Priest. Hermit. Aspie.
“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes— and ships— and sealing-wax—
Of cabbages— and kings—
And why the sea is boiling hot—
And whether pigs have wings.”
From “The Walrus and the Carpenter” by Lewis Carroll
With all due respect to the songs of one Mr. J. W. O. Lennon, MBE, I shall be the Walrus this time as I begin to speak once again of many things! Continue reading “Walrus, Interrupted”
Look down from heaven and regard us
from your holy and glorious palace!
Where is your zealous care and your might,
your surge of pity?
Your mercy hold not back!
For you are our father.
Were Abraham not to know us,
nor Israel to acknowledge us,
You, Lord, are our father,
our redeemer you are named from of old.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you!
Isaiah 63:15-16; 19
In a recent survey, nearly a thousand Protestant pastors were asked if people with disabilities would feel welcome in their churches. About 98 percent responded yes, of course they would feel welcome. How could anyone dare to hint otherwise? I know of no similar survey done of Catholic pastors, but I have every reason to believe that the result would be the same. Moreover, nearly every convention or workshop that I have seen advertised on the topic of ministry to disabled people always makes it a point to thank Catholic parish leaders for the splendid work they are already doing in this area. Many parishes like to use hymns such as “All Are Welcome” to bolster this conception. We’re there, or so we are to believe. Our doors are open. Ramps are in place. What else is there to do? Continue reading “Autism and Worship (A Book Review)”
Luke 14:1; 7-14
The nomadic peoples of the ancient Middle East considered it a serious moral duty to offer nourishment and protection for travelers passing their way. The heat of the day, coupled with the scarcity of food and water, were themselves life-threatening. Travelers weakened by a lack of nourishment were also easier prey for robbers. In Genesis 18, we see how Abraham sees three travelers passing by “in the heat of the day”. He runs to them and practically begs them to honor him by letting him serve them food and drink. After Abraham’s generous hospitality, one of his guests is revealed as the Lord himself, who in turn blesses Abraham with what can easily be seen as an act of hospitality, assuring him that he would finally have a son by that time next year. Thus, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are in the Promised Land, not as owners but as nomadic wanderers who live in the Lord’s land. They are to trust in the Lord’s hospitality to them and to show that same hospitality to others. They live as outsiders, seemingly with no status in this land, yet they are the ones whom the Lord welcomes. Continue reading “Hospitality”
Luke 13:22-30
Salvation.
The Bible is filled with many images that seek to portray salvation in some way. The return from exile. The coming of the Kingdom of God. The wedding feast of the Lamb. A new creation. The new Jerusalem. Salvation involves being purged – freed – healed of the effects of sin so that we can become all that the Lord intends us to be. We can then rejoice together with Him forever. Salvation begins whenever we first say yes to the Lord’s invitation to believe and repent, and reaches its fulfillment beyond this life in an everlasting feast of love with the Lord.
It’s a wonderful vision! Yet, we notice that not everyone appears to say yes to this vision. We have our own struggles, temptations and sins even as we strive to follow the Lord. Our faith speaks to us of heaven (another name for the new Jerusalem or the wedding feast of the Lamb) and hell (I’ll save purgatory for a post of its own.) Throughout the centuries, artists of all kinds have presented us with their interpretations of heaven and hell, leaving us with various images etched into our memories. Continue reading “How Many Will Be Saved?”
Hebrews 12:1-4
In this world we have our troubles
Sometimes lonesome, sometimes blue,
But the hope of life eternal
Brightens all our hopes anew.
(Chorus)
I don’t want to get adjusted
To this world, to this world,
I’ve got a home that’s so much better,
I want to go to sooner or later,
I don’t want to get adjusted to this world!
– From the song “I Don’t Want To Get Adjusted”, attributed to Sanford Massingale. This quote is from the version that the folk group The Weavers recorded and sang live in the early 1950’s. Many recorded versions of this song exist today.
The terms “adjusted” and “well-adjusted” may be used less frequently now than they were a generation or two ago, but the meaning these terms express remains an ideal in psychology. One dictionary definition for “well-adjusted” is the following: “A well-adjusted person is reasonable and has good judgment. Their behavior is not difficult or strange”. Such a person is seen as socially acceptable and popular, a model for others to imitate. Continue reading “A Cloud of Witnesses”