Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Saints: Saint Camillus de Lellis, Priest (1550-1614); Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, "Lily of the Mohawks", "Genevieve of France" (1656-1680)

Readings of the Day

Rule of Saint Benedict: Ch 35:12-18 Kitchen Servers of the Week

Mass: Is 26:7-9, 12, 16-19; Resp Ps 102; Mt 11:28-30

From heaven the Lord looks down on the earth.

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

PRAY FOR US.

Your name and your title, O Lord, are the desire of our souls.

(Is 26:8)

We have two great saints to commemorate today, one whose name rolls off the tongue ...Camillus de Lellis. I just may end up repeating it throughout the day. In fact, I started last night ... Camillus de Lellis. He's a powerful intercessor and can help us to grow in the virtue of charity. In poor health himself, Camillus devoted his to life to care of the sick, and eventually founded the Servants of the Sick (later known as Camillians). Camillus de Lellis did so by taking Jesus' words from today's Gospel to heart: Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest (Mt 11:28). Camillus longed to take other's labors and burdens upon himself, attested to by one of his companions:

Let me begin with holy charity. It is the root of all the virtues and Camillus' most characteristic trait. I can attest that he was on fire with this holy virtue-not only toward God, but also toward his fellowmen, and especially toward the sick. The mere sight of the sick was enough to soften and melt his heart and make him utterly forget all the pleasures, enticements and interests of this world. When he was taking care of his patients, he seemed to spend and exhaust himself completely, so great was his devotion and compassion. He would have loved to take upon himself their illness, their every affliction, could he but ease their pain and relieve their weakness.

(From the life of Saint Camillus, by his companion, in Office of Readings, July14)

Our other saint of the day is Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. Words from the Prophet Isaiah in our first reading of the day were likely in the heart of Kateri: "My soul yearns for you in the night, yes, my spirit keeps vigil for you" (Is 26:9). Pope Benedict XVI canonized Kateri not so long ago, on October 21, 2012. The Holy Father had this to say in his homily:

Kateri impresses us by the action of grace in her life in spite of the absence of external help and by the courage of her vocation, so unusual in her culture. In her, faith and culture enrich each other! May her example help us to live where we are, loving Jesus without denying who we are. Saint Kateri, Protectress of Canada and the first native American saint, we entrust to you the renewal of the faith in the first nations and in all of North America! May God bless the first nations!

We can certainly use the help of both of these great saints. We turn to them and say, 

SAINT KATERI TEKAKWITHA,

SAINT CAMILLUS DE LELLIS,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: The Lord looked down from His holy height on this little beauty of a crocosmia, also known as montbretia. This was the first of several photos I took yesterday morning. This one is a favorite; I've been waiting for them. Stay tuned for more from our garden of delights.

© Gertrude Feick 2022