Sharing from Saturday's homily at Fr Ciccone's tombstone unveiling
Today's Gospel passage (Matthew 9:35 - 10:1) seems to have been chosen by God because it is a picture of the one we are remembering today. It says: "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (9:36)
I wonder if those going with Jesus saw the crowds in the same way because this is not a matter of the eyes but a matter of the heart.
At a time when people with disabilities were seen as a burden, Fr Ciccone saw Jesus in them but also saw them as sheep without a shepherd. That is what triggered his service of love.
I would even say that Fr Ciccone was a kind of a pioneer about something we are talking about now: our synodal journey. For the last couple of years we have been asking ourselves: who do we journey with? Who are we leaving behind? Fr Ciccone reminded us that, as Christians (no matter which denomination we belong to), we cannot leave people with disabilities behind.
At his funeral I shared something he had told me. He said: "I have been able to do so much for them but I never managed to change the way people look at them". I cannot but wonder if our hearts are indeed changing...
In today's gospel passage Jesus then says: "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
I find it powerful that immediately after that he calls the twelve and sends them.
There is a risk in all of us to stop at praying thinking that the prayer would apply to somebody else. We might pray for peace but never be instruments of God's peace ourselves!
At a meeting I had with Fr Ciccone, I promised him that the diocese would continue what he had started. We have done though it has not been easy...
It has not been easy because the financial resources Fr Ciccone had are no longer coming to the project. The diocese had to find alternative sources of funding.
The other challenge has been that, for some or many, "the Church will see" and when they talk about "the Church" they mean... "the bishop" as we the Church is not all of us.
There were times when the national media spoke a possible closing of the place. It never happened and for this we need to deeply thank God.
The future of this project is in the three elements presented by today's Gospel passage: seeing them with the heart of Jesus, praying for workers and committing ourselves to make it possible.
