In humble service

I have been discerning and praying quite a bit lately about the ministry of the Permanent Deacon. Now some 10 months after ordination I have come to live that which I was taught through formation. The diaconate is truly about humble service.

When I received my latest edition of Deacon Digest, an awesome magazine that focuses on the ministry of the diaconate, I read with great interest and great joy an article by Bishop Howard Hubbard; Bishop of Albany, New York. This first appeared in the Evangelist, a newspaper of the Diocese of Albany. So with all credit to Deacon Digest, the Evangelist and Bishop Hubbard, I share some highlights here:

~ The diaconate is a ministry of service, in imitation of Christ who came "not to be served but to serve."
~Deacons are called to be icons of service.
~ There is always the temptation to focus on the preaching and liturgical role of the deacon because these are exercised in a very public way. But deacons must never forget the service dimension of their diaconal call.
~The failure to serve humbly can lead to an expectation that we deserve to be served. This leads to clericalism; piling up perogative, privilege, power, prestige, status, influence and authority. Instead, we should, like the Master, wash feet. (This is attributed to Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York City).
~Deacons now more than ever need to side with the poor and the oppressed; the victims of injustice; those who are left out, ignored, reviled and rejected.
~Deacons are called to be ministers of the Word. Deacons must not only be exegetes of the Word found in the Scriptures, but they must interpret how that Word crashes against the cacophony of our present human song. They must articulate how that word resonates with the joys and hopes, the sorrows, fears and anxiety of the hearers of the Word.
~Deacons should preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other, so that their hearers may be challenged to discern what the Scriptures are saying to them and asking of them at this particular moment.
~Deacons are ministers of the sacraments: baptizing, witnessing marriages, serving at the Eucharistic liturgy, distributing Holy Communion to the faithful, bringing viaticum to the sick and dying, and burting the dead.
~Imperative: deacons must be men of prayer. They must give evidence of the fact that they themselves are standing in the presence of our omnipotent God.
~Deacons must make their own spiritual growth and development the heart of their diaconal service.

Awesome message for those of us called Deacon and for the entire Church. Bishop Hubbard concludes that if this is what we do, "their lives and ministry, like that of Stephen, Lawrence, Francis of Assisi and the other great deacons of the Church, will truly give honor abd glory to God and bring hope, peace and betterment to God's people". He then invites all who read his article to "pray for all our deacons that their ministry of service, word and sacrament will bear rich fruit in our midst".

I hope you may get a chance to read the article in it's entirety. Great message that I truly needed to see this week. Deacons must be engaged in ministry of service, charity. The Church truly does not need Sunday-only Deacons.

And always remember; it's not what we do; it's who we are!