Feast of St. Cosmas and St. Damian

by

Thursday, 26 September 2024 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures we are all reminded of the reality of the impermanence of our earthly existence and worldly matters, of all the things we have and possess in this world, all the things that we often crave and desire for in this life. Each and every one of us are reminded that we should not spend so much effort and time in trying to gain all those things at the expense of our faith in the Lord and what we should and could have done as good and faithful Christians in each and every moments of our lives. We are all reminded that no matter how much we have gained and built up in the worldly treasures, glory and fame, among other things, none of these can truly satisfy and fulfil our needs, as we are in the end are bound to be disappointed unless we put our faith and trust in the Lord.

In our first reading today taken from the Book of Ecclesiastes or Qoheleth we heard the beginning of the discourse which we will hear for the next few days reminding us all that ultimately each and every one of us should put our faith and trust not in any worldly matters and things, but we must put our faith and trust in God, in His providence, love and grace, believing that through His help and strength, by the encouragement and the power which He has granted to us, we may truly find true satisfaction and the true path towards salvation and redemption in God, and not be swayed into the false paths of temporary and illusory pleasures, all of which were not true treasures and destinations that we all should be aiming for in life.

The author of the Book of Ecclesiastes pointed out that nothing in this world lasts forever, and no matter whatever achievements, greatness, fame and glory that we may attain and accumulate, all the monuments and great things that we have established, all of these eventually would fade away and be forgotten, just as the author have mentioned and just have history itself had shown us again and again, repeatedly. All those achievements, greatness and things eventually fade away and others replace them, and even many among the greatest figures in history had also faded away, and are no longer remembered besides the broken and faded remnants of statues, cities and ruins, all of which are yet again acute reminders for us of the impermanence of all the things of this world, and why we should not spend so much time in trying to accumulate for ourselves all these worldly greatness.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke in which the short passage showing the astonishment of King Herod at the news of the Lord Jesus and His actions, which many among the Jewish people confused and thought to be the resurrection or return of St. John the Baptist from the dead, and which led to the amusement and surprise from Herod because it was by his actions that the man of God, St. John the Baptist had been put to death when he was imprisoned for criticising and rebuking the king and his unlawfully wedded wife, Herodias. St. John the Baptist was killed by the instigation of Herodias who trapped Herod into ordering the execution of the faithful man of God, and this act was a great sin that tainted and truly shook Herod.

Eventually, as we have heard, one of the reasons why Herod was truly astonished, troubled and amazed by what he had heard from the news of the activities of the Lord Jesus was because despite all of his wealth, glory, power, fame and all the things that he had achieved and gained, and despite having taken his own brother’s wife to be his own, which led him to sin in adultery, but all those things could not truly satisfy him, and in the end, he did not have any peace, and having killed a holy man of God, this blame would remain with him for the rest of his life. This is again another reminder for all of us not to seek any forms of worldly comforts and satisfaction, pleasures and joys, all of which can easily distract and sway us away from the true path towards God and His salvation.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the two great saints and martyrs, St. Cosmas and St. Damian. Both of them were renowned physicians that gained renown for their works among the people, healing many of the sick and caring for the needs of the less fortunate such that they did not charge the poor and those who were unable to afford their medical services. They showed us all exactly what the Scriptures today had told us, that each one of us should not put worldly pursuits and desires, such as for money and material wealth at the forefront of our lives. Instead, like the examples of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, all of us should be generous in loving others around us and in being kind to one another, especially to those who are in need. They were eventually martyred during the intense persecutions under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, but their great generosity and courage in defending their faith in God lived on in many others inspired by their lives and examples.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all have heard from the story of the lives and the dedication of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, and from what we have discussed earlier on regarding the futility and impermanence of all worldly matters and things around us, let us all strive hence to live our lives in a more godly and Christ-like manner, distancing ourselves from all the temptations and distractions, all of which can mislead and prevent us from truly finding our way to the Lord, to His salvation and grace. Each and every one of us are reminded that we must always be vigilant and careful lest these temptations drag us down into the slippery slope of sin, evil and bring us to our downfall and destruction.

May the Lord our most loving God and Father continue to help and strengthen us in each and every one of our journey through life, so that in all the things that we say and do, we will continue to glorify the Lord by our exemplary living and that we may continue to be encouraged to live our lives worthily at all times in His Holy and loving Presence, now and always, becoming great inspirations and examples for everyone around us. Amen.

by

Thursday, 26 September 2024 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Luke 9 : 7-9

At that time, king Herod heard of all that Jesus and His disciples had done, and did not know what to think, for people said, “This is John, raised from the dead.”

Others believed that Elijah, or one of the ancient prophets, had come back to life. As for Herod, he said, “I had John beheaded. Who is this Man, about Whom I hear such wonders?” And he was anxious to see Him.

by

Thursday, 26 September 2024 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 89 : 3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17

You turn humans back to dust, saying, “Return, o mortals!” A thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has passed, or like a watch in the night.

You sow them in their time, a dawn they peep out. In the morning they blossom, but the flower fades and withers in the evening.

So make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart. How long will You be angry, o YHVH? Have mercy on Your servant.

Fill us at daybreak with Your goodness, that we may be glad all our days. May the sweetness of YHVH be upon us; may He prosper the work of our hands.

by

Thursday, 26 September 2024 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth) 1 : 2-11

All is meaningless – says the Teacher – meaningless, meaningless! What profit is there for a man in all his work for which he toils under the sun?

A generation goes, a generation comes and the earth remains forever. The sun rises, the sun sets, hastening towards the place where it again rises. Blowing to the south, turning to the north, the wind goes round and round and after all its rounds it has to blow again.

All rivers go to the sea but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers come from, there they return again. All words become weary and speech comes to an end, but the eye has never seen enough nor the ear heard too much. What has happened before will happen again, what has been done before will be done again : there is nothing new under the sun.

If they say to you, “See, it is new!” know that it has already been centuries earlier. There is no remembrance of ancient people, and those to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.

by

Tuesday, 26 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that we should be ever faithful to the Lord our God, in all of our lives, in all of our words and actions. We should always strive to be holy and to be faithful and committed to God, just as all of us have been expected to do as God’s holy and beloved people, whom He had called and chosen from this world to be His own. The Lord has shown all of us His ever patient and generous love, compassion and mercy, calling on all of us to turn once again towards Him, to turn our backs against our past sins and wickedness that had once separated all of us from His amazing love and kindness. He wants each and every one of us to be redeemed and to be reconciled fully with Him, so that through Him we may indeed have love and eternal life.

In our first reading today, in continuation from the reading of the Book of the prophet Ezra from yesterday, we heard of the continuing restoration of Israel, its people and fortunes after they had all been allowed to return from their exile in the distant lands of Babylon and beyond. Back then, the descendants of the people of Israel and Judah had been humiliated and made to suffer because of their own folly and disobedience, by their refusal to obey God’s will, Law and commandments, and by their wickedness and evils, in worshipping pagan gods and false idols, which made them to stumble and fall, and eventually had their cities destroyed, and the great Temple of God in Jerusalem, the House of God built by King Solomon, destroyed as well, and the Ark of the Covenant that had been with them since the time of the Exodus to disappear from their midst.

But as mentioned yesterday, God moved the heart and mind of King Cyrus of Persia, who conquered Babylon and then allowed the Israelites and their descendants to return back to their homeland and rebuild their Temple which had been destroyed decades earlier. And as we heard in today’s reading, King Darius of Persia, Cyrus’ successor, encouraged the people of God to rebuild the Temple, the House of God in Jerusalem, as the reconstruction of their homeland continued, with the reestablishment of order and the community, with the appointment of priests and those in charge of various events and festivals, as it was in the days of old when God’s Law and commandments, His festivals and events were still celebrated by the Israelites before their downfall and humiliation. This was a sign and proof of God’s continuing and enduring love and guidance for His people.

We heard of how the planning for the rebuilding of the Temple and the restoration of the community of the Israelites continued to go on, under the leadership of the priest and prophet Ezra, who have led the people of Israel from their exile with the other elders, reestablishing the festivals and celebrations of the Lord according to His Law, and how the people once again gathered in joy to celebrate their faith in accordance with God’s Law and commandments, with their priests and all the other functionaries and celebrants in tandem, showing that the people of God had truly been restored to the favour and grace of God, after they had once fallen from that favour by their own folly, by their wickedness, evils and disobedience against God, by their refusal of God’s ever generous love and compassionate mercy in all things.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the words of the Lord speaking to the people, about the matter of obeying and following God, when His disciples and family reminded Him that His mother and others were waiting on Him as He was busy teaching and ministering to the people of God. At a glance, it might seem that the Lord had been rude to His own mother, but in fact, He was highlighting that His mother, Mary herself, was and is still the perfect example of that obedience and righteousness in God, that all of us as God’s people should follow in our own lives, in doing what He had told and taught us to do, and abandoning our past sinful and wicked ways of life, just as our predecessors had done.

That is why, as we are all reminded by the Sacred Scriptures today, each and every one of us as Christians ought to be ever faithful and committed to God, exemplary and worthy in all of our lives and actions, so that in our every words and actions, we should always embody our faith in God, which should truly shine through our lives, our every words and actions in life, that then should become inspirations for everyone all around us to follow, in their own lives and actions, that all of us may indeed be genuine and faithful people of God in all things, not just in mere name and formality only. This is what we have been reminded to do, to be like the people of Israel who had been restored to God’s favour and grace, that we may also experience the same as well.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of two great saints, St. Cosmas and St. Damian, whose faith and devotion to God, and whose actions and contributions to their fellow brothers and sisters, fellow faithful people of God, should inspire all of us to live our own lives faithfully and worthily of the Lord. St. Cosmas and St. Damian were known to be a pair of twin brothers who were both physicians, renowned for their care for the sick and the needy in their community, as they provided care for the physical ailments of the people, and gave the care for free to the poor and those who could not afford to be healed. Miracles were attributed to them, and many came to them seeking for help.

Their faith and dedication to God also became inspiration to many people, as they lived virtuously and with great dedication to God. And as they were arrested and persecuted by the local governor for being Christians, then being the height of the intense persecutions of Christians under the Diocletianic Persecution, they remained firm to their faith in God to the very end, as they gave up their lives in honouring God, in refusing to bend to the demands of the pagan authorities to obey the Emperor’s orders and to abandon their Lord, God and Master. They chose to live worthily and die in faith and obedience, showing every members of the Christian faithful what it truly means to be Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, can we all therefore be inspired by these great examples as well, that each and every one of us should be great role models and inspirations ourselves to our fellow brothers and sisters, in all of our lives, actions and deeds. Let us all be the bearers of the light of God to our fellow brethren, especially all those who have not known God and His love, His truth and Good News. Let us all do our very best to glorify God by our lives and actions, and be with Him, doing our part to serve Him all the days of our lives, as we should have done. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 26 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Luke 8 : 19-21

At that time, the mother of Jesus and His relatives came to Him; but they could not get to Him because of the crowd. Someone told Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside and wish to meet You.”

Then Jesus answered, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

by

Tuesday, 26 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 121 : 1-2, 3-4a, 4b-5

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the House of YHVH!” And now we have set foot within your gates, o Jerusalem!

Jerusalem, just like a city, where everything falls into place! There, the tribes go up, the tribes of YHVH, the assembly of Israel.

To give thanks to YHVH’s Name. There stand the courts of justice, the offices of the house of David.

by

Tuesday, 26 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Ezra 6 : 7-8, 12b, 14-20

Let the governor of the Jews together with their leaders build the House of God on its former site. This is the command I give as to what you should do to help those Jewish leaders rebuild the House of God : pay the expenses in full and without delay, with the income from taxes of the province at the other side of the River which is allotted to the king. I, Darius, give this command. Let it be carried out at once.

And the leaders of the Jews continued to make progress in building, encouraged by what Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, had said; and they finished the work according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius. The House was finished on the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of the reign of Darius.

The children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of those who had returned from exile celebrated the consecration of this House of God with rejoicing, offering on this solemnity one hundred young bulls, two hundred rams and four hundred lambs; and twelve he-goats as a sin-offering for all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

Then they installed the priests according to their ranks, and the Levites according to their classes, for the service of the House of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. Those who had returned from exile celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, for the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, and all of them were clean. So, they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all who had returned from exile, for their fellow-priests and for themselves.

by

Monday, 26 September 2022 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all presented with the reminders for us to remain faithful to God and obedient to Him. Each one of us are expected to commit ourselves to His cause and to follow Him wholeheartedly, giving our whole lives and attention, focusing our hearts and minds on Him, and dedicating our time and efforts to His cause. All of us should be genuine in our faith and way of life so that we may be truly exemplary and worthy of the Lord, despite the many challenges and trials that we may have to face amidst that path of following the Lord.

In our first reading today, all of us heard from the Book of Job the beginning of a series of discourse from this servant of God named Job, who was well-known for being one struck down by Satan and afflicted with all sorts of maladies and unfortunate occurrences and events, and yet remained faithful to the Lord despite all of that. We heard how God and Satan had a conversation in which the latter made a bet that should he strike down at Job and his belongings, and eventually even at his own body and physical being, then Job would abandon the Lord and defy Him. But God knew Job well and He knew that Job would always be faithful.

Historically, there was little evidence that Job ever actually existed, and consensus amongst Biblical scholars and archaeologists are that Job was actually a figurative person probably based on some real stories and experiences, who was highlighted and told in order to show us the importance of perseverance in faith, and how God would not abandon His faithful ones even amidst the greatest of challenges and trials. God will always remember all of His people, and all the more so for those who have shown their faith to Him. It may be that we have to suffer for a time and for some moments, but in the end, we shall be triumphant together with God.

Regardless whether Job was actually historical, existent or not, we should heed the message of what we have heard from the Book of Job and based on what more we knew about Job and his story. God always loves all of His people, and He has always shown His love and care in ways that we may often even not be aware of. The Lord wants us to know that we always have Him by our side and despite the challenges that we have to face, we can always depend on Him and trust in Him. Unfortunately, often time it is we who abandon Him and ignore Him, and put our trust in everything else but the Lord.

That is why in our Gospel passage today, we heard the words of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples, which serve as a reminder that all of us ought to seek the Lord with genuine faith, like that of little children coming towards the Lord. Those little children came to the Lord with true and genuine faith, unadulterated and unaffected by worldly ambitions, desires and other things that often distracted us from our path towards God. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed by those who seek our downfall and destruction, and we have to heed the Lord’s words, His calling and all that He had done for our sake.

The Lord called on all of us to be humble and to free ourselves from all sorts of worldly temptations and delusions, all the false treasures and corruptions often present all around us, and remaining faithful to God. Job was able to remain faithful to God despite the many calamities he had encountered, in the numerous material and personal losses that he had to endure, all because he trusted in the Lord much more than he trusted in the powers, wealth and might of the world. He trusted that God Who had given him everything, had the right to take everything back from him, and that God would take care of him and all that he needed. That is, brothers and sisters, the faith that all of us should have as well.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, holy martyrs of the Church, who were persecuted and tortured for their faith in God during the great persecution of the Church and Christians by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. According to Church tradition and martyrology, St. Cosmas and St. Damian were twin brothers who were also physicians, and were renowned for their loving care for the poor and the sick, as they were known not to take any payment for those who were sick and yet were unable to pay for the medical fees and services. They were popular because of their skill as healers, and this eventually led them to be arrested by the authorities.

Despite their many efforts to try to persuade, coerce and force St. Cosmas and St. Damian from abandoning their faith in God, even with temptations and riches, the authorities were not able to sway the two physician brothers and they could not force them to recant their faith and reject God. And hence, after a period of torture and suffering, eventually each one of them were subjected to capital punishments and were martyred for their faith. The examples and inspiration shown by St. Cosmas and St. Damian truly still inspired many all around the world even to this day, for their faith and dedication to the Lord. We too should be inspired by their examples.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore commit ourselves ever more to the Lord from now on, dedicating our lives to serve Him and to walk in His path, becoming great beacons of His light and truth in our world today. Let us all not be swayed by the temptations of the world, but instead do our best to strive and glorify God by our every actions, words and deeds, to be faithful to Him like what St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Job the faithful man of God, and many others of our holy predecessors. May more and more people come to know the Lord through us, and may more and more souls come to the salvation and eternal glory in God through our faithful witness and actions. May God bless us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

by

Monday, 26 September 2022 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Luke 9 : 46-50

At that time, one day, the disciples were arguing about which of them was the most important. But Jesus knew their thoughts, so He took a little child and stood him by His side. Then He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My Name, welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me, welcomes the One Who sent Me. And listen : the one who is found to be the least among you all, is the one who is the greatest.”

Then John spoke up, “Master, we saw someone who drives out demons by calling upon Your Name, and we tried to forbid him, because he does not follow You with us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him. He who is not against you is for you.”