Saints Cosmas and Damian were twin brothers born in Syria around 270 A.D. and they had three younger brothers. Their mother, Theodota, feared God and was compassionate and merciful towards strangers. Their father died while they were still young and their mother raised them in the fear of God and the love of righteousness.

Cosmas and Damien were educated in science and medicine. They became very skilled doctors. Because they loved God, they saw every patient as a brother or sister in Christ. For this reason, they showed great charity to all and treated their patients to the best of their ability, free of charge. They never accepted any money in return for their services to patients, no matter how much work they did. Every chance they had, the two saints told their patients about our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Because everyone loved these twin doctors, they listened to them willingly. Saints Cosmas and Damien often healed the bodies and souls of those who came to them for help.

When Emperor Diocletian renounced the faith and ordered the worship of idols, he was told that Cosmas and Damian were preaching in the name of Christ and urging others not to worship idols. He ordered them to be brought to the governor of the city. They were tortured, but nothing could make them give up their belief in Christ. Their brothers and their mother were also arrested for being Christians. The governor ordered them to raise incense before the idols, but they refused. He tortured them. Through all this, the Lord raised them up whole and unharmed to reveal His glory and the honor of His saints.

When the governor got tired of torturing them, he sent them to the Emperor who also tortured them. Theodota, their mother, constantly encouraged and comforted them. When the Emperor asked her to stop encouraging her children she refused and reproached him. He ordered her to be killed and she received the crown of everlasting life and went to heaven. The next day, the Emperor ordered saints Cosmas, Damian, and their brothers to be killed. They received the crown of life an went to the heavenly Jerusalem.

After the era of persecution, many churches were built in the name of saints Cosmas and Damian. God made showed many signs and wonders in their churches and in their names.

May the prayers of Saints Cosmas, Damian, their brothers and their mother be with us all. Glory be to our God forever. Amen.