Patron Saints of Pharmacists
Tonight we celebrate Saints Cosmas and Damian, brothers from Arabia. Being skilled in the science of medicine, they joyfully cared for the sick, refusing any compensation. When Diocletian began persecuting Christians, they were marked men. Eventually they were apprehended and tortured around 283. Today is their feast day.
Their ministry is especially poignant to me today because of our recent medical happenings. With both boys needing "well checks" and me with my face pains, we've been in and out of way too many doctor's offices lately. Camden's 2-month-well-visit was billed to our insurance company at a whopping $818. My visit to the ENT was billed at a staggering $772. Connor's well check cost $742. I could go on . . . but you get the idea. I know that providing medical care is not cheap. And I know that doctors spend years studying their respective fields. The notion that health care, health insurance, and pharmaceuticals has become big business, where "suits" look at the bottom line, profit margins, and shareholders is truly distasteful. These brothers certainly challenge the current obsession with money and provide a beautiful picture of operating out of one's giftedness to the benefit of a community.
Their ministry is especially poignant to me today because of our recent medical happenings. With both boys needing "well checks" and me with my face pains, we've been in and out of way too many doctor's offices lately. Camden's 2-month-well-visit was billed to our insurance company at a whopping $818. My visit to the ENT was billed at a staggering $772. Connor's well check cost $742. I could go on . . . but you get the idea. I know that providing medical care is not cheap. And I know that doctors spend years studying their respective fields. The notion that health care, health insurance, and pharmaceuticals has become big business, where "suits" look at the bottom line, profit margins, and shareholders is truly distasteful. These brothers certainly challenge the current obsession with money and provide a beautiful picture of operating out of one's giftedness to the benefit of a community.
