You may remember this powerful image from Easter, 2013. I still get goosebumps whenever I see it. Pope Francis stopped to embrace Dominic Gondreau, a young boy who suffers from cerebral palsy. The love and joy of each person encountering the other is palpable in this photo.
Dominic's father, Paul Gondreau, is a theology professor from Providence College in Rhode Island who, with his wife, takes care of Dominic's needs. Professor Gondreau offered the following reflection on this profound moment and how the pope's embrace of Dominic was a powerful witness to the radical nature of Christian love. (Paul Gondreau's full article can be found at: http://catholicmoraltheology.com/a-special-vocation-to-show-people-how-to-love/).
"Dominic..has already shared in Christ’s Cross more than I have throughout my entire life multiplied a thousand times over. What is the purpose in all this, I ask? Furthermore, I often tend to see my relationship with Dominic in a one-sided manner. Yes, he suffers more than me, but it’s constantly ME who must help HIM. Which is how our culture often looks upon the disabled: as weak, needy individuals who depend so much upon others, and who contribute little, if anything, to those around them.
Pope Francis’ embrace of my son yesterday turns this logic completely on its head and, in its own small yet powerful way, shows once again how the wisdom of the Cross confounds human wisdom. Why is the whole world so moved by images of this embrace?...To show people how to love. ...Dominic’s special vocation in the world is to move people to love, to show people how to love.
But how can a disabled person show us how to love in a way that only a disabled person can? ...Christ’s resurrection from the Cross proclaims that the love he offers us, the love that we, in our turn, are to show others, is the REAL reason he endured the Cross in the first place. Our stony hearts are transformed into this Christ-like love, and thereby empowered to change hatred into love, only through the Cross. And no one shares in the Cross more intimately than the disabled. And so the disabled become our models and our inspiration.
Yes, I give much to my son, Dominic. But he gives me more, WAY more. I help him stand and walk, but he shows me how to love. I feed him, but he shows me how to love. I bring him to physical therapy, but he shows me how to love. I stretch his muscles and joke around with him, but he shows me how to love. I lift him in and out of his chair, I wheel him all over the place, but he shows me how to love. I give up my time, so much time, for him, but he shows me how to love.
This lesson, to repeat, confounds the wisdom of the world... The lesson my disabled son gives stands as a powerful testament to the dignity and infinite value of every human person, especially of those the world deems the weakest and most “useless.” Through their sharing in the “folly” of the Cross, the disabled are, in truth, the most powerful and the most productive among us.
No comments:
Post a Comment