Come to me, all you who labor and are
burdened, and I will give you rest. We look at the different contexts in which
believers can hear these words. I often pray these words in the anointing of
the sick, in which the person receiving the sacrament is facing an illness or
surgery or is at the end of his life. Or, conversely, instead of the person
needing physical healing, I pray these words for someone who needs spiritual or
emotional or psychological healing.
The saint we celebrate today – St
Camillus de Lellis – is well-known for the order of the Ministers of the Sick
that he founded, which is now known as the Order of St. Camillus. The ministry of this international religious
community of men, both brothers and priests, is to care for the sick and the
dying, to comfort the marginalized and the poor. St Camillus is also the patron saint of nurses. As a child and as a youth, Camillus seemed
destined for trouble. He got into fights
all the time, he developed a bad gambling habit, and he skipped school a
lot. However, God gave him opportunities
to serve. While serving in the military
as a soldier, Camillus developed a leg infection that caused him much pain and
suffering. In debt and with nowhere to
go, he worked at a hospital in Rome where he served the sick. He was ordained a priest, and decided to
found a religious order that would serve those in Rome who suffered from the
plague and other epidemics. Camillus
died in 1614 and was canonized by Pope Benedict XIV in 1746. Camillus’ motto for his order was this: “We
want to assist the sick with the same love that a mother has for her only sick
child.”
In the midst of his weaknesses and
brokenness, Camillus found a way to bring comfort and healing to so many of the
sick he encountered. May his prayers
help us in our own weaknesses. May his
intercessions help us bring healing to others.
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