Category: autism spectrum disorder

Posted on

From Anxiety to Love

Third Sunday of Lent (C): Luke 13:1-9

Perfect love drives out fear. – 1 John 4:18

As we pick up the story of Jesus as told by St. Luke, Jesus and His disciples are making their way through Galilee and headed for Jerusalem. Jesus has been telling His disciples that, in Jerusalem, He will suffer, die, and rise again, in order to bring repentance, forgiveness, and salvation to all who will believe in Him.

On the way, they meet people who tell Jesus how Pilate, the Roman governor, had butchered some Galilean pilgrims as they were offering sacrifice in the very Temple itself. Why did these people say this to Jesus? Were they troubled by His preaching about being reconciled with one’s enemies, and so brought up this atrocity, as if to say, “What about this? How can we be reconciled with people who would do such things?” Were these people trying to warn Jesus that this might not be the best time for a Galilean rabbi who had attained some notoriety to appear in Jerusalem? Or, was it the age-old question of why such atrocities happen – and why did they happen to these people? Were they somehow being punished for some serious sin? Or, if this was “just one of those things”, where was God in all this? Continue reading “From Anxiety to Love”

Posted on

Stations of the Cross for Autistic People

One of my more recent “hats” is spiritual advisor/director for the Mission of Saint Thorlak.  This website is devoted to spiritual outreach to autistic people (and others), inspired by the example of Saint Thorlak. He was a 12th century bishop of Iceland who may well have been autistic. A number of people believe that he would be an ideal patron saint for autistic people. Click the link to the Mission website that I gave above for more information.

My most recent project for the Mission is putting together a version of the Stations of the Cross that I hope will be especially helpful for people on the autism spectrum.  As you may recall, I am autistic.  I have not found much in the way of devotions and prayers that speaks specifically to the gifts and the challenges faced by people on the spectrum.  I have put together these Stations as one little attempt to address this need.

The Stations that I have put together are based on the Scriptural Stations of the Cross that St. John Paul II used on a number of occasions. I wrote the reflections for each station, and adapted prayers with autistic people in mind.  People who are not autistic will find some food here as well, I trust.

You can find the Stations here. While you are on the Mission website, feel free to explore further, to learn more about Saint Thorlak, and about the Mission.

Your constructive feedback is most welcome!

 

 

Posted on

Saint Thorlak of Iceland

Patron Saint for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Telling the digital world that I am on the autism spectrum tends to draw certain kinds of birds to this blog’s nest. I have had feedback from a number of people who are also autistic – sharing comments, questions, and experiences with me. One of them, Aimee O’Connell, told me that she is involved with The Mission of St. Thorlak, a ministry for and with people on the autism spectrum. I had never heard of St. Thorlak before, but he is officially the patron saint of Iceland. Aimee O’Connell is among those who believe that St. Thorlak may have been on the autism spectrum himself. They are proposing him as a patron saint for autistic people. Continue reading “Saint Thorlak of Iceland”