So folk like me are wacko, eh?

I take a look at my site meter a few days ago, and I see a great flock of referrals from this comment string. Apparently there are priests in a diocese near here who are a mite aggravated because their recently-transferred-away bishop invited to the diocese many consecrated virgins and widows, hermits, and tiny new religious societies. At least one priest was willing to speak attributed and on-the-record, to say that, though the newcomers agreed theologically with the former bishop, that they were wackos.

Are we? For real? Maybe it comes with the vocation? Look at our predecessors.....

The Desert Christians --- lots of things were said about them, good and bad, but "sane" and "normal" and "average" were never on the list. And they said embarrassing things often enough, when they deigned to talk at all .....

My name-saint Caterina Benincasa, alternately reading the riot act and whispering sweet nothings to popes, teaching priests and theologians, and having visions .....

Benedict Joseph Labre, Trappist dropout, Roman street person who wouldn't sleep in the same doorway twice lest he get too attached .....

Xenia the widow of St. Petersburg, living in the cemetery wearing her late husband's uniform jacket, praying for his poor unprepared soul and doing secret useful things .....

Rosa of Lima and Kateri Tekakwitha, the two scariest saints there are, innocent girls who penanced themselves into early graves for the sins of their peoples (the Conquistadors and the Mohawks, respectively; two groups I have to admit had plenty to repent for) .....

Charles Eugene, viscount de Foucauld, another Trappist dropout, the Trappists were not strict enough (!), who began a missionary order to evangelize the Muslims, moved to the middle of the Sahara, had exactly one convert who was a baby abandoned on his doorstep, and died the only member of his order .....

And then, how can I really defend myself on this one? Here in St. Blog's and at my Legion of Mary meeting I get told that I live in an alternate universe. Steven Riddle keeps saying I'm "daunting" and the ever-tolerant Abigail of FreeCatholic says this blog is "scary". Even my archives testify against me, since I wrote about the priest-friend who showed me how to enjoy being abnormal, or at least non-average, and about how much I'd like to live with the Pariahs.

So maybe the priests of LaCrosse have a point. We may be a bit wacko. But I hope we can grow in faith to be the holiest wackos we can be!
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