Children with Autism and and the Monastic Life

Updated Link Fixed :)

Mrs Scalia has a wonderful piece up at Inside Catholic called A Vocation for Ryan?. I have never thought of this before but after some reflecting it is true. We see and often read about what appears to be deep connection between children with special needs and the Divine!! At least we see powerful glimpses of it.

Anyway read the full article she links of the woman whose son has autism and all he wants to do is be a priest. I have to admit this pretty funny too:

I would listen to moms on the soccer field or in dance class waiting rooms complain about struggling with their sons about video games or Pokémon cards. I would wonder what this was like. In my house I was often heard to say, "Please stop praying and go outside and run around like other boys". I would imagine that someday someone would be writing Ryan's saint story and there would be this sad little passage:

"Ryan perserved in spite of his mother's exhortations to stop praying. She interfered with his prayer life constantly and in spite of it he managed to grow close to God and perform many miracles. Pray for his mother as she is probably burning in Purgatory."

Nice.

Anyway good read and interesting in many ways as to people with autism and monks.