Saints Cosmas and Damian, Holy Unmercenary Martyrs of Rome. Wooden orthodox icon.
Above - Icon of the Mother of God Feodorovskaya
The holy martyrs, miracle workers and unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian - brothers, originally from Rome, doctors by profession, accepted a martyr's death in Rome under the Emperor Carinus (283-284). Raised by Christian parents in the rules of piety, they led a strict, chaste life and were honored by God with the gracious gift of healing diseases. With their kind and selfless attitude towards people, combined with exceptional mercy, the brothers converted many to Christ. The saints usually said to the sick: "It is not by our own power that we heal diseases, but by the power of Christ, the True God. Believe in Him and you will be healthy." For their selfless treatment of the ailing, the holy brothers were called "unmercenary doctors."
Their effective service to their neighbors, their spiritual influence on those around them, which brought many to the Church, attracted the attention of the Roman authorities to the brothers. Soldiers were sent for the doctors. Hearing about this, the Christians asked Saints Cosmas and Damian to hide for a time for the sake of those who had sought 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 the Roman soldiers, asking them to release the hostages taken in their place.
In Rome, the saints were first imprisoned and then led to the court. The holy brothers openly confessed before the Roman emperor and the court their faith in Christ God, who had come to earth to save humanity and atone for the sins of the world, and resolutely refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods. They said: "We have done no harm to anyone, we do not practice magic and sorcery, which you accuse us of. We heal illnesses by the power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and do not take any reward for helping the sick, because the Lord commanded His disciples: "Freely you have received, freely give" (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 could experience the omnipotence of the Lord, who does not forgive blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. People who saw the miracle exclaimed: "Great is the Christian God and there is no other God besides 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 this, Saints Cosmas and Damian were honorably released to freedom and began to heal diseases again.
But what the hatred of the pagans and the cruelty of the Roman authorities could not do, was accomplished by black envy, one of the strongest passions of the sinful nature of man. The old physician-mentor, from whom the holy brothers had once studied the art of medicine, began to envy their glory. Driven to frenzy by this insidious, all-drying passion, he called the holy brothers, once his beloved students, supposedly to collect rare medicinal herbs and, having led them far into the mountains, killed them, and threw their bodies into the river.
Thus the gratuitous healers, the holy brothers Cosmas and Damian, ended their earthly journey as martyrs, having dedicated their entire lives to Christian service to their neighbors, having escaped the Roman sword and prison, but treacherously killed by their teacher.
The Lord glorified His saints. And now, through the prayers of the holy unmercenaries, all who resort to their holy intercession with faith receive healing from God.
Part of the relics of the holy martyrs rest in the Church of Cosmas and Damian of Rome in Starye Panekh (Moscow).
The icon is made by printing on a wooden board. Paints are mineral, do not fade with time. The thickness of the board is 2 cm. The board is covered with primer by hand. The image is covered with wax. Each icon has a metal mount on the back side so that you can hang the icon on the wall.
You can buy the icon in three sizes:
- 13 х 11 centimeters (5,1 x 4,3 inches)
- 19 х 16 centimeters (7,5 x 6,3 inches)
- 26 х 22 centimeters (10,2 x 8,7 inches)
Our icons are made by Orthodox craftsmen. You can read more about the technology here.
We hope it will be a good gift for you and your loved ones.
