Beloved:We know that we have passed from death to lifebecause we love our brothers.Whoever does not love remains in death.Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer,and you know that anyone who is a murdererdoes not have eternal life remaining in him.The way we came to know lovewas that he laid down his life for us;so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.If someone who has worldly meanssees a brother in need and refuses him compassion,how can the love of God remain in him?Children, let us love not in word or speechbut in deed and truth.
REFLECTION
St. Camillus de Lellis did not live his whole life as a saint. Many saints did not begin their lives holy. Before Camillus was born his mother had a vision of her child wearing a red cross on his chest. He was born in Naples to his mother at 40 years of age and a father who was a soldier. His mother died in his early years as a youth. This left Camillus alone because his soldier father was always away on military missions.
In his teen years he joined his father and became a soldier, gambler, and many times penniless. Eventually, he was wounded in the leg and his leg never healed. This was a handicap but he stayed in the military until his "regiment" was dissolved.
After leaving the military, Camillus found some work at a Franciscan friary. It was in the friary that Camillus heard a "saintly friar" speak about God. He said, "God is everything. The rest is nothing. One should save one's soul which does not die." Camillus was deeply affected by this friar's words. He went down on his knees and prayed, "Lord, I have sinned. Forgive this great sinner! How unhappy I have been for so many years not to have known you and not to have loved you. Lord, give me time to weep for my sins for a long time." Camillus tried to enter the friary but they wouldn't accept him because of his wounded leg because they said it was uncurable.
Looking for help and work he went to a hospital in Rome, St. James Hospital for the Incurable. He worked there taking care of the sick and dying and they gave him treatments for his leg. It was there that he did penances and prayed. He was such an inspiration to others in the hospital that they made him the hospital's director. He sought to become a member of a lay charitable hospital association but they didn't have interest in him. It was fortunate that he met St. Philip Neri, who counseled him and became his spiritual director. St. Philip coaxed Camillus to discern the priesthood and pursue his calling to care for the sick and dying. Camillus followed St. Philip's advice and became a priest.
During his first years as a priest, he served the sick at the Holy Spirit Hospital in Rome. He met and served with the most charitable workers at Holy Spirit. They inspired him to found an order of priests who served the sick like them. Pope Sixtus V approved his new congregation and they were named "Order of Clerks Regular, Ministers of the Infirm (M.I.), Later his congregation was known as the Camillians.
St. Camillus' order wore a black cassock with a red cross on their chests.
The Camillians spread to many hospitals and towns and cared for those suffering from any type of plague and wounded soldiers. St. Cammilus ministered to the sick even while suffering with his leg. He would even drag himself to patients' bedsides.
He was gifted with prophecy and healing. He served even the most disgusting wounds because he considered them as Christ's suffering.
"Children, let us love not in word or speechbut in deed and truth." ( 1 John 3: 18)
St. Camillus lived as St. John requested. He loved in deed and truth. Let us pray to live and love others as St. Camillus did. Let us pray for all priests to " love not in word or speech but in deed and truth." Please pray our PAPA Prayer for Priests.
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