InPrincipio Podcast

Dom Guéranger's Liturgical Year: September 27 - Saints Cosmas and Damian


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Saints Cosmas and Damian were twin brothers and physicians from Syria who lived in the 3rd century and became renowned for practicing medicine without charging fees, earning them the title of anargyroi (“the silverless” or “unmercenary”). Known for their skill, compassion, and miraculous healings, they not only treated physical ailments but also drew many to Christianity through their charity and faith. Their growing reputation provoked the ire of Roman authorities during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian, leading to their arrest, torture, and eventual martyrdom around 287 AD. Venerated as patron saints of physicians, surgeons, and pharmacists, their cult spread widely in both the Eastern and Western Churches, and countless churches, hospitals, and medical guilds were dedicated to their honor.Dom Prosper Guéranger's The Liturgical Year, a monumental fifteen-volume work, offers a comprehensive exploration of the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, guiding readers through the spiritual and historical richness of the Church’s worship. Written in the 19th century, the series provides daily meditations, historical context, and liturgical texts for the Mass and Divine Office, covering the entire cycle of seasons—Advent, Christmas, Lent, Passiontide, Easter, and the Time after Pentecost—as well as feast days of saints. Guéranger’s work, rooted in a deep contemplative spirit, aims to immerse the faithful in the Church’s prayerful life, emphasizing the unity of faith through the axiom lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of prayer is the law of belief"), and remains a cherished resource for Catholics seeking to deepen their spiritual lives. Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805–1875) was a French Benedictine monk, liturgical scholar, and founder of the Solesmes Abbey, renowned for his pivotal role in reviving the Benedictine Order in France and restoring the Roman liturgy after the disruptions of the French Revolution. Born in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, he entered the priesthood in 1827 and, inspired by a vision to restore monastic life, reestablished the Benedictine community at Solesmes in 1833, becoming its first abbot. A staunch defender of ultramontanism and traditional Catholic worship, he also championed the revival of Gregorian chant, significantly influencing the liturgical renewal movement.

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