Memorial of Saint Camillus de Lellis, Priest

“I desire mercy.” One aspect of Jesus’ ministry that certainly drew people to him was the fact that he healed so many people. The blind, the lame, the deaf, lepers, and those possessed by demons came to him and found in him a relief of their infirmities. This was a clear sign that the Kingdom of God, which Jesus announced, was truly present among them. These healings were not a display of power, but rather a sign to Jesus’ followers of what his hopes were for them. They, too, were to be healers, men and women who were to be known for their love for one another and anyone in need.

Today, we celebrate the feast of Camillus de Lellis, a man who lived a rather tumultuous youth, which ultimately led to a time spent in a hospital. He was moved by the ministrations of the Capuchin priests who showed love and care for the sick. It was a conversion experience for him. His devotion to the sick led him to establish a religious congregation of men dedicated to caring for the sick. They were to see in every patient the suffering body of Christ.

Throughout the history of the Catholic Church in the US, women and men religious were at the forefront of the establishment of hospitals, hospices, and clinics in major cities rampant with squalor and disease, in mining camps, in Native American reservations, and in cities where people of color were not cared for. They ministered in field hospitals in the war, caring for the wounded and dying. They established orphanages, foundling homes, and homes for older adults who had nowhere to go. They were the visible face of a loving God who cared and loved them. “Whatsoever you do to the least of my sisters and brothers, that you do unto me.”

Let Us Pray:

God of heaven and earth, your will is that all would be well. Jesus manifested that in his life and ministry as he brought the suffering to wholeness. He called his followers, this is us today, to reach out in loving kindness and justice to all who are in need, those who are hungry, thirsty, lonely, unhoused, demonized, ostracized, alone, and sad. Give us through the Eucharist, the bread with which you feed us, an abundance of your grace to be YOU in our little corner of the world. Amen.