Our saint for today, Camillus de Lellis, was an outstanding example of love and compassion that led to service to the sick. He certainly put the spirit of the readings selected for his feast to use: professing to love others as Christians means being willing to help them in all their needs, especially when they are weak and infirm; and following the Lord's command of loving service – to the point of exhaustion and even death.
It is all rooted in love! Love is the fabric that we are all cut from; love is the one thing we all have in common; loving service and compassionate caring is a sure way to energize and activate all that love is meant to be: true encouragement and helpfulness in the temporal order as we make our transition into a purely spiritual order!
St. Camillus was born in Abruzzi, Italy in 1550. He first entered a military profession, but upon his conversion to the Catholic faith he devoted himself to the care of the sick. He then completed studies for the ordination to the priesthood and founded a society which established hospitals and cared for the sick. He died in Rome in 1614.
A companion wrote of him: "Holy charity…was Camillus' most characteristic trait. I can attest that he was on fire with this holy virtue – not only toward God, but also toward his fellowmen, and especially toward the sick. When he was taking care of his patients, he seemed to spend and exhaust himself completely, so great was his devotion and compassion. He would have loved to take upon himself all their illness, their every affliction, could he but ease their pain and relieve their weakness.
In the sick he saw the person of Christ. His imagination was so vivid that, while feeding them, he perceived his patients as other Christs. He would even beg of them the gift of forgiveness of his sins. His reverence in their presence was as great as if he were really and truly in the presence of his Lord. In his conversations he talked of nothing more often or with greater feeling than of holy charity. He would have liked to plant this virtue in every human heart."
As we celebrate the life and work of St. Camillus de Lellis today, let us support the weak; let us always strive to do good for all – for this is God's will for us in Christ Jesus. Let us welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, for the glory of God!
Amen!
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