Being one and serving as one helps ease the struggles

I love being a Permanent Deacon.  I recently spoke to the now newly ordained Deacons here in the Archdiocese of New Orleans and reminded them that life happens.  My wife could not be with me when I spoke because she was tending to all the drama with her mom.  I wanted it to be a reminder that while great grace from God flows at ordination, while wonderful opportunities to demonstrate the charism of the Deacon, life will still happen.  We are not immune from our own limitations and occasional life scares; the death of a loved one, perhaps the illness of a spouse or a child, an unexpected job change.  Being ordained a Deacon does not exempt one from the car breaking down, the grass needing to be cut or the roof springing a leak.  Life happens.  But oh the grace of ordination, the being a Deacon, the doing of a Deacon; for these three things I say Thanks Be to God!!

I've moaned on and on about the recent events that has our lives, especially Wendy's in uproar, and of course there is the constant concern for her mom.  We have had to change plans and rearrange things and put others on hold but a couple of recent Deacon duties has helped to me cope, because it 's who I am and what I do!  Friday night was the graced opportunity to close out all day Adoration by offering Benediction and doing a little instructional preaching on the Precious Blood of Jesus.  After all day hard work Saturday, to catch up on all the things not done, and getting a break Sunday morning thanks to generous brother Deacons, I did arrive to assist at the evening Mass and offer Benediction to close our Holy Hour before Mass.  Today, I was able to leave work early and assist at the funeral Mass of a parishioner I knew personally.  It was a beautiful liturgy and a celebration of her life.  Just these three happenstances were like a life jacket tossed to a drowning man.

I praise God for the gift of ministry; the gift of being a Permanent Deacon and the doing that comes along with being.  Yes, Wendy and I still need to navigate the murky waters of her mom's illness and complicated consequences, but ministry awaits.  I've been dutifully preparing my lesson plan for the upcoming Bible/Church study classes starting in September and I've got a wedding this weekend that I am so looking forward to.  In a few weeks, it's the National Convention of Permanent Deacons here in New Orleans with an already announced overflow crowd of Deacons, families, Priests and Bishops; Cardinals too!

I love my ministry and thank God everyday for it!