Final part of the homily remembering Fr Angelo Ciccone OSM
I would like to tell you a story.
“Once upon a time, an explorer (one of those people who travel looking for places and things no one has seen before) discovered an amazing place. It was like paradise. It was by the sea but there were beautiful mountains around. The weather was perfect. The soil produced all types of fruits and vegetables. A place like no other in the whole world.
He was not selfish so he went back to his village to tell his people about it. They were delighted and grateful that he shared that with them. He draw a map for them to go. People made copies for each family to have it.
He then went to other villages and did the same. They all reacted in the same way: they were grateful and made copies of the map.
The interesting thing of the story was that, as he left, they all kept talking about it, the kept on meeting weekly to share about it but ... no one ever went to the place”.
He was not selfish so he went back to his village to tell his people about it. They were delighted and grateful that he shared that with them. He draw a map for them to go. People made copies for each family to have it.
He then went to other villages and did the same. They all reacted in the same way: they were grateful and made copies of the map.
The interesting thing of the story was that, as he left, they all kept talking about it, the kept on meeting weekly to share about it but ... no one ever went to the place”.
This story might – or might not – symbolise Fr Ciccone’s life. He spent his life serving people with disabilities and called us to do the same ourselves.
As we say that we come together today to honour his memory, I wondered: how would Fr Ciccone would have wanted his memory to be honoured?
I am grateful to the one who donated the tombstone. It is a beautiful and a loving thing to do.
It is also beautiful today to celebrate Mass and to have tributes to his memory. Everyone will be happy when the time for the meal arrives!!!
At the same time, I fear a situation where we will have a nice tombstone but no project at St Joseph because we will not fulfill today’s Gospel passage. We will preach, we will pray but we won’t commit ourselves to take the mission Jesus entrusted us with.
The tombstone will remain in the future with our without our care. This project won’t survive without people committing their time, their energies, their talent, their money...
Mary, the mother of Jesus Fr Ciccone loved so much said at Cana: “do whatever Jesus tells you”. She never said: “preach... learn... repeat...”. She said: “do”.
It is also beautiful today to celebrate Mass and to have tributes to his memory. Everyone will be happy when the time for the meal arrives!!!
At the same time, I fear a situation where we will have a nice tombstone but no project at St Joseph because we will not fulfill today’s Gospel passage. We will preach, we will pray but we won’t commit ourselves to take the mission Jesus entrusted us with.
The tombstone will remain in the future with our without our care. This project won’t survive without people committing their time, their energies, their talent, their money...
Mary, the mother of Jesus Fr Ciccone loved so much said at Cana: “do whatever Jesus tells you”. She never said: “preach... learn... repeat...”. She said: “do”.
At the end of the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus says: "go and do the same yourself".
It is our doing that shows what we believe. The answer is in our hands and feet.
Photoalbum (Flicker)
