If you ever have the opportunity to sit in on an open, public Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, you might hear some of those attending say that they are “grateful and recovering alcoholics.” How in the world could somebody be thankful for the disease of alcoholism? Would someone express gratitude for having cancer? This may seem quite unusual. So I thought I would write about the possibility of being thankful for disability.
I have selected this topic today for two reasons. Thanksgiving is on my mind because this is the month of November with Thanksgiving being just a couple weeks away and my wife has the house spruced up with the usual seasonal decorations. But the idea of disability is on my mind because earlier this month I attended a conference for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD). This organization is a partnership for those Catholics ministering to those in our community who have disabilities: physical disabilities such as visual or hearing limitations, intellectual and developmental disabilities such as Autism or Down syndrome, and mental illness such as depression or alcoholism. There were representatives from 71 dioceses across the country. I am proud to say that the Knights of Columbus are among the supporters of this organization. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston was the host and Cardinal DiNardo is on the board of directors. He also celebrated Mass for the group and gave an excellent speech at the banquet.
One of the main concerns of NCPD is to make sure that people with disabilities are included in all aspects of Church and community life. Have you ever thought of a priest who might be hearing impaired? Well on Saturday morning of the conference a priest with a hearing impairment from Detroit celebrated Mass for us in sign language. Imagine him pushing through the barriers of his education and priestly formation in seminary on the way to his ordination. What a wonderful gift he is to our community. Imagine a child with Down syndrome who might want to receive the preparation for Confession and First Communion. What if this child grows up to become a young adult who wants to be a Eucharistic minister? I can say with joy that this is happening in our own Archdiocese. Consider how many Catholics may be home-bound because of severe anxiety and missing out on Mass with the community. I know that this happens every Sunday, right here in our own Archdiocese.
While these disabilities or conditions may present a great challenge both to the individual and the community, these disabilities do not mean that the person must be excluded. In fact, if the person with disability is not included then we have a gap in the fabric of our community, like a puzzle with one missing piece. We are made better as a Church and community by reaching out in love to those with disability. It is not unusual for a person with a disability to have a deep spiritual connection to God. Actually, we all have our own disabilities or conditions to deal with. It may be precisely because of our challenges and suffering that we may feel united to the suffering of Christ. This allows for the potential of a person with disability to be thankful for it. So today I give thanks for my own personal disabilities and for those brothers and sisters in the community around me who have disabilities or conditions. We are one body.