On this feast day of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, I want to
ask:
Are there any truly unmercenary physicians these days?
Nowadays, physicians are regarded as professionals who care
more about profits than patients.
In the United States, by law, hospitals cannot turn down any
patients because of their abilities to pay. But, even admitted, those who are
with less abilities to pay are not getting the same quality care as what
patients who are wealthy enough to have good insurance policies.
Some physicians argue that they deserve good pays because
they worked so hard to get into med school, continue to work so hard to
graduate from med schools and made it through residency, while accumulating
huge student loan debts. And, it is
true, unlike the case of lawyers, that they cannot start making huge incomes
right after graduation. For medical school graduates to become real physicians,
they have to endure years of residency, with relatively small stipends, while
paying back huge student loan debts.
In such today’s reality, it is impossible to expect physicians
to practice medicine for no pay. But,
let’s not forget that there are many physicians volunteering their high-quality
services with true compassion. Some go so far from home to take care of the
abject poor, disaster victims and refugees, while others battle with the
critical needs of the poor in their own cities and rural areas. Their charitable hard works are supported by
the generosity of people who care to cover actual operation costs.
Though difficult to imagine having unmercenary physician, it
is, nevertheless, important to reflect the significance of St. Cosmas and St.
Damian of 3rd century Roman Providence of Syria (today’s Turkey),
who were twin brothers and both practiced surgery, accepting no payment from
patients.
It is believed that what motivated Cosmas and Damian were
these words of Jesus:
"Heal the sick,
raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received,
freely give” (Matthew 10:8)
These words are from Jesus’ second discourse, focusing on
the mission – also known as the mission discourse (Matthew 10: 5-42). As Jesus was sending out the Twelve Apostles
on mission, he emphasized that they do not accept any payment for their ministerial
services, including healing.
Cosmas and Damian sure considered themselves as disciples of
Christ, using their gifts and talents in surgery and medicine for God, who
bestowed these gifts and talents on them, by serving people of God, especially,
the poor, whom God favor – anawin.
These twin brothers’ medical practice is centered with the
compassion of Christ, guided by his mission commands from Matthew 10:5-42. Then,
financial reward for their medical and surgical services did not become their concerns. Thus, they were
able to practice unmercenary medicine.
I wonder – if physicians can reflect their practices upon St. Coamas and St.
Damian regularly, perhaps, if medical students can learn about these twin
saints, then, more physicians become
willing to provide charity cares.
Negative impressions of physicians, such as “financially motivated”, “greedy”,
may dissipate, too.
The first reading for
this past Sunday – the 26th Sunday Year C , was take on from Amos
8:4-7, and it reminds that God would be disturbed and punish if we had
exploited the poor. In the Sunday
Gospel reading, the parable of the crooked steward (Luke 16: 1-13), Jesus challenged us if we are the children of
the light or the children of the world, as the former act prudently with God’s
gifts, while the latter are clever in worldly or secular wisdom, like the
crooked steward.
It is evident that Cosmas and Damian belong to the former category
– the children of the light.
In the eyes of the crooked steward, whose cleverness was
impressive enough for Jesus to be impressed, Cosmas and Damian might be
regarded as “stupid”, for they worked so hard for no pay for themselves. But, in the eyes of God, they have been not only blessed but also those who
were benefitted from their free services have been blessed, given what Jesus
meant by his concluding remarks of his mission discourse – Matthew 10: 40-42.
(St. Cosmas and St. Damian transplanting and grafting a patient's leg, assisted by an angel)
It will not be impossible to see more unmercenary medical
services, even in these days of costly health care reality, if physicians and
medical students find their calling to care for and treat patients in light of
Jesus’ calling for missionary – in the context of his mission discourse (Matthew
10: 5-42), with more focus on the poor, as anawin,
the ones God have special favor. Then,
both physicians who provide unmercenary charity care and patients who accept
such care will be blessed together. After all, the ultimate reward for
Christians – the Kingdom of God – is where both givers of service and receivers
of service rejoice together. There is no
argument and fuss about who owes whom, how much, in heaven. There are just blessings and joy.
In this regard, unmercenary medical practice helps
physicians to ensure that they are entitled to their ultimate reward: the
Kingdom. And, finding their ways of such free charity care amidst
of today’s challenging health care reality must be as difficult as striving to
enter the Kingdom through the narrow gate (Luke 13:24) but this challenge must
be worth – if physicians consider themselves as the children of the light,
rather than the children of the world, like the crooked steward in Luke
16:1-13.
Prayer to Saints Cosmas and Damian, Physicians and
Martyrs
O Physicians of souls, Saints Cosmas and Damian, stand
before the Lord of All and ask Him to heal me and all those dear to me of any
spiritual ills we may endure.
Drive away from us all sin and sadness of mind, all
darkness and despair. Make us then willing and loving servants of Christ,
following your holy example of detachment from the things of this world and
care for the needs of our neighbors.
On the glorious day of the Universal Resurrection may we
shine with you in the full health of our nature restored by the mercies of
Jesus who lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen.
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