18 July 2023 - St Camillus - Tuesday of the 15th week of Ordinary Time - Exodus 2:1-15a

       The saint we celebrate today of  St Camillus of Lellis; he 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, the dying, the marginalized,  and the poor.  St Camillus is also the patron saint of nurses.  Camillus was born in the kingdom of Naples in 1550.  As a youth, St 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.  Indebted and nowhere to go, he worked in 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 from 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.”

     These past few weeks in our first readings during our daily masses,  we have been hearing the story of the people of Israel from the books of Genesis and Exodos: of their patriarch Abraham, of Abraham’s son Isaac, of Joseph and the relocation to Egypt, and now today we hear the beginning of the story of Moses.  

        One thing that struck me today was the remark that Moses was from a family of Levites. The Levites are one of the tribes of Israel. Later, in the history of the people of Israel, the Levites will become the priestly caste with particular religious and political duties. In Egypt, the Levites were the only Tribe committed to God. They would be the ones defending the Law of Moses against the worship of the Golden Calf in the desert. After the Temple is built in Jerusalem, the Levites led the singing of the psalms in the Temple service, they were responsible for the construction and maintenance of the Temple, and they served as Temple guards.        

       As I reflected upon the Levites and upon St Camillus, I thought of the ways we can be called to specific tasks or specific vocations from God.  It is important for us to discern God’s will for us in our lives.  May the Lord lead us and guide us on our journey of faith.