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July 1, 2009
Faith & Sharing Retreat
The Laughter of Being
“What can I do for you?” These are the words of Jesus to Bartimaeus the blind beggar from the Gospel of Mark and the theme of this year’s Faith and Sharing retreat. The passage is particularly poignant in such a setting, for like the crowd surrounding Bartimaeus, our culture, whether consciously or unconsciously, often silences the voices of the disabled. Indeed in a society which harbors an unhealthy emphasis on competition, economic and academic success, and a general sense of utilitarian usefulness, their voices are often simply drowned out. However, Jesus will always hear the voice of the poor, that single distinct voice which emanates from the faceless crowd: “Lord Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:38). From this cry, a sign is born, the illusions of all our cultural excesses fall to the way side, and the light of the gift of being shines forth. It is this awareness of “I am” and “we are” that illumines our true selves. This is one of the many great teachings that the intellectually disabled have to share with us, if we only open our minds and hearts.
Ultimately, this is what Faith and Sharing is all about—a kind of breaking through or illuminating. It is a breaking through the barriers, coping mechanism, and the false self, a breaking through the illusions that we put between ourselves and God. So, an allowance for vulnerability was somewhat of a prerequisite, and, if we found ourselves a bit resistant, a core-member was always there to bring us back to that earthly goodness which cultivates open sharing.
For these seeds to take root, we needed a few good leaders, or animators, to use their own words. Fr. Ron and Sister Maureen were there to guide us and always bring us back to the challenge of the Gospel’s message. I must say, Fr. Ron certainly lived up to the definition of animator. He led us in song and prayer, guided us on the beautiful trails of Marywood, or randomly appeared in black sunglasses and cowboy hat while loudly playing “When the Saints come Marching in” on his saxophone.
Indeed, one of the inevitable outcomes of a day of Faith and Sharing is laughter—the freedom to be silly. I and fellow assistant Mjid often spent the evenings laughing ourselves into tears while lying in our bunk beds. Also, one of the retreatants, David, shared that one of the greatest gifts God gave him was the ability to laugh.
Why not? Surely joy and fun are characteristics of the Kingdom of God! It was Jesus himself who said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt.18:3). The freedom of the smile can be seen as an outward sign of the inner-Grace which points to that transcendent smile which animates our being—God.
So, with a deep sense of gratitude which sings straight from the heart, I would like to thank all those who shared their joys and sorrows, their smiles and their laughter and, most all of all, those who shared their very being.
Chad is an assistant at Sunflower House. He attended Faith & Sharing with Paul, Larry, Chip and other community members.
Faith & Sharing, founded by Jean Vanier, is a sister movement to Faith and Light and L’Arche. Faith & Sharing are retreats and prayer days for persons with all disabilities and their friends and family members. The first Faith & Sharing retreat in this diocese was offered in 1982 and formed the roots of our current L’Arche Harbor House community.