Saints Cosmas and Damian, martyrs (died 303)
The
names of these two saints, reputed to have been healers, occur in the
4th century Roman Canon (First Eucharistic Prayer).
This indicates their
early veneration.
"The Silverless Ones"
Brothers, probably twins,
born in Cilicia (south of Modern Turkey) and educated in Syria, they
returned to Cilicia where they practised and became famous as physicians
and for teaching their patients about Christ. Because they refused
payment for their services, they were known as The Anargyroi, or "the silverless ones". During the persecution of Diocletian (303), they were imprisoned, tortured and beheaded.
Burial and influence
The bodies of Cosmas and
Damian were taken to Syria for burial and by 400 a church had been built
over the martyrs' grave. In the 5th century Pope St Felix IV
(526-530) brought their relics to Rome and - perhaps in deference to the
Eastern Church - erected a church in their honour - the first in honour
of eastern saints - just off the Roman forum, where it still stands
today.
An inscription in the basilica reads: Martyribus medicis populo spes certa salutis. Here there is an intended pun on the word salutis: it
can mean "good health" and/or "eternal salvation". So we can read it as
saying to us: "Because of these martyred physicians there is a sure
hope of both good health and eternal salvation."
In art - Fra Angelico and other artists
Various Lives
of Saints Cosmas and Damian gave rise to legends and artistic
depictions of the two saints. One by Alonso de Sedano (active 1496 in
Burgos Cathedral) shows the two saints grafting the severed leg from a
recently deceased Ethiopian to replace a patient's ulcered leg. Fra
Angelico also has a number including The Beheading and the Burial of the
saints and one showing them healing a lady Palladia.
Prayer
Pray today for physicians, surgeons, pharmacists and all who work in the healing professions.