Who is a deacon? What is a deacon? These questions were answered in profound and wonderful ways this past week as Wendy and I attended the 2018 National Diaconate Congress in New Orleans. As part of this historic gathering we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the Diaconate as a permanent order in the Church here in the United States. We were joined by 2,800 others; deacons, wives and children; the family of deacons. For Wendy and I it was the most profound week of our lives since ordination, with the exception of the birth of Calvin, Katelynn and Brennan, our grandchildren. I met deacons from many dioceses in this country and two from afar, a deacon from Germany and a deacon from Lithuania. The ministry of deacon, one of three orders of clergy, along with Bishop and Priest, was affirmed by the presence and the inspirational words of 2 Cardinals of the Church, the Apostolic Nuncio to Pope Francis and 4 Bishops, all active with the development of the permanent diaconate.
Indeed, how would you answer the question, who or what is a deacon? The standard answer; ministers to help because of the shortage of Priests is wrong. The order of deacon was not restored because there were not enough Priests but because there were not enough Deacons!! The restoration of the permanency of the diaconate can be traced to the 16th century Council of Trent, the 19th century Vatican I, to the cellblocks of Dachau containing imprisoned Priests from across Europe to Vatican II and Blessed Paul VI's motu proprio in 1967.
Deacons, by the very nature of the Order and the words of the Acts of the Apostles are the sign and symbol; dare I say an icon of Christ the Servant; He who came not to be served but to serve. We are the sacramentalization of service when seen in our Church sanctuaries and ministering to the poor, forgotten, imprisoned and marginalized. We are the emissary of our local Bishop. Our being is what is important more so than our doing and our doing is an incredible contribution to the life and ministry of Holy Mother Church.
There is plenty of diaconal references throughout Scripture, besides Acts 6, even today's Gospel is diaconal in nature. We move into John Chapter 6 today and for the next 4 weeks as we plumb the depths of that chapter in the Bible that is called the Eucharistic Discourse or the Bread of Life Discourse. John chooses to lead with the feeding of the 5,000 as a way to begin the telling of the story of the Holy Eucharist. Jesus is first moved to feed the crowds because they are hungry; He will feed them with food for now and then with Words that feed the soul. This is a very diaconal response; to serve the 5,000 rather than demand to be served. Jesus looks for help from his Apostles and they seemed overwhelmed but enter the little boy! This little boy, with only 5 loaves and 2 fish, enough to feed but a handful comes forward; he simply gave all that he had and all that he could offer; all that we have and all that we offer, comes from our hearts both frightened and free, take what we bring now and give what we need; all done in His name!
Now taking these meager gifts from the boy, in the hands of the Master they become food to feed 5,000; so much food that the leftovers filled 12 wicker baskets. Wow! Jesus takes what we have and what we offer and makes it fill the deepest needs of the many. This is Eucharistic; this is diaconate.
And now we too await to be feed with this Eucharistic food, meager gifts of bread and wine will be brought to the Father, who, acting in persona Christi Capitas, Christ the Head, will bring forth the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ; the food that will satisfy our deepest hunger. And fed by this Holy Communion, we are all called to go forth and be the Eucharistic people to a world in need of Jesus. Pope Francis reminds us, when reflecting on this Gospel, that each of us not only carry Jesus in us but everyday we walk around with our own 5 loaves and 2 fish. What are they? For each of us they are different but do we offer them to the Master so He may change them into life for the world? Do we, as Catholics having no problem coming forward to receive Him on Sunday, do we share Him in sincere ways Monday - Friday? Well perhaps we have never thought of this before, perhaps we feel we have nothing to give; nonsense! All that we have, and all that we offer, from our heart to the service of others in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord. And that my brothers and sisters is Eucharistic and that is diaconate.
As a Deacon, refreshed and renewed in my vocation, fresh off this historic and spiritual Congress I pledge myself to be more aware of how I give all I have and all that I can offer, Personally, I am not a theologian, there is no Master's degree in philosophy or theology, I may not be the best expert at Scripture and Church History; however; if I allow Jesus to be the Master of my Life, if I follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, I know that I can pour my life out in service to Him, His Church, the people of God: all that I have and all that I offer. This is my sacramental character not just of Holy Orders, but of my Baptism. You were baptized too, others desire baptism; your sacramental character is no different; go to Jesus with all that you have and all that you offer and spread the Kingdom, evangelize the world, even if it is one life at a time, even if it is someone you know who needs Him, or it can be someone you don't know.
As I minister, sacramentally, to the people of God here in our parish, to the men in a state prison serving 20-40 year sentences, to others God puts in my way, may I do so with more care, more concern, more effort and more joy; may I be Persona Christi Servus, Persona Christi Diaconos; Christ the Servant, Christ the Deacon. May we too desire to serve and grow in our love for Him, for the Church and one another; no longer claim to be a follower of Christ simply because I can check off Sunday obligation, but look to serving Him by serving one another every day of our lives; pray everyday, read Scripture everyday be Christ and bring Christ to those who need Christ. Can we all just hand over to the Master our 5 loaves and 2 fish and give Him all that we have and all that we offer?
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