Feast Day: November 1st
Saint Theodota’s Feast Day is also on January 2nd
The Life of Saint Cosmas and Damian of Asia Minor, and their Mother Saint Theodota: 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 you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8)….
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Prayers
Our Holy Church is Blessed with three sets of twin brother Holy Physician Saints – Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian of Asia Minor, Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian of Arabia and Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian of Rome.
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Paraklesis to the Holy Unmercenary Saints
Apolytikion: Holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers, visit our weaknesses; freely you have received, freely give to us.
Kontakion: Having received the Grace of Healing, ye extend health to those in need, O Glorious and Wonderworking Physicians. Hence, by your visitation, cast down the audacity of our enemies, and by your Miracles, heal the world.
Hymn: Placing all their hope in Heaven, the Saints treasured up for themselves an inviolable treasure; freely they received, freely they give remedies to the sick; in accordance with the Gospel they possessed neither gold nor silver; their kind deeds they shared out to humans and beasts alike; that being in all things obedient to Christ they might intercede with confidence on behalf of our Souls.
Hymn: Bringing all the Trinity to dwell in them, the Holy pair, inspired Cosmas and Damian, like fountains pour out waters of healings from a life-bearing source; whose Relics too heal passions through a touch; and their names alone drive sicknesses from mortals; they are saviours for all who flee to them as they intercede to Christ with boldness on behalf of our Souls.
Prosomoion: Let us hasten to the memory of the Unmercenaries with a clean heart and a pure conscience, and let us cry out to them: Rejoice, O dyad, the healing of the sick, for you received from God the authority to perform healings.
Hymn of Praise, by Saint Nikolai Velimirovich: The Church glorifies the Miracle-Working Physicians, shining stars that shine with the Lord, Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian, two Christians, wondrous giants. Theodotia was the mother of these sons; she nourished these giants. The glorious brothers fulfilled the law, and by their mercy pleased Christ. They pleased Christ, the Merciful One, the Greatest Unmercenary Physician. They received the gift, and became physicians; they received the gift, but did not sell it. They gave the gifts of God to the poor, and in the name of Christ healed them. Time has not covered God’s Saints with darkness; thus it has always been, and thus it is now. Nor has it covered the Wonderworking Physicians; they shine today as they once did, and help the infirm and the unfortunate by mighty and willing Prayers before Christ’s Heavenly Throne. Honour and glory to the Wondrous Physicians!
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