We each experience times of both great joys and great sufferings in our lives — times when our journey calls for a hard stop and a redirection. A redirection from self to deep concern for others. Saint Camillus is a relatable example of this reality.
So writes Cynthia DeLeon Thelen, MSN, BSN, RN, pictured, who is a Past President of the Diocese of Lansing Council of Catholic Nurses, upon the Feast of Saint Camillus de Lellis (1550 – 1614), an Italian priest who founded the Camillians, a religious order dedicated to the care of the sick. Saint Camillus is patron of nurses. Cynthia continues:
Saint Camillus was no stranger to great suffering. His life was redirected and transformed from that of a neglected boy, soldier, and gambler to the founder of the Camillians, a religious order whose charism is the compassionate care of the sick and suffering.
Saint Camillus inspires each of us to embrace a sense of responsibility in helping others. I am only one of millions of Catholic nurses worldwide. Catholic nurses most often intersect with lives at times of suffering. We draw strength from the saints who have walked the same journey before us. We understand what Saint Camillus’s words mean when put into action: “more heart into those hands.”
We carry within us the unseen Red Cross of healing in every patient we encounter. The depths of our own sufferings are eased and lightened as we help heal those in our care. This happens because we see Christ in every patient.
We have each been given gifts from God. Let us then give thanks to the Lord as we redirect those gifts toward someone other than ourselves. Others are ready to receive what we each have to offer, however small and seemingly insignificant. When our shared gifts are illuminated outward, they help others move from circumstances of suffering into greater joy and peace.
Saint Camillus, pray for us!
