St. Helen’s Small Groups

Grow Your Faith in a Circle Week beginning Sunday, July 18th, 2021 Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Summer with the Saints: St. Camillus de Lellis

Opening Prayer: Good and gracious God, Your love sustains us in all things, and is with us in worship this day. We gather here together to worship You and to give thanks for Your constant presence in our lives. Help each of us to take time today to reach out to You, to prevent us from developing any biases and restore our connection to Your divine message. Forgive us our sins and give us a teachable spirit to guide us in all truths. We ask this is Jesus’ name, Amen.

Song: Open my Eyes – Jesse Manibusan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo6gZAUuQ3E

Weekly Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071821.cfm

Gospel: Mk 6:30-34 The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

Video: Saint Camillus de Lellis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6kQ7vyERLY

Saint Camillus de Lellis' Story

Humanly speaking, Camillus was not a likely candidate for sainthood. His mother died when he was a child, his father neglected him, and he grew up with an excessive love for gambling. At 17, he was afflicted with a disease of his leg that remained with him for life. In Rome he entered the San Giacomo Hospital for Incurables as both patient and servant but was dismissed for quarrelsomeness after nine months. He served in the Venetian army for three years. Then in the winter of 1574, when he was 24, Camillus gambled away everything he had—savings, weapons, literally down to his shirt. He accepted work at the Capuchin friary at Manfredonia, and was one day so moved by a sermon of the superior that he began a conversion that changed his life. He entered the Capuchin novitiate but was dismissed because of the apparently incurable sore on his leg. After another stint of service at San Giacomo, he came back to the Capuchins, only to be dismissed again, for the same reason.

Again, back at San Giacomo, his dedication was rewarded by his being made superintendent. Camillus devoted the rest of his life to the care of the sick. Along with Saint John of God he has been named patron of hospitals, nurses, and the sick. With the advice of his friend Saint Philip Neri, he studied for the priesthood and was ordained at the age of 34. Contrary to the advice of his friend, Camillus left San Giacomo and founded a congregation of his own. As superior, he devoted much of his own time to the care of the sick.

Charity was his first concern, but the physical aspects of the hospital also received his diligent attention. Camillus insisted on cleanliness and the technical competence of those who served the sick. The members of his community bound themselves to serve prisoners and persons infected by the plague as well as those dying in private homes. Some of his men were with troops fighting in Hungary and Croatia in 1595, forming the first recorded military field ambulance. In Naples, he and his men went onto the galleys that had plague and were not allowed to land. He discovered that there were people being buried alive, and ordered his brothers to continue the prayers for the dying 15 minutes after apparent death.

Camillus himself suffered the disease of his leg through his life. In his last illness, he left his own bed to see if other patients in the hospital needed help.

Reflection: In this Gospel, Mark refers to the Twelve as “The apostles”. Apostle comes from the Greek word for sent. The word describes someone who has been sent on a mission. Jesus sent the disciples to preach, heal, and cast out demons. Although Mark refers to the Twelve as disciples for the rest of his Gospel, in this piece of scripture he calls them apostles in order to highlight the mission they have just completed. As we listen this summer to the stories of the lives of the saints, we must remember saints are created and sent by God. All saints devote their lives to a mission they are called on by God to serve. Like the apostles, the saints are examples Jesus and the Father have given us as a way to model our behavior. There are many saints who have first had to struggle in their lives before making the choices which led them to sainthood. We should look to the saints as representation for the life we are to live. Each and every one of us was created and sent by God.

Faith Sharing Questions:

1. Jesus cares about me and invites me too, to come away and rest a while. Is there a ‘deserted place’ where you can go and allow your soul to catch up? 2. Have you had an experience of God’s action in your life? Were you able to spend time in reflection? 3. Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves.” He doesn’t say, “Go away by yourselves”. There are times you need to make the decision to turn your phone off, TV off, close your laptop, and spend time with Jesus. How do you “go off” to be alone with Jesus? 4. Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place.” A “quiet place” doesn’t necessarily mean low in volume. What/where is your quiet place? How often do you spend time there? 5. Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and “rest awhile”. God knows your limits. You cannot work all the time, even if it’s God’s work. How do you balance out work and rest? How do you balance time spent with others and time spent with God?

Closing Song: A Rightful Place – Steve Angrisano https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9cXx4Ku8uc&t=26s

Closing Prayer: (If time permits, encourage participants to share their intentions.) Heavenly Father, what a lesson we can learn from Your people who refused to recognize the Lord Jesus, who gave us the words of eternal life. Help us to listen and not allow doubt to cast the shadow of unbelief in our heart. Help us not to fall into the trap of ignoring those whom You are preparing for a great work of ministry. Fulfill now O Lord, Your Word in each member of Christ's Body and equip each one of us to carry out the work You have prepared for us to do. Keep us from devaluing the service of others, but rather may we remember to give encouragement to others and allow faith to blossom in our hearts. AMEN.

Looking ahead: Weekly Readings for July 25th, 2021 – the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/072521.cfm

Consider the following questions: 1- Do you consider yourself a servant? How are you serving God currently? 2- How easily do you share what you have with others? How can you share your intangible gifts? 3- Why do you think Jesus asks the disciples to collect the fragments of food that are left over? What might this represent? 4- What are the differences between what you want from God and what God actually provides? Do you understand why God the Father provides what he does?