The Holy Martyrs, miracle workers and silverless Cosmas and Damian – brothers, originally from Rome, doctors by profession, martyred in Rome under Emperor Carinus (283-284). Raised by Christian parents in the rules of piety, they led a strict, chaste life and were awarded by God the blessed gift of healing diseases. By their kind and unselfish attitude towards people, combined with exceptional charity, the brothers converted many to Christ. The saints used to tell the sick: "It is not by our power that we heal diseases, but by the power of Christ, the True God. Believe in Him and you will be well." For the disinterested treatment of the ailing holy brothers, they were called "free doctors."
Effective service to one's neighbor, spiritual influence on others, which brought many to the Church, drew attention to the brothers of the Roman authorities. Soldiers were sent for the doctors. Upon hearing about this, Christians asked Saints Cosmas and Damian to take refuge for a while for the sake of those who resorted to their help. But, not finding the brothers, the soldiers seized other Christians in the village where the saints lived. Then Saints Cosmas and Damian left the shelter and gave themselves into the hands of Roman soldiers, asking them to release the hostages taken in their place.
In Rome, the saints were first imprisoned, and then led to the judgment seat. The holy brothers openly confessed before the Roman emperor and the court their faith in Christ God, who came to earth to save mankind and atone for the sin of the world, and resolutely refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods. They said: "We have not harmed anyone, we are not engaged in magic and sorcery, which you accuse us of. We heal ailments by the power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and do not take any reward for helping the sick because the Lord bequeathed to His disciples: "We have received freely, give freely" (Matthew 10:8).
However, the emperor continued to insist. Through the prayer of the holy brothers, filled with the power of grace, God struck Karin with a sudden illness so that he would experience the omnipotence of the Lord, who does not forgive blasphemies against the Holy Spirit. People who saw the miracle exclaimed: "Great is the Christian God and there is no other God but Him!" Many believers asked the holy doctors to heal the emperor, and he himself begged the saints, promising to turn to the True God Christ the Savior. The saints healed him. After that, Saints Cosmas and Damian were honorably released and resumed the healing of diseases.
But what the hatred of the pagans and the cruelty of the Roman authorities could not do was done by black envy, one of the strongest passions of the sinful nature of man. The old doctor-mentor, from whom the holy brothers had studied the art of medicine at one time, began to envy their fame. Driven to frenzy by this insidious, withering passion, he summoned the holy brothers, once beloved by his disciples, as if to collect rare medicinal herbs and, leading them far into the mountains, killed them, and threw their bodies into the river.
This is how the free healers, the holy brothers Cosmas and Damian, who devoted their entire lives to Christian service to their neighbors, escaped the Roman sword and prison, but treacherously killed by the teacher, martyred their earthly path.
The Lord glorified His saints. And now, through the prayers of the holy silverless, all those who resort to their holy intercession with faith receive healing from God.