True happiness lies in giving. What the history of the holy unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian teaches us

On November 14, the Orthodox Church commemorates the holy unmercenaries and wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian of Asia, doctors who healed people free of charge, and their peaceful death became evidence that true holiness is not always measured by martyrdom. In addition, on this day the church remembers the mother of the brothers - the Monk Theodotius, who raised her sons in the Christian faith, emphasizes the clergyman of the Holy Trinity Cathedral Slonim priest Nicholas Savitsky.

“Success in any profession is granted by God” Saint Cosmas and Damian of Asia lived in the III-IV centuries in the Roman province of Asia (Asia Minor). Their father was a pagan and died when the brothers were still very young. The mother, widowed, devoted herself to raising her sons in piety and gave them her fervent love for God. Becoming skilled doctors, the brothers received from the Lord the gift of healing – according to the testimony of life, they treated not only people, but also animals.

Priest Nikolai Savitsky. The main distinguishing feature of their service was unmercenary, that is, the refusal of any payment for help. Cosmas and Damian made a vow never to take a rebate for their medical art, considering it a gift of God: “Tune please, give it to the tuna” – you received it for free, give it for free. It was this virtue that made their names common.

- For a person living in a world where almost everything is measured by money and material gain, the example of Cosmas and Damian of Asia may seem naive and even incredible. The life of the brothers raises before us the main question: are we ready to serve others selflessly? This should not be taken as a call to give up a career, give away property to the poor and wall up in a mountain cave. On the contrary, Cosmas and Damian remind us that success in any profession and, more broadly, in any situation, is a gift from God. Therefore, we should thank him for his help and not be proud. We were taught from childhood that I was the last letter in the alphabet. Damian did not seek profit, but accepted the gift of love. Unlike Cosmas and Damian of Rome, who were martyred at the end of the third century, the Asian brothers died peacefully, almost at the same time. According to legend, even during his lifetime there was a controversial episode between them. Damian once took three eggs from a healed woman. The saint refused for a long time, but she said that it was a gift "in the name of the Holy Trinity." However, Cosmas considered this gift a violation of the general vow and even commanded not to bury his brother next to him. And after the death of both there was a miracle: the camel, also once cured by saints, spoke with a human voice and testified that Damian accepted the gift "not for the sake of revenge, but for the sake of the Lord," and the brothers should be buried together.

- This episode speaks not about the jealousy of Cosmas, but about how seriously the saints took the vow given to God. Unselfishness for them was not just a beautiful gesture, but a principle that they carried through their lives. And the Lord Himself testified that this principle was not violated, for Damian did not seek profit, but accepted the gift of love.

On November 14, the day of remembrance of the saints, the divine Liturgy is celebrated in churches and a prayer is offered for the healing of bodily and spiritual ailments. Among the Slavs, the veneration of Cosmas and Damian is very common: the people have long considered them patrons of Christian marriage, assistants in teaching, healers.

- When we talk about unmercenaries, we often reduce their feat to only material uncovetousness, reflects Priest Nikolai Savitsky. But selflessness is only the external side. Much more important is what stood behind him: complete trust in God and sincere love for man. Even death could not take away from them what they had acquired - unity with God and the grace-filled power to help those who turned to them. Their example teaches us a very simple thing: true happiness lies not in receiving, but in giving. When we give unselfishly, with love and faith, we become involved in grace. This is a true miracle available to all of us.

IT'S INTERESTING

The opinions of historians about the number of saints with the names Cosmas and Damian are divided. Some say that there were three pairs of holy physicians—Asian, Roman, and Cilician; others recognize only two pairs. But there are also scientists who believe in the historical authenticity of the existence of only Cosmas and Damian of Cilicia.

Saints Cosmas and Damian of Rome (July 14) are so named for their place of birth near Rome, and also because they performed a martyric feat there. Many of the people healed by the brothers were baptized - this attracted the attention of Emperor Karin. He forced the saints to worship the pagan gods, but they refused and began to pray. At this time, as life says, Karina was suddenly struck by an illness - a curvature of the neck. Cosmas and Damian healed him, and the emperor was forced to believe in God and let the brothers go. But their mentor, envious of the successes of the saints, summoned both to the mountains, allegedly to collect medicinal herbs and killed them. He threw the bodies of the brothers into the river, but later the believers found them incorruptible.

Saints Cosmas and Damian of Cilicia (October 30) suffered the most for their faith. The governor Lysias beat them and then ordered them to be thrown into the sea. However, they did not drown – they came to Lysias personally and testified to the miracle in the presence of the people. The governor thought that Cosmas and Damian were sorcerers and ordered them to be burned. But even then the saints remained unharmed. They were then hung from a tree, stoned, and shot with arrows, but all this was unsuccessful. Finally, the martyrs' heads were cut off.