The following post was written by Aimée O’Connell, founder of the Mission of Saint Thorlak – which is now found at autismconsecrated.com. I am also very involved with that website. It seeks to support ministry both by and for autistic people, guided by the Way of Saint Thorlak. Please feel free to browse that site. I offer this post here because I believe it will be encouraging for autistic people who follow my blog. I hope it may be enlightening for people who seek to understand and love their autistic sisters and brothers. Continue reading “Autism in the Pandemic: When We Don’t Conform”
The End Is Coming! Rejoice! (Really!)
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (C): Luke 21:5-19
Here are a few quick scenarios. See what images and emotions arise in your minds as you read each of them.
“Just wait until your father comes home!”
In today’s mail, you find a friendly note from the IRS, inviting you to an audit of your taxes from last year.
You have an appointment to see your doctor. You know that you have gained weight since your last appointment and have done very little of what your doctor advised you to do last time. Continue reading “The End Is Coming! Rejoice! (Really!)”
Fear And Trust
Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (B)
One dictionary defines fear as “an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger”. Fear has always been a part of human experience. Our earliest ancestors must have feared carnivorous animals, bad weather, disease, and other, possibly hostile, tribes – among other things. Even with all the advances that civilization has brought us, many of those ancient fears remain. Each century has found new fears as well. Not only that, but each one of us has things we are afraid of – things that might not be all that dangerous in themselves, but which symbolize for us some deeper, more threatening danger. It may a fear of heights, or of the dark, or of a certain animal. It may be fear of the unexpected or the unknown. Whatever the face may be that we show to other people, most of us (if not all of us) carry in our hearts some fear or fears. Continue reading “Fear And Trust”
The Snake And The Cross
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent: Numbers 21:4-9
Early on in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, we learn that our hero, Indiana Jones, hates snakes. Later on, in the video clip above, he needs to enter a chamber where the floor is filled with snakes. “Why does it have to be snakes?”, he moans. Continue reading “The Snake And The Cross”
Hearing the Lord’s Call
2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (B)
“Speak, for your servant is listening.” – 1 Samuel 3:10
Although a winter’s walk in the woods is usually a serene experience (unless you’re near a snowmobile trail), once spring returns, nature is not a quiet place. One can hear the calls of birds, peepers, insects, squirrels, and coyotes, to name just a few. The calls are a means to attract mates, or to mark off territory, or to warn off intruders. So many animals are wired for sound – and, more specifically, wired to hear the call of others. Continue reading “Hearing the Lord’s Call”