... I was sick and you looked
after me ... Matthew 25:36c
"St Camillus de
Lellis never celebrated Holy Mass without first going to
Confession, because he wanted at least "to dust off" his soul.
Once at sundown in a public square in Livorno, before taking leave of a priest
of the same religious order, foreseeing that he would not have a priest to
confess to on the following morning before his Mass, the Saint paused, took off
his hat, made the sign of the Cross and went to Confession right there in the
square to his confrere."
From Jesus
Our Eucharistic Love (pg 32)
by Fr Stefano M Manelli, FFI
by Fr Stefano M Manelli, FFI
St
Camillus de Lellis
Italy
~ 1550-1614
Encouraged
to priesthood by St Phillip Neri
Founder
of Order: Fathers of Good Death
Patron
of hospitals, nurses and the sick
FEAST DAY - July
18
The
Camellians took the vow to "devote themselves to material and spiritual care
of the sick and needy". St. Camillus honored the poor and sick as living
images of Christ. His reverence in their presence was as great as if he were
really and truly in the presence of his Lord.
“The
poor and the sick are the heart of God. In serving
them,
we
serve Jesus the Christ. ...We want to assist the
sick
with
the same love that a mother has for her only sick
child."
- Saint
Camillus de Lellis
The
figure on this crucifix, which is venerated in the Church Mary
Magdalene Rome , is the one
which in 1582 detached its arm and comforted St.Camillus de Lellis with these
words "Take Courage, faint-hearted one. Continue the work you have begun. I
will be with you because it is my work." Camillus was very discouraged at
the time because of opposition to his health care reforms. Our Lord's words were
instrumental in the Saint pushing ahead and founding the Order of the Ministers
of the Sick.
St
Camillus, pray for us!
No comments:
Post a Comment