Today in the book In Caelo et in Terra, we read about a man named Camillus who was a six foot six soldier who loved to drink and gamble. His rough ways got him in trouble all of his life, and he was finally sent to work on a farm away from others who he might corrupt.
On that farm, which was near a Capuchin monastery, he met a priest who said something to him which turned his life around. We don't know what words he used, but he didn't give up on Camillus even though he seemed a lost cause.
Camillus then became a priest and worked with the sick, ministering to those with the plague and treating them "like a mother with their only child." You can read more about him here.
When you meet the rough and tumble Camilluses in your life, are you tempted to give up on them? I know I am. But let's ask God to give us patience and kindness even for those who are especially rough around the edges.
God, thanks for the example of this priest, who changed the life of a young man into a saint. St Camillus de Lellis, pray for us.
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