A Soldier Surrenders tells the amazing tale of the conversion of Saint Camillus de Lellis. Inspiring and interesting, this book will not be easily forgotten by its readers. For my own experience, it was a wonderful opportunity to meet a great saint who, I must admit, I’d never heard of before.

The author did a laudable job of bringing Saint Camillus to life for the reader and his story to our hearts. The book centers on his conversion—one that I believe will inspire people in every walk of life. It was not a dramatic, lightning-from-heaven, instant conversion. It was a slow conversion, stretching across the length of years where God never gave up on the soul of an Italian mercenary soldier.

Camillus is far from sainthood in the beginning of the book. As a mercenary, he sells his services to the highest payer—who happens to be at one point, the Turkish sultan. The Moslem Turks were fighting the Catholic Italians and were enemies of pretty much all of Christendom. When Camillus joins the Sultan with his father, he was turning on Italy—and, in eyes of many, Christianity. He is soon forced to leave the Sultan’s army, but guilt haunts him for what he’s done. And the fact that he turned traitor haunts his life in many more tangible ways as well.

Camillus was a drinker, a gifted gambler who won, almost without fail, through either luck or cheating and had a temper.   That was his bane throughout the years of his conversion. All in all, Camillus de Lellis, as we first meet him, is not exactly material for a saint. A stunningly beautiful thing expressed through this tale, however, is that God uses the most surprising people, the most unlikely individuals, to do his will. The tale is a transformation of a soul—from one that has stooped to the lowest form of humanity to one that achieves the highest goal, sanctity.

Even while Camillus de Lellis is a soul with numerous vices, the reader glimpses profound saving graces in this individual. His heart has infinite room for compassion, for those he sees dying about him on the battlefield, for those he meets in the squalid streets of Italy less fortunate than himself and for the sick, who perhaps first cultivate in him the inner virtues of compassion and love that Camillus finds within himself.

Repeatedly, in this slow conversion, Camillus realizes how wrong he is, but his pride and restless spirit and temper keep turning him from complete conversion of heart. He is repentant, he confesses his sins…and then somehow the world leads him away. As his friend warns him once, he has become a slave to his vices. These words from his friend, Curzio, haunt Camillus on the battle field and as he finds himself committing and recommitting the old sins. These words are his nemesis, or rather, perhaps one of the greatest graces in his life.

Camillus must reach the end of his rope, desperation itself, before he can slowly start climbing back up toward sanctity and salvation. His pride his taken from him. He suffers from a very painful ulcer on his leg that humiliates him. His friends turn on him. His luck at gamboling seems to forsake him and he loses everything. He becomes nearly lame by the infection on his leg so he is unfit to join any army. His career as a soldier in the armies of Italy, are over. His career as a soldier for God, and a servant to the poor, especially the dying, begins.

Once his vices are stripped from him, he releases himself. He surrenders entirely to God. For the first time in his life, Camillus de Lellis truly finds joy and is finally able to uncover the potential holiness that is possible in every human heart.

One of the things I found most beautiful about this saint was his profound desire throughout his life, but especially after his conversion, to help the dying, to comfort them on their last journey. He started a religious order with the particular mission to help the poor and dying. They made the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, but also to find and care for the victims of the plague.

This book was a great read, one of the best young adult stories I’ve read in a long time. It drew me into the life of a very unique saint with vices that entirely fell short of his virtues. One thought I was particularly left with: God never gives up on a soul in this life. He never gave up on Saint Camillus; and he won’t give up on you or me either or any soul on earth. Until the day a soul leaves this world the possibility for salvation exists.

Sanctity is a struggle—a struggle Saint Camillus had to fight for over and over and over again.

And Saint Camillus de Lellis won.

Teresa Frailey

 

Editor’s Note:  Author Susan Peek read Teresa’s column and contacted our young writer directly.  Susan has published many Young Adult books and this book is her newest.  She was excited to be reviewed by our talented young writer.  Teresa…..we are PROUD!

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As a teacher with a degree in Elementary Education who has taught in big cities and small towns, Ann Frailey homeschooled all of her children. She manages her rural homestead with her kids and their numerous critters, authors books, and writes a Friday blog alternating between short stories and her My Road Goes Ever On series. Put Your Mind in a Better Place—Entertainment for Life

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