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BISHOP'S COLUMN

Deacons must humbly serve

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of ordaining David Hammond, Dan Ryan, Rendell Torres and Matt Wetsel to the diaconate. That happy occasion precipitates my reflection on this ancient ministry of service, word and sacrament.

First, the diaconate is a ministry of service, in imitation of Christ who came "not to be served, but to serve." In the Book of Acts, the diaconal ministry was established by the Apostles to assist them in their ministry of distributing food and of caring for the widowed, whom some complained were being neglected (Acts 6:1).

Deacons, then, are called to be icons of service. In his encyclical "Deus Caritas Est," Pope Benedict XVI said that it is not just preaching and liturgy which are essential for the life of the Church. Equally important is the service of charity in its multiple dimensions. 

There will always be the temptation to focus on the preaching and liturgical role of the deacon - understandably so, because these aspects of ministry are exercised in a very public way. But deacons must never forget the service dimension of their diaconal call. 

I am reminded of the practice of the late Bishop Kenneth Untener of Saginaw, Mich., who at the end of every meeting would pose the question: "How will what we did today affect the poor?" I would suggest that such a lens or filter must always be that of the deacon.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan, the new archbishop of New York, has stated that throughout the history of the Church the greatest temptation the clergy has faced is not sex, drink, money or heresy (although God knows all these have reared their ugly heads), but the failure to serve humbly - and, of course, the corresponding expectation that we deserve to be served.

This, he explained, is "the vice known as clericalism: the piling up of prerogatives, privilege, power, prestige, status, influence and authority rather than following the Master who washed the feet of the disciples, who kept the company of the outcast and the scorned, and who poured out His sweat and blood on the cross of Calvary to save His people."

A bishop once wrote: "I have come to conclude that, even as a bishop, I am called to be a simple, humble servant for my people. I pray with and for them. I defend them and speak up for them; I confront their enemies; I search for those who have been dragged away at night; I listen to their worries and try to help them hope."

Twenty-eight years ago, that bishop, Oscar Romero, was shot to death by security forces while celebrating Mass. He was truly a servant minister.

Hopefully, deacons will not have to pay the ultimate price for being servant leaders. 

But now, more than ever, they and the whole Church need to side with the poor and the oppressed; the victims of injustice; those who are left out, ignored, reviled and rejected. 

Second, deacons are called to be ministers of the Word. In the opening scene of the recent film "Gran Torino," the camera zooms in on a young priest who is delivering the homily at the funeral of the wife of the main character, Walter Kozlowski - a hard-nosed, embittered, retired auto worker played by Clint Eastwood. 

The homily conveys a very doctrinally sound, almost lyrical presentation of our Christian understanding of death.

As the film unfolds, there are a series of interactions between the young priest and the dour, curmudgeonly Walt. Walt manifests a disdainful attitude toward the priest. 

When the priest finally confronts Walt about why he is treating him with such contempt, Walt responds by quoting almost verbatim, but in a mocking fashion, the lofty description of death the priest offered at his wife's funeral.

Walt sneers: "You're just out of the seminary; what do you know about life's cruelty: about the haunting memories of killing enemy soldiers in the Korean War...about cherished hopes and dreams for your children being dashed...about your urban neighborhood sliding from middle class respectability to a ghetto for newly arrived immigrants...about having the fruit of your life's labor turn into dust, symbolized by a closed and crumbling auto plant."

At heart
In conclusion, Walt scolds the young priest for speaking to "the head" - pious thoughts about how life ought to be, drawn from theology manuals and spiritual writings, rather than speaking to the hearts of people which have been pierced and bruised by life's vicissitudes.

Hence, as preachers, 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 must figure out how that Word speaks to a Catholic population that is increasingly well educated but less catechized in the spiritual life and the theological understanding of our rich faith tradition; how that word touches people who are immersed in a lifestyle which is impossibly busy and distracted, and where juggling multiple responsibilities (family, work, civic and social) is a way of life. 

In Karl Barth's famous image, to do so requires deacons to 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 and in this specific context of their life's journey.

Finally, 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 burying the dead.

As public ministers of worship who lead prayer and offer blessings, it is imperative that deacons themselves be men of prayer; that they bring to the sacraments and rituals they celebrate minds, hearts and spirits which are conformed to Jesus - the very Jesus whom the sacraments which they administer make present to the members of our faith community.

While it is true that the sacraments have a saving power independent of the disposition of the diaconal minister, nonetheless, the qualities of holiness, gentleness, humility and love for others the deacon brings to the sacramental celebration set a palpable tone which the community senses immediately and which can provide a meaningful framework for the whole liturgical encounter.

Deacon directions
That is why it is so important that deacons actually be engaged in prayer themselves as they administer the sacraments. This must not be a rote or mechanized performance; rather, deacons must give evidence of the fact that they themselves are standing in the presence of our omnipotent God, the one whom Jesus calls Father, so that people know that they, too, are caught up in praise, or are crying out for mercy or are chastised by the challenge of the prophets; so that people know that they also are in awe of the gift of liberation which baptism brings; that they are truly sharing in the joy of the couple whose exchange of marriage vows they witness; and that they appreciate the fear and apprehension as well as the quest for closure and serenity of the persons whom they are preparing to make the transition from this life to the next.

Deacons, then, must make their own spiritual growth and development, rooted in regular personal prayer and in the Liturgy of the Hours which they offer in the name of the Church, the heart of their diaconal service. 

If they 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 and glory to God and bring hope, peace and betterment to God's people.

Please pray for all our deacons that their ministry of service, word and sacrament will bear rich fruit in our midst.

(07/02/09) [[In-content Ad]]

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