Dear friends, I'd like to share with the younger readers of Ombre e Luci a reflection on our beautiful community—something I've been thinking about since I remembered an unusually creative homily I heard a few years ago at a church in the Eur district. During my cousin's First Communion Mass, a young South American priest (whose name I never learned) compared the Holy Eucharist to the glowing disc that keeps Iron Man alive. The church fell silent. It was a startling moment. With that original metaphor, he captured everyone's attention: the children were fascinated by a message "made for them, in their language," and the adults were probably more shocked than interested. I remember him saying something like: "Dear children, we are here today to celebrate something wonderful. Not just the party you'll have later with your families, but the celebration you'll have for your entire lives with our Lord Jesus Christ. Today, after two years of preparation, you will receive the Sacrament of Communion for the first time. It's an important moment, one you'll remember always. Have you noticed? The host has a shape you know very well. Doesn't it remind you of the glowing disc flashing on Iron Man's chest? Starting today, you too will receive this precious disc, and it will become part of you. Just as Iron Man stays alive because of the batteries he must change regularly, from now on you must remember to come to Mass every Sunday to receive Communion and recharge your own "batteries.""
I want to thank that unknown priest for the powerful image he gave us—one I'd like to borrow now for our wonderful Fede e Luce community. Unlike his fellow superheroes, Iron Man doesn't hide his true identity. He doesn't need a bat-cave like Batman, or a telephone booth to change in like Superman. Iron Man is proud to be a superhero. He's proud to use the equipment he's built himself to serve his community, doing work that brings joy to both adults and children.
Each of us, at heart, is a superhero with a gift to offer others. Some of us have super-smiles. Others have super-patience, or super-strength. Some have the gift of super-listening. There are super-mischief-makers, super-faithful souls, super-tender hearts, and so on. But there's one thing we all share: we're each a bit like Iron Man. We all carry a glowing disc in the center of our chest—it gives us the strength to move forward. It's powered by faith, which guides and protects us, and by light, which illuminates our path and signals our presence to the people we meet along the way. It's no accident that our beautiful community takes its name from two such elements—one abstract, one concrete—rather than from the life of some saint.
When I searched Google Images for Iron Man, I made a pleasant discovery: "Ironman" (one word) is also the name of a particularly grueling version of the triathlon. It consists of a 42-kilometer run, a 180-kilometer bike ride, and nearly a 4-kilometer swim.
As I looked deeper into this sport, I found some photos of an athlete pedaling on a bicycle with a young man seated on a special seat attached to the handlebars in front of him. There were also images of the same man dressed as a marathoner, pushing a wheelchair. And others showing him swimming while towing a small boat carrying that same young man.
They were Dick and Rick Hoyt, an American father and son, bound together by a fierce love of sport.
Rick is now 53 years old. Unfortunately, at birth, his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, causing cerebral asphyxiation and permanent brain damage. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. At age 11, he was given an expensive interactive computer that allowed him to communicate through head movements. The first sentence he spoke with this device was telling: "Go Bruins!"—a reference to Boston's NHL hockey team. This revealed to his family his intense passion for sports, but more importantly, it made clear that Rick was intelligent. After completing his education and earning a degree in special education from Boston University at age 31, he began working in a research lab at Boston College, where he helped develop systems to help disabled people with communication and other tasks.
The reason photos of Dick and Rick come up when you search "Ironman" is this: they are members of the legendary Team Hoyt, which has competed in 1,108 sporting events (as of April 23, 2014). Their website, www.teamhoyt.com, details the values and experiences of this team, along with data from the competitions they've entered—including seven Ironmans. I calculated that from 1977 to now, they've covered more than 20,000 kilometers in official races. They've come a long way!
I encourage you to visit their website and watch some of their videos on YouTube. The images are deeply moving and inspiring for everyone—athletes and non-athletes alike.
