while they were very young, leaving Saint Theodota to raise her sons in profound Christian piety. Through her own devout example and by reading them the holy books, she instilled in them a pure, virtuous way of life according to the commands of the Lord. Consequently, Cosmas and Damian grew up to be righteous men, skilled as physicians and devoted to serving both God and neighbor.

As physicians, the brothers were gifted by the Holy Spirit with the power of healing, ministering to both the physical illnesses of the body and the spiritual ailments of the soul. Their compassion extended even to the treatment of animals. A central tenet of their ministry was their strict adherence to the Lord's command, "Freely have you received, freely give" ($\text{Mt.}10:8$). They never accepted any payment for their services, which led people throughout the surrounding region to honor them with the title "unmercenary physicians." Their fame and holiness were cemented by such acts as the miraculous healing of a grievously ill woman named Palladia, whom all other doctors had deemed beyond hope.

A single, small incident would challenge the sanctity of their vow of non-mercenary practice. After being miraculously cured by the brothers' fervent prayer, the grateful woman Palladia sought to give a small gift, quietly approaching Damian. She presented him with three eggs, stating, "Take this small gift in the Name of the Holy Life-Creating Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." Hearing the sacred Name of the Trinity, Damian did not dare to refuse the offering. When Saint Cosmas learned of the exchange, he was deeply saddened, believing his brother had broken their solemn oath. On his deathbed, Cosmas instructed that Damian should not be buried beside him, reflecting the gravity with which he viewed their vow.

After Saint Damian’s death shortly thereafter, the community struggled with where to bury him, respecting Cosmas's dying wish. A miracle, however, intervened to reveal the true heart of the matter. A camel, which the holy brothers had once treated for its wildness, spoke with a human voice, instructing them to bury Damian next to Cosmas without hesitation. The camel explained that Damian had not accepted the eggs as payment, but as an act of profound respect for the Name of God invoked by Palladia. Following this divine confirmation, the venerable relics of the two holy brothers were buried together at Thereman in Mesopotamia.

The powerful intercession of the unmercenary physicians continued long after their repose, manifesting in many miracles. Their heavenly protection was exemplified by the deliverance of a man named Malchus's wife, whom he had prayerfully entrusted to them while he was on a journey. When an evil spirit, disguised as a friend, attempted to lure and kill the woman, her fervent call to God brought the holy brothers to her aid. The two fearsome men appeared, causing the demon to flee and fall from a cliff. Identifying themselves as "the servants of Christ, Cosmas and Damian," they vanished. This powerful act of rescue led to the holy brothers being venerated as protectors of the sanctity and inviolability of Christian marriage and givers of harmony to conjugal life, with their veneration spreading from ancient times even to Russia.

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