The man was a scoundrel, a mercenary, a gambler, an insubordinate, a vagabond, a quarreler, and a laggard. And yet the desire for something greater, which was distorted and exemplified through these failings, allowed God to transform the man to become St. Camillus de Lellis. St. Camillus was all these in his childhood and youth. From the age of 17 till 24 he fought, gambled, tried to repent, fought, and gambled again. In 1574, at age 24, he tried to repent yet a third time, seeking admission to a Franciscan monastery. He learned to work, discipline himself, and stop gambling. However, he had an open sore on his leg that plagued him for years and prevented his acceptance. So, he went to a hospital for the poor in Rome and volunteered there yet a second time after failing before. He worked there for five years, eventually becoming superintendent of the nurses.
The desire for greatness that skewed his youth through self-centeredness spurred his efforts to other-centeredness to the point of sainthood. He saw the wretchedness of the poor of Rome, their sicknesses, their addictions, and their helplessness. He sought them out and nursed them. He founded a group of men who would devote themselves to nursing the poor. But he saw they needed more. He knew that he could help their spiritual lives by becoming a priest and gathering his followers into a religious order. They served those with the plague, the dying, and the destitute. St. Camillus saw Jesus in those he served and loved.
St. Camillus de Lellis was not a particularly good person as a youth, but he persevered, through the grace of God. We pray for those who have made bad choices in their lives. We pray for their conversion. St. Camillus de Lellis, pray for them.
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