Autism Consecrated

Category: The Way of Saint Thorlak

  • Autism and the Imago Dei

    Autism and the Imago Dei

    Guest blog post by Deacon Mark Paine of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, UK

    Deacon Mark Paine, who himself is autistic, is developing a Catholic theological understanding of neurodivergence. In this post, he reflects upon autism and how it reflects the Image and Likeness of God.

    I have been reflecting on the Imago Dei—that we are made in the image and likeness of God.

    It is a phrase we use often.

    In sermons.
    In teaching.
    In conversation.

    And rightly so.

    But I am not sure we have fully reckoned with what it means when we speak of autism.

    Because there remains, even now, an assumption—sometimes quiet, sometimes more visible—that autism is something separate from the person.

    Something additional.
    Something regrettable.
    Something to be accommodated, if not overcome.

    But that is not how autism is lived.

    It is not at the edges.

    It is woven through the whole of a person’s life.

    Through how the world is encountered.
    Through how others are understood.
    Through how God is sought.

    And that matters.

    Because if we are to speak truthfully as the Church, we cannot say that autistic people bear the image of God apart from their autism.

    We must say, more plainly, that they bear the image of God as they are.

    Anything less begins to divide the person.

    And that is not a Christian way of seeing.

     

    The diaconal calling is, at its heart, a ministry of attention.

    To notice.
    To stand alongside.
    To serve at the place where Christ is already present, often unrecognised.

    And it seems to me that this is precisely where autism meets the Church.

    Not as a problem to be solved.

    But as a presence to be recognised.

    Because there is, within autistic experience, a particular kind of attentiveness.

    A concern for truth.
    A resistance to pretence.
    A willingness—sometimes costly—to remain with what is real rather than what is merely expected.

    That does not always sit comfortably within our patterns of church life.

    But discomfort is not the same as absence.

    So perhaps the question is a simpler one than we sometimes make it.

    Not whether autistic people can be included.

    But whether we are prepared to see what is already there.

    And that may take time.

    It may take a willingness to look again at things we have taken for granted.

    It may mean recognising that what appears unfamiliar is not therefore lacking.

    But if the Imago Dei is truly present—
    then it is already there to be seen.

    And perhaps, quietly,
    to be received.

    For more reflections by Deacon Mark, visit his blog, Marcus Diaconus

  • Celebrating Saint Thorlak!

    Celebrating Saint Thorlak!

    Celebrating Saint Thorlak!

    The second half of December brings us to the days leading up to Þorláksmessa, the Feast of Saint Thorlak, December 23.

    We are very pleased to share two ways to celebrate our patron saint this year.

    First, the Novena in Honor of Saint Thorlak, December 14-22, is being prayed by the faithful worldwide, and also as a spiritual bouquet to the clergy and people of Iceland by the Domestic Prayer Missionaries of Saint Thorlak. The schedule of daily intentions can be found below.

    Second, we are invited by Fr. Jakub Budkiewicz to the December 23 YouTube premiere of a 37-minute animated film, Saint Thorlak: The Patron of Iceland, by FableDock productions. The trailer for this project may be viewed here. Fr. Jakub was ordained in Iceland in 2007 and currently serves as a parish priest in a small town in Poland. The film has been in the works for several years and brings together Fr. Jakub’s love of St. Thorlak, talent in graphic design, and desire to create “Christian content and the teachings of the Catholic Church presented in a stunning, artistic, and fairytale-like visual form” (as quoted from FableDock’s YouTube channel).

    Let us pray for all the intentions brought to Autism Consecrated from around the world as we celebrate our patron and mentor in faith on Þorláksmessa!

    * * *

    Daily intentions of St. Thorlak Novena for the Clergy and People of Iceland:

    12/14 We pray today for St. John the Evangelist Parish, Westfjörds: for parishioners and their families, and for the special intentions of the priests and religious who serve there.

    12/15 We pray today for St. Peter Parish, North Iceland: for parishioners and their families, and for the special intentions of the priests and religious who serve there.

    12/16 We pray today for St. Thorlak Parish, East Iceland: for parishioners and their families, and for the special intentions of the priests and religious who serve there.

    12/17 We pray today for St. Mary Parish, Reykjavik/South Iceland: for parishioners and their families, and for the special intentions of the priests and religious who serve there.

    12/18 We pray today for St. Joseph Parish, Hafnarfjörður: for parishioners and their families, and for the special intentions of the priests and religious who serve there.

    12/19 We pray today for St. John Paul II Parish, Southwest Iceland: for parishioners and their families, and for the special intentions of the priests and religious who serve there.

    12/20 We pray today for Parish of the Holy Cross, South Iceland: for parishioners and their families, and for the special intentions of the priests and religious who serve there.

    12/21 We pray today for St. Francis of Assisi Parish, West Iceland: for parishioners and their families, and for the special intentions of the priests and religious who serve there.

    12/22 We pray today for Christ the King Parish, Reykjavik; for Bishop David Tencer, and for all clergy and religious in Iceland: for blessings upon all souls harbored in St. Thorlak’s homeland, that they may know the love of God and the Peace of Christ.

    DECEMBER 23 = FEAST OF SAINT THORLAK 😊

    * * *

    This bouquet reflects the prayer on a regular basis throughout the year by the Domestic Prayer Missionaries of Saint Thorlák, a volunteer corps of missionaries-in-place whose work is to pray from where we are, in our current circumstances, in our present states of body and mind.  We strive to exemplify what a fully accessible, universally-designed ministry can be for people of all abilities to pray side by side, neurodivergent and neurotypical. We are “domestic,” meaning, staying in place; we pray from wherever we are able to be, transforming “everywhere” into one, common household, one family of God: “Domestic” Missionaries of St. Thorlák do our work from within the “home” of God’s Household. This Domestic form of missionary work differs from that of missionaries who leave home to do their work elsewhere, publicly.

    The Domestic Prayer Missionaries’ focus is prayer in any way we are capable, including all forms of communication: fully spoken, low speaking, variably spoken and non-speaking. Our prayer takes the form of however we best express our hearts and intentions to God, in the place best suited to our abilities: at home, in chapel, outdoors; standing, kneeling, sitting, walking; wherever we connect fully with God at any given moment. Many Domestic Missionaries spend their time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, but others may pray better in motion. Some “practice the presence of God” throughout the day, offering as we go, and some simply focus on the breath in prayer (e.g., breathe in “My Jesus,” breathe out “Mercy”) to create a “chapel of the heart” wherever we happen to be. Domestic Missionary prayer deliberately minimizes physical and social demands to keep our efforts focused on prayer. We draw special inspiration from the ways of Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, whose Practice of the Presence of God is an excellent model for anyone, in any state of ability or disability, to offer prayers efficaciously and sincerely alongside those called to more conventional and active forms of missionary work.

    To learn more about the Domestic Prayer Missionaries of Saint Thorlák, or to become a Prayer Missionary yourself, download our prayer manual or contact us at AutismConsecrated.Com.

    Domestic Missionaries of Saint Thorlak – Prayer Booklet

     

  • A Prayer to Champion the Dignity of Autistic Lives

    A Prayer to Champion the Dignity of Autistic Lives

    Autism Consecrated is pleased to offer the following prayer, especially in light of the press conference on 9/22 which has sparked much emotion among the autism community. Feel free to share and pray this within your own communities.

     

    Lord Our God: We pray that all autistic people – children, teens, and adults – may be valued and validated in every community. May we champion the dignity of autistic people of every ability and support level, affirming each autistic person as worthy of love, respect, support, and belonging. May we be the example that is sorely lacking in a world which cultivates fear, misunderstanding and division.

    Saint Thorlak Thorhallsson: PRAY FOR US!