Skiing and Prayer: Good Medicine

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There is nothing better than good medical care.  For the first time in my life I have a GREAT physician. My first visit was a couple of years ago when I turned 40. He spent well over an hour gathering family information and hearing every concern. He, ahem, left no stone unturned. Throughout that and subsequent visits we have spoken in great theological depth. He is a very serious Roman Catholic. I quickly learned that my doctor appointments could just as easily conclude with him anointing me with oil as prescribing medicine. So far, they always conclude with him asking for my priestly blessing. There is something so right about medical care including not just the physical and emotional but also the state of the soul.

All of this is fresh because I just saw him again this past week. At the end of another great appointment (right before he asked for a blessing from me) I reminded him that I was concerned about my stress level. He said that I needed two things:

1. I needed a group of people praying for me.

2. I needed to make sure to ski this winter. YES!

Yesterday the Orthodox Church commemorated the holy and wonder-working Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian.

These brothers were from Mesopotamia in Asia Minor. After the death of their pagan father, their Christ-loving mother Theodota reared them in piety and in all manner of virtue, and had them instructed in every science, especially that of medicine. This became their vocation, and they went about healing every illness and malady, bestowing healing for free on both men and beasts alike; because of this, Cosmas and Damian are called “Unmercenaries.” They fulfilled Christ’s command: “Freely have ye received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8). And thus, having completed the course of their life, they reposed in peace and are reported to continue working healing miracles.

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Filed under Flames of Wisdom, Orthodox Christianity

Tags: Orthodoxy, The Communion of Saints