The feast of Our Lady health of the sick was celebrated at Maddalena in Rome on November 16, 2023. The Eucharistic celebration that began at 7.00 p.m. was presided over by His Excellency Mons. Baldassare Reina, vicegerent of the diocese of Rome, and was concelebrated by camillian religious in the community of Maddalena.

During his homily, Mons. Baldassar highlighted the theme of encountering God in suffering. Referring particularly to the first reading from the book of prophet Isaiah, he pointed out that we often do not encounter God in healing, but in suffering. The suffering servant of Isaiah prefigures Jesus whose suffering and death brought us salvation. He said that this is fundamental to Christian faith. “Often, we think of faith as something magical, something that always brings healing to us. But Christian faith focuses on another aspect… Our faith is a journey in which we are invited to seek God in suffering”, he underlined. Thus, “the Cross of Christ becomes the centre of our faith. Jesus took upon himself the passion and death to make us understand that our suffering are occasions to encounter mysteriously the Father. Even Jesus prayed, just like each of us, that ‘this chalice’ be taken away, but he submitted himself to the will of the Father.” Mons. Baldassare stressed that this was also experienced and taught by St. Camillus who always sought to encounter Christ the Crucified in his own suffering and in the sufferings of others. This is the foundation of Camillian ministry to the sick and suffering.