Day XXIII. Thursday, Week III.
"I am the Savior of all people, says the Lord. Whatever their trouble, I will answer their cry, and I will always be their Lord" (Entrance Antiphon for today).
Santi Cosma e Damiano. Saints Cosmas and Damian were twins and doctors in Syria. They were known for their charity to the point they were nicknamed "the moneyless ones". Because of their charity, they were accused of being Christian. They were tortured before being beheaded (c. 303).
Today's church was once a temple built by Vespasian (69-79) in the Roman Forum. The apse mosaic (526-530) of Christ coming on clouds of glory from the East is one of the finest in Rome and has formed the model of most of the subsequent mosaics throughout the world. The other image is of Christ, the Lamb of God, standing on the hill from which the four rivers of Paradise flow, drawing sheep (the 12 apostles) from Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
Photo: The apse mosaic (526-530) of Christ coming on clouds of glory from the East is one of the finest in Rome and has formed the model of most of the subsequent mosaics throughout the world.