Saints Cosmas and Damien, Pray for US.
Today, the Church celebrates the holy life and martyrdom of two twin physicians. They practiced medicine without charging a fee. They dedicated their lives and offered up their deaths for their commitment to our Catholic Faith.
Their names are invoked in the Canon of the Mass.
COLLECT PRAYER: May you be magnified, O Lord, by the revered memory of your Saints Cosmas and Damian. With providence beyond words, you have conferred on them everlasting glory, and on us, your unfailing help. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Today, the Catholic Medical Association, at its annual educational conference, prayerfully invokes their protection. Let’s join in prayer with all those attending the conference, in person and online, for the success of their meeting and mission.
Most Reverend Salvatore Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco, with offer Mass and address the meeting.
| Health Care as a Vocation: The Cura Corporum as the Cura Animarum “Cura animarum” – the care of souls – is the classic term in the Catholic lexicon to express what we now more commonly refer to as pastoral care. The point of this talk is to reclaim authentic medical care as not only care of bodies – “cura corporum” – but care for the whole person, above all, spiritual care. Thus, its title. Catholics have always given prominence to care for the sick, seeing this corporal work of mercy as care for the whole person. Consequently, the Church has always given priority to spiritual care when attending to the sick. Analogously, the work of the health care provider is not simply a career, but a vocation, a means to sanctification and growing to be the person God created him or her to be. The separation of care for bodies and care for souls that has occurred since the time of the Enlightenment has been detrimental to the overall quality of care for the sick. Catholic health care workers in our own time must preserve and reassert the authentic Christian vision whereby care for the sick is always carried out with a view to the ultimate good of the eternal salvation of both patient and caregiver. |
Speaker:
