Saint Kosmas, a Bulgarian of noble descent, was born by divine revelation. Desiring a monastic way of life, he secretly withdrew to the Holy Mount Athos. By prayer to God, he was blessed to cross the sea and reached the Zograf Monastery, where he was accepted by the brotherhood. Having been granted an angelic appearance, he became an ecclesiarch and was ordained as a deacon and presbyter.
On the feast of the Annunciation, he saw the Most Holy Theotokos in the church, which became a sign of the care of the Heavenly Sovereign. In the wilderness, he received the gift of foresight and discernment, saving souls from deadly poison by discovering a hidden gourd with wine, into which a snake had crawled.
Saint Kosmas also witnessed the struggle of the soul of the hegumen of Hilandar against demons and predicted his death. He assisted the brotherhood, observing the elder's commandments, and was a witness to miracles, such as a desert eagle delivering fish, which then returned part of the fish to its owner.
In the last days of his life, he suffered from attacks by Satan but remained in prayer and expectation of the crown of the Kingdom of Heaven. He died on September 22, 1323, peacefully surrendering his spirit to the Lord. At the burial of his holy remains, a multitude of fathers and brothers gathered, and beasts and birds, as if understanding the loss, surrounded his grave. The relics of the saint were not found after the forty-day commemoration, and this remains a mystery known only to God.
