Understanding the Permanent Deacon

One of the many joys of my diaconate is to read about the "community".  One publication that is a must in my home is Deacon Digest which never disappoints.  I love the many articles that highlight the activities and ministries of my brother Deacons across the country.  Since so many of the articles are written by brother Deacons, and also the wives of Deacons, they resonate with me.  We Deacons do spend a lot of time writing, blogging and discussing the "doing".  And believe me, the "doing" is important and matters deeply.  But the diaconate is truly about "being".

In the latest Deacon Digest an article shares the story of ordination of the 2011 class of Deacons from Galveston-Houston.  Now ordination is powerful enough but these guys also have Cardinal DiNardo presiding at ordination.  Here are some highlights from his homily as captured on the pages of Deacon Digest:

The journey to holy orders is marked by joys, challenges, occasional struggles and doubts and probably by today, by a certain amount of relief.

For all the wives and children here, thank you very much for your journey.  Thank God for wives and families, local parishes and pastors, and a whole host of friends and leaders, none the least of which is their fellow deacons and their own fellow deacons-to-be. 

>>>Now this is important: Cardinal DiNardo urged each newly ordained Deacon to be a "living icon of charity."  >>>"being" before "doing"!

The good Cardinal continued: The Deacon is the constant reminder for all God's people...that Christ came to serve, not to be served.  You are to be servants of the Word, as teachers and preachers.

>>>May God continue to inspire His Church that the order of diaconate is ordained for the people of God.  And may the Church be more and more open to the restoration of this order as a permanent rank within Holy Orders.

And may Deacons who serve His Church remember that it's not what you do but who you are.  And from who you are will flow what you do, and what you do will conform to the will of God!

>>>The author of this Deacon Digest article is Jonah Dycus of the Texas Catholic Herald.