Collect taken from the memorial of St. Camillus de Lellis, priest.
Collect: O God, who adorned the Priest Saint Camillus with a singular grace of charity towards the sick, pour out upon us, by his merits, a spirit of love for you, so that, serving you in our neighbor, we may, at the hour of our death, pass safely over to you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son…
“O God, who adorned the Priest Saint Camillus with a singular grace of charity towards the sick, pour out upon us, by his merits, a spirit of love for you,”
– God gives the gift of charity to St. Camillus. St. Camillus’ charity wins him a great deal of merit from God, which God then uses to pour out more love on those who invoke this dear saint. So we see that love is a gift that grows and increases always.
“so that, serving you in our neighbor, we may, at the hour of our death, pass safely over to you.”
– More than simply being kind and helpful to our neighbors, we ask to see God in them and serve God in them. Evoking Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, we recognize that following this practice is important for a favorable outcome at the last judgment.
Questions & Advice: How do you respond to sick people? Do you care only for those you already know and like, or have you begun to recognize Christ in all the sick, even those who don’t see him in themselves?
Read about the care for the sick in the Catechism (1506-10). Spend some of your daily prayer time recalling those whom you know to be sick: pray for them in a particular way. Consider paying a visit to a sick friend or family member or even going to a nursing home to visit the residents there.
 |
| Sancte Camille, ora pro nobis! |