As we celebrate forty years of Faith and Light in Italy, we give thanks for the gift of life, the gift of friendship and brotherhood, the gift of faith and unity. We celebrate unity gathered around our brothers and sisters with intellectual disabilities, around their families and friends. But we are also celebrating unity among our different Christian churches. In other words, we are celebrating ecumenism—the path that leads us toward full communion with all who follow and believe in Jesus.
Many Faith and Light communities already live the ecumenical spirit in diverse ways. They feel the unity that Jesus desires (Jn. 17:20-23). Through them, the precious gift of unity reaches the world, and they help build the perfect communion among all believers—a communion that reflects the communion between the Father and Jesus (1 Jn. 1:3-4) through the Holy Spirit.
Jean Vanier tells us that "all Faith and Light communities are called to be ecumenical—that is, all must desire and work for the unity of all Christians. Division is a scandal and brings pain to people with disabilities. There is only one Father of all, one Savior of all, one Spirit living in all, one baptism, one Word of God alone, source of life for all. Some communities belong to a particular church tradition, others are interdenominational, but all belong to the one family of Faith and Light, which offers a spirituality in which we are truly open to the gift that the Spirit gives us through our neighbor" (A Spirituality of Incarnation, in Understanding the Spirituality of Faith and Light).
Saint Paul calls us in his letter to the Ephesians to live our calling with all humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another in love and eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:2-6). This is his plea for us to keep seeking the unity of all Christians. Let us persevere in working with ever greater commitment to form one body and one spirit, as we are called to one hope. May we finally be united in the same Lord, in one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Jesus tells us, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt. 5:43-48). With these words, Jesus invites us to be like God the Father, who loves without limit, without distinction or difference, who loves beyond every wall and border and "causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." This means that perfect love consists in loving all people—not only those who love us back, not only those who greet us, but in breaking down and transcending all barriers, even loving our enemies. When we love this way, we help create the civilization of love that we so deeply long for, the goal of all our efforts. This love will lead us at last to live in a world more united, more solidary, more fraternal.
With the love that marks the disciples of Jesus, let us persevere in working for unity by starting with what unites us. Pope Francis tells us: "How many things unite us! And if we truly believe in the free and generous action of the Spirit, how much we can learn from one another! It is not merely a matter of receiving information about others to know them better, but of welcoming what the Spirit has sown in them as a gift for us as well" (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, No. 246).
Let us continue to celebrate these forty years of Faith and Light in Italy with great enthusiasm and joy, and let us share with the world that gladness which comes from "our Lord, the Father of all compassion, the God from whom comes every consolation" (2 Cor. 1:3). We proclaim to the world the exultation we experience in bearing witness to unity among members of Faith and Light from different Christian churches. Finally, we announce that joy which no one can take from us, because we share in the fullness of the joy of Jesus (Jn. 17:13), who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Fr. Isaac Martinez, M.S.A. International Chaplain
(translation by M.M. Gremminger)
Understanding Faith and Light: Seeds of Unity
Born in the Catholic Church, this movement brings together Christians of different traditions in many countries—and welcomes all who wish to join the journey. These ecumenical communities bear witness that the weak and disabled person can become a seed of unity not only in society and in the Church, but also among the Churches.
