In short this verse reminds us that all of us are important. All of us are special. All of us are gifted and all of us have an important part to play in continuing the work of Jesus in our time. This is taken up by Paul in the second reading of today. “God has made us what we are and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds which he has already prepared for us to do”. (Eph 2:10) This is fundamental to who we are as Catholic people. In Jesus Christ, everybody is gifted with great qualities and dignity.
This is the reason why today as a Diocese we are officially launching the pastoral document entitled “I have a Story” – People with disability and their families participating fully in parish life”. People with disability are valued part of our Catholic community. They are gifted just as much as anybody else because we are all created in the image and the likeness of God. There is much that we can do, as the Body of Christ, to promote the value of people with disability. We need to identify those groups within our communities that are not participating fully; not because they don’t want to but because we are not inviting, encouraging and supporting them. I therefore encourage, especially our parish pastoral councils to be actively involved in finding the appropriate ways and means in which everybody will be included and appreciated in parish life. I also express regret on behalf of the church for any time that people with disability or their families have been made to feel unwelcome or left out of the church community
One of the modern day prophets is a French Canadian, Jean Vanier, who together with Marie-Helene Mathieu founded the Communities of Faith and Light in 1971, following a pilgrimage to Lourdes. They did this in response to the call of a couple with two children with intellectual disabilities. Often living in situations of loneliness, anxiety and distress, the pilgrims experienced deep joy and a sense of family belonging during the pilgrimage. On their return they continued to meet regularly in small communities for social interaction and prayer. Once we realize that we are not alone our lives are transformed. Today there are more than 1500 communities active around their local parishes of churches in 78 countries. Their website address is www.faithandlight.org
Jean Vanier emphasizes over and over again that very often disabled people are more in tune with the spiritual realities and therefore we can learn a lot from each other. This reminds me of a story that I came across the other day. It is the story of a little boy aged about seven or eight. He was diagnosed with cancer and therefore he was constantly under heavy medication. He could not go to school, neither could he run around kicking a football with his friends. One day his mother was sitting beside his hospital bed. When she saw her boy in that situation she started to cry. She tried to hide her tears but her child said to her, “Mum, I know that you are sad when you see me like this. I may not be able to run around and have fun like the other kids do, but I still have a heart that loves mummy”. What a lesson for all of us.
I must admit that it is a real joy for me that wherever it is possible, our children who might be suffering from some form of disability celebrate the Sacrament of Eucharist and Confirmation with the other children of the parish community. This is a tangible sign which says aloud that with God there are no favorites. We are all showed equally and abundantly by the blessings and the love of our God. It is a powerful statement which says aloud that in our church everyone is welcome. I am also aware of the great work that is being done in our schools so that children with disabilities are integrated as much as possible in the general life of the school and giving the students an understanding that everybody is capable of contributing positively for the benefit of all.
My gratitude and admiration goes to the parents and carers of our brothers and sisters who are living with some sort of disability. I have very often witnessed the courage, the perseverance and the genuine love that these people constantly share with those in their care. I am also conscious that there would be times of sadness, of loneliness and great disappointment. This ministry requires abundant hope and sturdiness of spirit. This is where our faith and our support as parishes can provide us all with the necessary vision and determination to make sure that the necessary practical, emotional and spiritual support is readily available.
My gratitude also goes to those brothers and sisters living with disability who have not given up being part of our parish and church communities. Thank you for persevering with us. Thank you for keeping us constantly aware of the basic principles of our faith, to care and to love one another as Jesus does.
We are in the time of Lent. As we prepare to celebrate Easter, one of the great feasts of our church, we are invited to reflect on our relationship with ourselves, with others and with God. This is also the reason why we are launching this document during this time. It is an opportunity for all of us to think again in being a church that respects the unique value of every person, to include all in the life of our parish communities. We become definitely richer by welcoming all. I make my own, the words of Bishop Eugene Hurley, who is the chairperson of the Bishops Committee for Family life. This launch “is not about doing the disabled a favour. It is to realize that the disabled are a gift to the parish family. We are incomplete without their participation and the challenge before us is to learn how to better invite and facilitate their participation. Then the parish life is enriched by the gifts of each other.”
Mr Tim Fisher, the past deputy Prime Minister is an active parishioner of Sacred Heart Parish Wodonga. He sent a message when this project was launched nationally in Canberra on the 8th September 2004. Tim’s son, Harrison, has autism. In his message, Mr Fisher said that Harrison had recently made his First Holy Communion and that “the parameters of comfort afforded by his belief and religious understanding have greatly helped Harrison and us to tackle the many challenges of living with a disability”.
Indeed we can all learn from each other.
God bless.
