Saturday. September 26, 2026. Saints Cosmas and Damian were twins born of devoutly Christian parents in Arabia in the third century. Raised by their mother, and following the death of their father, Cosmas and Damian studied medicine in Antioch and returned to Aegeae to practice. They were physicians who were renowned for their skill; they reputedly never accepted payment for their services, and were referred to as anargyroi (Greek for “without silver”). In addition to the treatment of wounds, fractures and dislocations, they faced the challenges of widespread infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, malaria, etc. Blood-letting was amongst their traditional therapies. So too were prayer and spiritual guidance, and they were advocates of “incubation,” in which the sick would move into churches or sanctuaries to be closer to God—and, hopefully, to a cure. Hundreds of healing miracles are attributed to them. They are most famous for the miracle of the black leg: a devout man who served at a church of Saints in Rome had a diseased leg. As he slept, the saints appeared to him carrying an ointment and an instrument. In his dream, the saints decided to remove his diseased leg surgically and graft a leg from a recently deceased Ethiopian, buried in another church. When he awoke, he reached for his leg and felt no pain. He observed that he now had two healthy legs, although one was not his because the color of the skin was black. He was able to leap out of bed to announce the happy news. Their charity and Christian witness won many converts to the faith and earned them a place of prominence in the Christian communities. When the Diocletian persecutions began, they were captured and ordered to deny their faith in Christ. They refused and underwent a series of tortures, including Crucifixion, from which, miraculously, they remained unscathed. The torturers, weary of what they realized was the impossible task, finally beheaded them both. Saints Cosmas and Damian were great miracle-workers both during their life and after their death. Their deeds and selfless motivation serve as reminders of our commitment to the best interests of others and to a sense of charity, as we share our talents and comfort with all those in need. (Maridol: My Morning Prayer)
Guardian Angel Novena – Day 4. Loving God, you are so good that you gave me a Guardian Angel to protect my body and my soul. Help me to know and follow my angel so that, with their guidance, I will be worthy of being in Heaven with You! My sweet Guardian Angel, you are my consoler every day of my life. Fortify me to be strong when life is hard, and my body and soul are hurting. Fortify me to have the strength to be the person that God is calling me to be. You are with me all the time, so you already know these are my intentions that I ask you to deliver to the Lord. (Mention your intentions) Ester and I pray for Your blessings to grace our children, and their children’s children, to wholeheartedly support The MONTINOLA-CUMAGUN CARE FOUNDATION. I count on You. I trust in You. You will not fail me. My guardian angel, my consoler, fortify me! Network with our children’s guardian angels to guide them to understand, not to be enabling siblings, that my donating all my assets to the foundation makes them donors too, because I am ceding my paternal and paraphernal conjugal rights to her for it to be part of the inheritance they will inherit from their mother’s assets, as she also will cede to me for me to contribute to contribte to the foundation her conjugal rights from my assets -therefore making a family foundation to help those who have less in life to help themselves. Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. (Proverb)
WORD Today. Luke 9:43b-45. While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
Reflection. The words of the Popes. They were afraid of the cross. Peter himself, after that solemn confession when Jesus rebuked him when he said, “No, never, Lord! Not this.” Peter was afraid of the cross. But it was not only the disciples, not only Peter; Jesus Himself was afraid of the cross. He could not deceive Himself; He knew. And so great was His fear that on that Thursday evening, He sweated blood. So great was Jesus’ fear that He spoke almost the same words as Peter. Almost: “Father, take this cup away from me”; but He added, “Your will must be done.” That is the difference. We must ask for the grace not to flee from the cross when it comes. Very close to Jesus on the cross is His mother, His mama. Let us pray to her, and do well to ask her to grant us the grace not to take away our fear – it is natural to be afraid of the cross – but not to let us be terrified and flee from the cross. She was there, and she knows how to stand by the cross. (Pope Francis, Homily at Santa Marta, 28 September 2013)
Lord of heaven and earth, thank You for the gift of today. Keep my heart open to Your words. Help me not to fear the unknown, but to believe that You are always with me and that Your plans are greater than my own. When I do not understand Your ways, give me the grace to trust You even when the answers are also not clear. May I have the humility to listen, the faith to trust, and the courage to follow You wherever You lead. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
“The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.” (Shakespeare). Business Enterprises are not Legacy: the wake you leave, WHO you leave it to, WHAT you leave, and WHY? Let the Montinola Cumagun Care Foundation’s Good Work speak, not our family name.
Our Lady of the Impossible, grace those late in life but had more in life who tried to be their brothers’ keepers for those who have less in life – “Ester and I pray for your blessings to grace our children, and their children’s children, to wholeheartedly support The MCC FOUNDATION – The MONTINOLA-CUMAGUN CARE FOUNDATION OBJECTIVES: (1.) Special Children SPED, “A child’s mind is the most precious thing to waste.” (The motto of the American Negro College), and the Handicapped Senior Citizens – Physical Therapy. (2.) Financial Support for Diocesan priests and Grade School Teachers for the rural areas. (3.) Computer Start-up Education Tools for selected public schools and (4.) Selected Start-up Management and Financial Support for Small Businesses. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:48. “The sin of the rich man was not that he did wrong things, but that he did nothing.” (William Barclay, in Antonio G. Cumagun Autobiography Song of Myself Memoirs, Looking Back at Serendipity, 2002) Our Lady of the Impossible, “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection was left unaided. . .” the good news of peace and justice through Ester and my founding the Montinola Cumagun Care Foundation. Business Enterprises are not Legacy: It is the fruits of the wake you leave, and who you leave it to, and what you leave. Let your wake speak, not your name.
Ester and My State of Health
(Vital stats are recorded by Ester Tony C every day, 24 hr. PDNs.)
Ester and my state of health – vital stats are recorded by Ester’s everyday, 24 hr. PDNs.
Ester’s morning BP was 110/80. HR 79, O2sat 98%. Temp 36. 5
Last Night’s BP 110/80 .Hr. 76, O2sat 96%, Temp. 36.4
Tony’s morning BP was 110 /70. HR 68. O2sat 99%, Temp. 36.4
Last Night’s BP 110/70. Hr.65. O2sat. 98%, Temp .36.8
Beata John Paul 1, watch over Cristina C, Justice Jun’s state of health, Ester’s recovery, and our autistic son John Paul’s emotional/emotional stability 57. Johnny Ong’s youngest son, Richard, diagnosed with blood cancer.
FOR THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED AND SOULS IN PURGATORY
In Memory of all those who left us. We remember you in the morning and at night. You are always with us. We pray for the souls in Purgatory.
Blessed Mother Mary, I bring to you for your intercession the souls of Amb. Manuel R. and Dolores G. Cumagun, Juana Cumagun, Annette Cumagun, Lina Beltran, Judge and Mrs. Dolores Cumagun, Gov. Primo & Magdalena H. Gaffud, Dr. Trino, Sr. & Angeles Montinola, Betty, Luie, Trino, Jr. Montinola, Bernardino, and Isabel Jalandoni. Dr. Terry Lirio-Montinola, Dr. & Mrs. Tomacruz, Akira Tsusaka, Boy Eugenio, Jesus Ibañez, Sen. Nene Pimentel, Santiago Ranada 111, Boysie Villavicensio, Patria Manuel, Dr. Mariano Laurel, Rene Datu, (Ateneo ’54 – Jimmy Ongpin, Atty. Ato Gonzales, Buddy Joaquin, Fr. Unson, Msgr. Tantoco, Atty. Art Alafriz, Robert Arevalo Ylagan, Maximo Abesamis, Jr., Jesse Paredes), Atty. C. Platon, Araceli Rivera, Rey Castañeda, Col. Tanseco, Dr. E Fores, Dr. J. Caedo, Christine Syjuco, Leni Panganiban, Raul Boncan, Atty. Spanky and Dolly Perez, Amb. Albert del Rosario, Nellie Valdez, Toti Herbosa, Tec Syjuco, AL, Umberto (Beck) Gonzales, and Rufo Colayco. Pray 7 Our Father and The Credo