Sept. 26, 2012 Wednesday: St. Cosmas and St. Damian
Peaceful, trusting sorrow
There is only one thing the soul should regret, and that is offending God. We need to be very careful on this point. We should remember our failings, yes, but with peaceful sorrow, trusting in divine mercy at all times. In addition, let us guard ourselves from certain reproofs to ourselves and self-condemnation, because those reproofs most often come from the enemy so that he can disturb our peace in God. If any reproofs or regrets humble us and make us diligent in doing good without removing our trust in God, then we can be sure they come from God. However, if they muddle us and make us fearful, mistrustful, lazy, or slow to do good, then we can be sure they come from the devil, and, because they are such, we should chase them away and take refuge in our trust in God.
- Padre Pio (Pasquale, Gianluigi. Padre Pio's Spiritual Direction for Every Day (p. 203). St. Anthony Messenger Press, Servant Books.
St. Cosmas and St. Damian
These two martyrs were twin brothers from Syria who died at the beginning of the fourth century. They were very famous students of science and both became excellent doctors. Cosmas and Damian saw in every patient 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. Yet, no matter how much care a patient required, neither Cosmas nor Damian ever accepted any money for their services. For this reason, they were called by a name in Greek, which means “the penniless ones.”
Every chance they had, the two saints told their patients about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Because the people all loved these twin doctors, they listened to them willingly. Cosmas and Damian often brought health back to both the bodies and the souls of those who came to them for help.
In 303, when Diocletian’s persecution of Chris-tians began in their city, the saints were arrested at once. They had never tried to hide their great love for their Christian faith. Nothing could make them give up their belief in Christ. They had lived for him and had brought so many people to faith in him. They were put to death along with their three other brothers. These holy martyrs are named in the First Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass.
Like St. Cosmas and St. Damian, we can be signs of Christian faith for those we meet each day. By seeing Christ in others and treating all people fairly and with kindness, we’ll set an example of loving others as Jesus loves us.
-Daughters of St. Paul
There is only one thing the soul should regret, and that is offending God. We need to be very careful on this point. We should remember our failings, yes, but with peaceful sorrow, trusting in divine mercy at all times. In addition, let us guard ourselves from certain reproofs to ourselves and self-condemnation, because those reproofs most often come from the enemy so that he can disturb our peace in God. If any reproofs or regrets humble us and make us diligent in doing good without removing our trust in God, then we can be sure they come from God. However, if they muddle us and make us fearful, mistrustful, lazy, or slow to do good, then we can be sure they come from the devil, and, because they are such, we should chase them away and take refuge in our trust in God.
- Padre Pio (Pasquale, Gianluigi. Padre Pio's Spiritual Direction for Every Day (p. 203). St. Anthony Messenger Press, Servant Books.
St. Cosmas and St. Damian
These two martyrs were twin brothers from Syria who died at the beginning of the fourth century. They were very famous students of science and both became excellent doctors. Cosmas and Damian saw in every patient 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. Yet, no matter how much care a patient required, neither Cosmas nor Damian ever accepted any money for their services. For this reason, they were called by a name in Greek, which means “the penniless ones.”
Every chance they had, the two saints told their patients about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Because the people all loved these twin doctors, they listened to them willingly. Cosmas and Damian often brought health back to both the bodies and the souls of those who came to them for help.
In 303, when Diocletian’s persecution of Chris-tians began in their city, the saints were arrested at once. They had never tried to hide their great love for their Christian faith. Nothing could make them give up their belief in Christ. They had lived for him and had brought so many people to faith in him. They were put to death along with their three other brothers. These holy martyrs are named in the First Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass.
Like St. Cosmas and St. Damian, we can be signs of Christian faith for those we meet each day. By seeing Christ in others and treating all people fairly and with kindness, we’ll set an example of loving others as Jesus loves us.
-Daughters of St. Paul
