Portuguese-born John Ciudad floundered his way to sainthood as John of God. It is encouraging to watch a sinner become a saint. Most of us sinners need that example. After moving to Spain as a youth and earning his keep as a shepherd, John signed up in 1522 with a local company of soldiers. He fought first against the French, then, in Hungary, against the Turks. Army life is not the best laboratory for holiness. While in the service, Soldier John gave up what religious practices had been his and became an immoral roisterer. Fortunately, his term of enlistment finally ran out. He returned to Spain; to shepherding; and, as it happened, to his senses. A complete change of heart inspired him to make reparation for his sinful years. But how was he to do this? John was naturally compassionate toward the suffering, and this compassion was to govern his spiritual development. First he attached himself to a family that was obliged to move into Muslim Africa. They needed his help, and he also had the hope that he might become a martyr at the hands of the Moors. Ultimately, however, his confessor told him to forget martyrdom and return to Spain. When John landed at Gibraltar, the thought occurred to him that he might help people by peddling religious books and pictures. Before long he enjoyed enough success to warrant his opening a religious book shop.
Not long afterward, however, John experienced a new spiritual crisis. While attending a powerful sermon by the great home-missionary Saint John of Avila, peddler John was so struck with his own unworthiness that he beat his breast and wailed out in church for God’s mercy. Next, he got rid of his business stock and for a while wandered about the city crying out for forgiveness, so wild in his ways that citizens stoned him as a madman and committed him to an asylum. Here John of Avila visited him and talked turkey. He told him that he had done enough of this singular penance, and should now look for some constructive way to help others. Ciudad at once calmed down.
Now John turned to the needy. First he began to peddle wood in order to earn money for the poor. Then he rented a house which he turned into a hospice for the sick poor. He had finally found his niche. Not only did his patients increase; all observers noted his skill as an organizer. The success of his hospital prompted him to set up other hospices and charitable institutions of various sorts throughout the province of Granada. The Bishop of Tuy, who called him “John of God,” urged him to establish the order of nursing brothers known today as the “Hospitallers of St. John of God” (1537). This brotherhood soon became international. They made a foundation in Rome in 1571, where they are still called the “Fate bene fratelli” because their founder always used to exhort his brethren: “Do everything well, brothers.” In the 17th century the order had 70 hospitals in South America. Their first United States hospital was inaugurated in 1941. Nor was this religious congregation simply activistic. St. John, growing constantly in spirituality, made his community’s service deeply spiritual. They were taught to see Christ in those whom they took care of. After ten years of utter dedication to his poor, John of God took fatally ill. The cause was literally overexertion in trying to save the victims of a bad flood. Try as he might thereafter, he could not conceal his growing weakness. One day Lady Osorio, a staunch benefactor, found him lying in his cell, weak and frail, with an old coat for a blanket and a basket for a pillow. She firmly ordered that he come to her home to be cared for. The saint was embarrassed by this attention, for he claimed that he was now enjoying good food, although Jesus, in his last hours, had been offered only gall to drink. At least he was able to force himself upon his knees at the moment of death. All Granada attended this nursing saint’s funeral in 1550. He was canonized in 1690. In 1886 Pope Leo XIII named him and another converted sinner and nursing founder, St. Camillus de Lellis, as joint patron saints of hospitals and the sick. Pius XI, in 1930, declared St. John patron of nurses. Today many men and women are obliged to give practical nursing care to sickly and aging members of their own families. Even though they are not professional nurses, I am sure that the generous founder of the Hospitallers would be quick to answer their prayers for his aid and encouragement --Father Robert F. McNamara
(Year C). Trust only in Jesus Christ that he may very shortly be restored to health of body and soul, and do not be downcast or dejected, because from now on you will feel happier than you have been and you will know that what I told you was true, about trusting only in Jesus Christ, with God before everything and above all the things of the world; for I do not know anything, Jesus Christ knows everything and, with his assistance, you will very soon receive the consolation of seeing your humble husband, whom I greatly respect and love (although I am such a great weight to him and all his affairs). How very many times he has rescued me from trouble, freed me from debt, and comforted me with his blessed alms—which the angels have recorded in heaven in the book of life, where he already possesses a great treasure for when you go there, good Duchess; and you will enjoy this treasure there for ever together with your humble husband, the good Duke of Sessa. May it please Our Lord Jesus Christ to bring him back to you soon and to grant you children of blessing, so that you may do as you in fact always do and thank Our Lord Jesus Christ for everything he does and gives us; if he sometimes gives us toil and trouble, this is for our own good and so that we may become worthier of more. When I am troubled I find no better antidote or consolation than considering and contemplating Jesus Christ crucified and reflecting on his most holy Passion and the troubles and toils he suffered in this life—and all for us wicked, ungrateful and unappreciative sinners. When we consider that the spotless Lamb suffered so much toil and torment without having deserved it, how can we seek or want rest and pleasure on this earth where they inflicted so many evils and sufferings on Jesus Christ who created and redeemed us? What can we hope to have?
If we think about it, good Duchess, we can see that this life is nothing but constant warfare for as long as we are living in this exile and in this vale of tears: we are ceaselessly beseiged by three mortal enemies—the world, the devil, and the flesh. The world attracts us with vices and riches, promising us long life and saying: “Now you are young, give yourself over to pleasure, and then in old age you can mend your ways.” The devil attracts us by constantly laying traps and snares for us, to make us trip and fall and thus prevent us from doing good and being charitable, and by making sure that we are taken up solely with wordly matters so that we forget God and the care we should take of our souls by keeping them pure and clothing them with good works. When we are relieved of one problem, we are immediately taken up with another, although we say that we want to change our lives as soon as the matter in hand is resolved. In this way, we keep putting off the decision to change our ways and therefore never manage to shake ourselves free of the wiles of the devil; this goes on until the hour of our death, when everything the world and the devil have promised is revealed as false. Since the Lord will judge us as he finds us, it would be wise to mend our ways in time and not be like those who keep saying, “Tomorrow,” but never actually begin.
There is also another enemy— the greatest — who behaves like the master of the house or one of the family, and tries to bring us to perdition with pretty words and ways. This is the flesh—our own body—which wants only to eat well, drink well, dress well, sleep, work little, give itself up to the pleasures of the flesh, and bask in the admiration of others. In order to overcome these three enemies, we need the presence, help and grace of Jesus Christ. We must count ourselves as nothing for the sake of the everything which is Jesus Christ, trusting only in him, confessing the truth and all our sins at the feet of our confessor, carrying out the penance we are given, and promising never to sin again—and all this for Jesus Christ alone. And if we do sin, we should make frequent confession. In this way each one of us will be able to overcome the enemies of which I have spoken. We must not trust in ourselves, because we shall fall into sin a thousand times a day, but trust only in Jesus Christ, and solely for his love and goodness we should avoid sinning; nor should we complain; nor do any evil or harm to our neighbour, but desire for him what we would want for ourselves. We should desire that all may be saved; we should love and serve only Jesus Christ for what he is and not for fear of hell; and, so far as possible, the confessor should be good and wise, and of good repute and life. And you know all this better than me, my sister in Jesus Christ. When you wish to send me some good advice, I shall accept it very willingly as coming from my sister in Jesus Christ. (Letters)
Will you let me be your servant?
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant too
We are pilgrims on the journey
We are travellers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load
I will hold the Christ light for you
In the night time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear
I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh, I'll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we've seen this journey through
Will you let me be your servant?
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant too