Gospel in Art: Feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian

Apse of Santi Cosma e Damiano, Rome, Circa 526-30, Mosaics © Christian Art

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 26 September 2024
Luke 9:7-9

Herod the tetrarch had heard about all that was being done by Jesus; and he was puzzled, because some people were saying that John had risen from the dead, others that Elijah had reappeared, still others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life. But Herod said, 'John? I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?' And he was anxious to see Jesus.

Reflection on the Church Apse

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian, two Arab physicians, reputedly twin brothers, who embraced Christianity and practised medicine without charging a fee. Their selfless dedication to healing, combined with their generosity and compassion, made them beloved figures in their community. In art, they are often depicted holding medical instruments or ointment jars, as a testament to their role as healers. According to tradition, after enduring several failed execution attempts-including being stoned, burned, and drowned-they were ultimately beheaded.

Because they attributed their miraculous cures of ailments such as blindness and fever to the grace of God, Cosmas and Damian became targets during the Diocletian persecutions, between 303 and 311 A.D. These were among the most severe and brutal campaigns against Christians in the Roman Empire. Christians faced widespread arrests, torture, execution, and the destruction of their sacred texts and places of worship, as the Roman authorities sought to eradicate the growing influence of Christianity.

The Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian in the Roman Forum, a key site dedicated to their memory, was established in 527 when Theodoric the Great and his daughter Amalasuntha donated the Forum of Peace's library and part of the Temple of Romulus to Pope Felix IV. The Pope united these buildings into a basilica honouring the twin saints, in deliberate contrast to the nearby pagan temple dedicated to the mythological twins Castor and Pollux. The church's apse contains remarkable early 6th-century Christian mosaics, portraying the Second Coming of Christ. The mosaic depicts Christ in a golden tunic, standing above the waters of the River Jordan, flanked by Saints Cosmas and Damian, Saints Peter and Paul, and Pope Felix IV holding a model of the basilica. An interesting fact is that the basilica's creation symbolised the triumph of Christianity over paganism in the heart of the Forum Romanum.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-9-7-9-2024/