Saints Cosmas & Damian: Martyrs in the Roman Canon

As we head into fall weather, I am reminded of all of the family get togethers that have taken place during this time of year.  If your family is like mine, the playful banter between us as we watch a football game usually leads to at least one recounting of a funny story about someone.  As the story is retold, different details are emphasized until it reaches something of legendary proportion.  While the particulars might get a bit blurred, we know that a kernel of truth remains and we cherish these family stories from our collective memory.

The Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Rome was built in the 4th century. These mosaics depict St. Peter presenting Cosmas (on the right) and St. Paul presenting Damian (on the left) to Jesus.

For today’s Saints, SS. Cosmas & Damian, many stories have been passed on through the centuries that are now difficult to authenticate.  While most agree that they were twin brothers that practiced medicine (without charging any fees!) and that they were eventually tortured and martyred for their faith during Diocletian’s reign, many more stories begin with, “Legend has it that….” 

“Legends” don’t tend to sit well with our modern minds; we often immediately discount something “legendary” as not being real.  Though we do not have to believe every single unverified story about today’s Saints, we do need to remember that they have been part of our collective Catholic memory for centuries.  In fact, Mother Church has placed them in one of her most sacred prayers-the Roman Canon.

The Roman Canon, also called Eucharistic Prayer I, is a formula of prayers that immediately precede, include, and follow the consecration.  With the exception of a few additions, the Roman Canon is of Apostolic origin and has not been significantly modified since Gregory the Great (540-604 AD).  Almost right before the consecration, the following prayer is prayed:

In communion with those whose memory we venerate, especially the glorious ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, and blessed Joseph, her Spouse, your blessed Apostles and Martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Jude: Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian and all your Saints: we ask that through their merits and prayers, in all things we may be defended by your protecting help. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Saints mentioned here are worth noting.  After the Apostles, the rest were martyrs.  In the early Church, the most profound reverence was reserved for the martyrs because they had offered up the ultimate sacrifice for their faith.  The fact that the early Church was including SS. Cosmas and Damian in this prayer secures the fact that they were real, highly respected, and held up as examples to follow.

The next time we are at Mass and this prayer is prayed, let us remember how SS. Cosmas and Damian gave up everything for our Lord and be inspired that with God’s grace we can do the same.  As we then receive our Lord in the Eucharist and He is with us, perhaps we can consider asking Him to help root out anything that is holding us back from making our own lives a full sacrifice to God.  I do pray that we will all be together with SS. Cosmas and Damian one day…and that together we will be able to start making new family memories together that we can cherish for eternity.

SS. Cosmas and Damian, Pray for us!