ARCHIEPISCOPAL ENCYCLICAL: FEAST OF THE HOLY UNMERCENARIES, SAINTS COSMAS AND DAMIAN

Greek-English
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 

Archiepiscopal Encyclical: Feast of the Holy Unmercenaries, Saints Cosmas and Damian

Prot. No. 202/2020

November 1, 2020

Πορευόμενοι δὲ κηρύσσετε λέγοντες ὅτι ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ἀσθενοῦντας θεραπεύετε, λεπροὺς καθαρίζετε, νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε, δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλετε· δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε.

And as you go, proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand! Cure the infirm, cleanse and restore the lepers, raise up the dead, cast out demons. Generously you have received, generously give. (Matthew 10:7-8)

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America,

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today we commemorate the Holy Unmercenaries, Cosmas and Damian – patrons of our National Philoptochos. These physician Saints are called Ἀνάργυροι – “renouncers of silver,” because they applied their healing arts without ever accepting payment of any kind. Theirs was a health care system that treated the whole person: body, mind, heart, and spirit. Their ministry was based above all in love, and love was always their motivation. How appropriate it is that these brothers are the Heavenly Patrons of our National Philoptochos, for the Philoptochos is above all else a sisterhood of love – love for the poor, whether that poverty is economic, emotional, or spiritual.

Therefore, on this Sunday when we celebrate these wondrous Saints, our National Philoptochos has dedicated their collections that are being taken across the Archdiocese for the needs and the support of the benevolent and philanthropic ministries of our Mother Church of Constantinople. The Ecumenical Patriarchate provides concrete services to orphans and the poor at the Baloukli Hospital and Senior Center. When you offer generously, I pray that each of you offer as to your own mother, with an intention to be of the most help possible. We depend on our National Ladies Philoptochos Society and local Philoptochos chapters for this special offering, and they deserve all our gratitude. Especially in the time of the pandemic, the needs are great and conditions are challenging.

Your generosity is a proclamation that the Kingdom of Heaven has arrived, has come unto the world. For the Lord said that the ministries of healing recognize the gift of God that we have all received, and thus we can give to others. Thank you for your love for our Holy Mother Church, and on behalf of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, I express the deep gratitude of the Great Church of Christ for the ongoing support of the Ladies Philoptochos Society and the faithful of our Holy Archdiocese for these precious ministries.

With paternal love in our Lord Jesus Christ,

† ELPIDOP

ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΙΚΗ ΕΓΚΥΚΛΙΟΣ:Ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἁγίων καὶ θαυματουργῶν ἀναργύρων Κοσμᾶ καὶ Δαμιανοῦ

Ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἁγίων καὶ θαυματουργῶν ἀναργύρων Κοσμᾶ καὶ Δαμιανοῦ

 

Ἀριθ. Πρωτ.: 202/2020

1 Νοεμβρίου 2020

Πορευόμενοι δὲ κηρύσσετε λέγοντες ὅτι ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ἀσθενοῦντας θεραπεύετε, λεπροὺς καθαρίζετε, νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε, δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλετε· δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε. (Ματθαίου ι', 7-8)

Πρὸς τοὺς Σεβασμιωτάτους καὶ Θεοφιλεστάτους Ἀρχιερεῖς, τοὺς Εὐλαβεστάτους Ἱερεῖς καὶ Διακόνους, τοὺς Μοναχοὺς καὶ τὶς Μοναχές, τοὺς Προέδρους καὶ τὰ Μέλη τῶν Κοινοτικῶν Συμβουλίων, τοὺς Ἐντιμολογιωτάτους Ἄρχοντες τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου, τὰ Ἡμερήσια καὶ Ἀπογευματινὰ Σχολεῖα, τὶς Φιλοπτώχους Ἀδελφότητες, τὴν Νεολαία, τὶς Ἑλληνορθόδοξες Ὀργανώσεις καὶ ὁλόκληρο τὸ Χριστεπώνυμο πλήρωμα τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀμερικῆς.

Προσφιλεῖς ἀδελφοὶ καὶ ἀδελφὲς ἐν Χριστῷ,

Κατὰ τὴ σημερινὴ ἡμέρα ἑορτάζουμε τοὺς ἁγίους ἀναργύρους Κοσμᾶ καὶ Δαμιανό, προστάτες τῆς Ἐθνικῆς Φιλοπτώχου Ἀδελφότητος Κυριῶν τῆς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς μας. Αὐτοὶ οἱ ἅγιοι, ποὺ ἦταν γιατροί στὸ ἐπάγγελμα, ὀνομάστηκαν ἀνάργυροι γιατὶ ἐξασκούσαν τὴν ἱατρικὴ χωρὶς κάποιου εἴδους πληρωμή. Ἡ ἱατρικὴ γιὰ αὐτοὺς εἶναι ἡ ἐπιστήμη ποὺ γιατρεύει ὁλόκληρο τὸν ἄνθρωπο: τὸ σῶμα, τὸ νοῦ, τὴν καρδιὰ καὶ τὴν ψυχή. Αὐτὴ ἡ διακονία τους βασιζόταν κυρίως στὴν ἀγάπη ποὺ ἦταν καὶ τὸ μοναδικό τους κίνητρο. Πόσο, πράγματι, ταιριαστό τυγχάνει τὸ γεγονός ὅτι αὐτοὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ εἶναι οἱ προστάτες ἅγιοι τῆς Ἐθνικῆς Φιλοπτώχου μας! Γιατὶ ἡ Φιλόπτωχος εἶναι κυρίως ἡ ἀδελφότητα τῆς ἀγάπης. Ἀγάπη γιὰ τοὺς φτωχοὺς καὶ τοὺς καταφρονεμένους ἀπὸ κάθε αἰτία: οἰκονομική, συναισθηματικὴ ἢ πνευματική.

Ἔτσι, λοιπόν, ἡ Ἐθνικὴ Φιλόπτωχος Ἀδελφότητα ἔχει ἀφιερώσει τὸ προϊὸν τοῦ ἐράνου ποὺ πραγματοποιεῖται σὲ ὅλη τὴν Ἀρχιεπισκοπή μας, αὐτὴ τὴν Κυριακή, ἑορτὴ τῶν θαυματουργῶν Ἀναργύρων, στὶς κοινωνικὲς καὶ φιλανθρωπικὲς πρωτοβουλίες τῆς Μητέρας Ἐκκλησίας τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως. Τὸ Οἰκουμενικὸ Πατριαρχεῖο ἔχει δημιουργήσει δομὲς προστασίας γιὰ τὰ ὀρφανὰ καὶ τοὺς φτωχοὺς στὴν Κωνσταντινούπολη καὶ ἰδίως στὸ Γηροκομεῖο καὶ τὸ Νοσοκομεῖο τοῦ Μπαλουκλῆ. Σᾶς προσκαλῶ γιὰ τὴ γεναιόδωρη προσφορά σας, μὲ τὴ διάθεση ὅτι βοηθᾶτε τὴν ἴδια τὴ μητέρα σας. Βασιζόμαστε στὶς κυρίες τῆς Ἐθνικῆς Φιλοπτώχου Ἀδελφότητας καὶ τῶν τοπικῶν τμημάτων τῆς Φιλοπτώχου γιὰ τὴν ἐρανικὴ διαχείριση καὶ τὶς εὐγνωμονοῦμε. Εἰδικὰ αὐτὴ τὴν ἐποχὴ τῆς πανδημίας, οἱ ἀνάγκες εἶναι αὐξημένες καὶ οἱ προκλήσεις μεγάλες.

Ἡ γεναιοδωρία σας διατρανώνει ὅτι ἤγγικε ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ εἶναι ἐνεργὴ στὸν κόσμο. Διότι ὁ Κύριος μᾶς εἶπε ὅτι ἡ θεραπεία τῶν ἀσθενούντων καὶ ἡ ἀνάπαυση τῶν φτωχῶν εἶναι δωρεὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὴν ὁποία λάβαμε καὶ τὴν ὁποία προσφέρουμε στὸ συνάνθρωπό μας. Ἐκφράζω τὴν εὐγνωμοσύνη τῆς Μεγάλης τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησίας στὶς κυρίες τῆς Φιλοπτώχου Ἀδελφότητας καὶ σὲ ὅλο τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς μας γιὰ τὴν ἀνεκτίμητη διακονία τους.

Μετὰ πατρικῶν εὐχῶν καὶ τῆς ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀγάπης,

† ὁ Ἀμερικῆς Ἐλπιδοφόρος