A category of saints of our Church are the Anargyri and the Healers, who spent their lives in the relief of suffering and poor people. One of them was also Saint Samson the Innkeeper.
Born in Rome ensures 511 from rich parents. He came from a royal family. He was his descendant Constantine the Great. His parents were faithful people and that's why they raised him with education and the admonition of the Lord. Thanks to their financial prosperity, they gave their son an excellent education. He studied many sciences, but one mastered him, the medicine. And this because it would give him the possibility to exercise his love towards his fellow human beings, whom he considered as images of God.
When he graduated he practiced medicine, not for a living or to get rich, but as an offering to the sick man free of charge. Here we should clarify that for the ancient peoples, especially the Romans, the medical profession was considered a minor profession and for this reason it was practiced mainly by slaves and plebeians, the poor and unworthy. Medicine was raised as a high profession by Christianity. A multitude of saints of our Church were famous doctors and treated the sick for free and that is why they were called Cashless.
Samson, in addition to a good knowledge of medical science, received from God and the gift from God to work miracles by invoking the holy name of Jesus Christ. Thousands of poor people ran to him for healing and mercy.
After the death of his parents, he felt ripe to devote himself entirely to his philanthropic work. He distributed his great paternal wealth to the poor, so that many needy people could be relieved, find food and shelter. The fame of the philanthropic doctor Samson went beyond Rome. Even from distant parts of Italy they came to Rome to seek healing and alms from him.
But the great crowd bothered him, as well as the fame, from humiliation. He did not consider that he was doing something important, but his Christian duty, which is the duty of every Christian. He wanted to be invisible and nameless and not praised by people. That is why he decided to leave Rome and go to Constantinople to continue his charitable work there.
When he arrived at Vasilevousa he settled in a house, among its temples Saint Sofia's and Agia Irini, which he converted into a hospital, with whatever money he had left, and began to carry out his divine work. At the same time, he devoted himself to exercise, prayer and the study of the Holy Bible. During the day he practiced medicine for free and at night he devoted himself to his own spiritual struggle. He had turned his house into an unpaid clinic. His fame as Anargyros physician spread throughout Vasilevousa, and for this reason thousands of patients flocked there to find healing and to receive spiritual strength from him. He generously distributed to the poor and hungry of the city what the cured left voluntarily.
His fame also reached the rulers of Vasilevousa. THE Patriarch Month (536-552) invited Samson to meet him and praise him for his great and wonderful work. Seeing his rare gifts and his deep faith in God, he suggested that he become a priest. Samson obeyed and became a priest at the age of thirty.
His entry into the priesthood gave him even more zeal for his good fight and offering to his fellow men. Alongside his pastoral duties he continued to practice his medical ministry completely free of charge. Crowds of patients flocked to his institution to receive physical and mental healing.
At that time the emperor was Justinian (527-565), who once fell ill with an incurable disease. He asked famous doctors from all over the empire to treat him. But they did not succeed and the emperor turned to God. With tears in his eyes and fervent prayer, he begged God to heal him. One night he saw various doctors in his dream. One of them pointed out to him a humble and modest young physician, who alone could cure him. When he woke up he ordered all the doctors of Constantinople to appear before him.
But no one looked like the one he had seen in his dream, and for that he was very sorry. She started looking for him all over the city. A doctor informed him about Samson and the power to heal in the name of Christ. He ordered him to be brought before him. When he saw him, he recognized him immediately, he was exactly like the young doctor of his dreams. The holy physician prayed with all the strength of his soul, God heard his supplications and healed the sick emperor.
Justinian out of gratitude wanted to give him money. The humble and philanthropic Samson did not accept them, but advised him to build a large hospital for the treatment and relief of the poor sick. He accepted his proposal and renovated a magnificent hostel, which had been destroyed by the fire of 532 and organized a hospital in it, giving the name: "Samson the Innkeeper". The saint served for many years in this exemplary noble institution, benefiting thousands of people. This foundation has survived for 600 years providing invaluable charitable work.
He slept peacefully in old age and his holy relic was placed in his temple Saint Martyr of Moki. He was also claimed to benefit the sick, working miracles even after he fell asleep. His memory is commemorated on 27 June.
photo https://www.sansimera.gr/biographies/855,
SAN SIMERA.GR
