Why we need deacons in our Church today

I believe that there is still some confusion about deacons and the diaconate. Just why do we need ordained deacons?

The word "deacon" comes from the Greek verb "diakonia," which means "to serve" or "to minister." At Baptism, we become a holy, "priestly" people called by God to enter into relationship and accept His unconditional love. Baptism also calls us to become a diaconal Church, or a Church of ministry and service to others.

As a holy people, we cannot keep our special relationship with God to ourselves. When we receive a beautiful gift, we cannot resist the urge to share it and tell others of our good fortune. God's love is the greatest gift of all, and it, too, must be shared to be fully appreciated. We share this gift by going out into the community to live and share our faith in our actions and words.

In the first century, the young Church was expecting the imminent return of Jesus Christ. There was a sense of urgency to preach the Good News and convert as many people as possible before the Second Coming. At that point in Church history, all the faithful ministered to one another as equal members of the community. When Christ did not immediately come, however, the Apostles began to realize they needed to bring order to the fledgling Church while it awaited a potentially very distant Second Coming.

The Apostles understood that to survive they needed to look to the future, and they needed talented people to provide the leadership, evangelization and ministry skills necessary to sustain the Church for many generations.

From their followers, the Apostles selected seven men of "good reputation, full of wisdom and the Spirit" (Acts 6: 1-7). They laid hands on the seven and called them to lead the faithful in a life a prayer, ministry to the Word and service to the poor.

The New Testament Greek word used to describe the seven was "diakonos." These first official deacons were selected from the larger community in order to lead and empower others to go forth and share their love of God by living a life of ministry.

The role of the deacon is not to create another level of hierarchy to lord power over the faith community. To the contrary, the deacon's role is the same now as it was in the first century: to empower the people of God to become a diaconal Church of ministry.

In fact, in the hierarchical structure of the Church, the deacon should not be placed above the laity, but below them where they can support and uplift God's priestly people to the life of ministry which they were called at Baptism.

Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, the deacon represents, in sign and symbol, that which all the Church is called to become. Holy Orders is not conferred to distinguish a select few from the rest, but to serve as a constant, living reminder of our special relationship with God, which is present in each of us. Ordained priests are a sacramental sign that we are all called to be holy; ordained deacons are a sacramental sign that we demonstrate our holiness in service to others.

The deacon personifies the Church's calling to ministry in many ways:

* The deacon serves both the priest and the people at the Eucharist.

* He also reads the Gospel, which is our call to ministry and challenges us to go out and share God's love with others.

* When the deacon preaches, it should be from a social justice perspective that instills in the faithful their mission to promote God's kingdom through ministry and service.

* At the end of Mass, it is the deacon who calls the people to ministry by charging them to "go forth to love and serve the Lord."

* The deacon also leads people to ministry by performing certain sacraments which specifically remind us that to be called Christian means living for others. Deacons baptize as a sacramental reminder that we must share our baptismal promises by bringing others to the same promises of Christ. Deacons preside at weddings as a sacramental reminder that true love must not be selfishly hidden, but shared through a life of service to our spouses and the community at large.

Deacons serve as a public symbol that God's unconditional love must be shared unconditionally. Think of the deacon not as a person of privilege and power, but as a mentor who helps others achieve their baptismal promises.

(Editor's note: The author serves at St. Catherine of Siena parish in Albany.)

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