The Sermon on the Mount stands at the heart of the Gospel message—addressed entirely to the humble, the poor, the weak, and the vulnerable: the small ones, the insignificant in the eyes of this world, those forever set aside. It is a message of hope, of love, of healing. People with disabilities, in fact, through their simple existence, proclaim Jesus and the Gospel message. Jesus calls his disciples to become servants and friends, not masters; if they are his friends, they must also become friends of the weak and the poor. He calls them to become "like children": trusting, open, full of wonder and gratitude.
It is easy to see how the rejection, torment, and condemnation that Jesus endured in his public ministry find their echo in the experience of those with intellectual disabilities. Yet we must not forget the mystery of Mary, his mother. She stood beside Jesus, believed in him, and offered herself in sacrifice with him. She is our model of compassion, teaching us to remain at the side of others until the end, living and dwelling with them throughout our lives, whatever their mental or physical struggles, so that we might share their anguish and their poverty. It is a very simple thing: nothing grand, nothing brilliant or important, but only learning to love one another, to become friends with those near us, to live in communion within our community.
Our pilgrimages to shrines dedicated to Mary were for us a way of honoring Mary's ministry, but also an opportunity to find joy and to experience an adventure. Journeys and celebrations matter greatly—they lift our spirits, open our hearts and minds to other realities, break us free from the routine of daily life. And the idea of pilgrimage, of walking together toward a shrine, appears throughout most religions.
One of the most significant we undertook: the Faith and Light pilgrimage to Lourdes in 1971. It was phenomenal! A hundred times better than we had imagined! Though we expected something unique, it turned out far greater than we had thought. Once again, one can do what seems right, but must watch where the Holy Spirit will lead. The Faith and Light movement was created because countless parents of young people with intellectual disabilities had no support: they were lost, did not know what to do, whom to turn to.
Marie-Hélène Mathieu and I conceived the idea of organizing, on an international scale, a pilgrimage to Lourdes specifically for people with disabilities and for their families and friends.
In 1971, at Easter, twelve thousand pilgrims from fifteen different countries arrived in Lourdes!
We lived through four intense days, filled with personal encounters and community celebrations. We sang, we prayed, we met and spoke together. Everything was organized with the most fragile and vulnerable in mind, so that they not only participated in the feast but stood at its center. For once, they were the guests of honor, the privileged ones, welcomed in a way that honored them. […]
For many parents, Faith and Light became a source of hope: they were no longer alone; their young people had found friends, and their families had found community. […]
I pray that the Ark and Faith and Light will always take Jesus as their model—Jesus, a man of compassion, of goodness, of presence, who leads us toward communion with the Father and with one another. […] This means that each person discovers wisdom and truth, illuminated by dialogue and tenderness. […] Yes, let us take Jesus as our model of compassion, he who always placed the person above the law and institutions, yet also proclaimed the truth.
Jean Vanier, from Our Life Together (San Paolo Publishers)