Exiit qui seminat
The Deacon
In our first reading from Acts of the Apostles, we see something unique in the life of the Church - the creation of the diaconate and its addition to Holy Orders. What makes it so unusual? To understand that we have to look at the classic definition of what a sacrament is. According to the Baltimore Catechism a sacrament is "an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace." In the account of the Acts of the Apostles, the deacons who were selected from the whole community were prayed over by the Apostles who laid their hands upon them (the outward sign). In terms of grace, these men were strengthened by the Holy Spirit for a life of service. What IS different is that the creation of the Diaconate as a part of Holy Orders wasn't explicitly or implicitly instituted by Christ. Rather this aspect of Holy Orders is a sacrament of the Church, rather than a sacrament of Christ, something that was expounded upon in Pope Benedict XVI's motu proprio, Omnium et menten, in 2009. This reality thankfully doesn't make the diaconate any less valid. Just the opposite. It validates the ability of bishops, successors to the Apostles, to address particular needs in unique ways. Since its restoration in 1967, deacons have served the Church throughout the world in a special way. As stated in Lumen gentium 29, " ... strengthened by sacramental grace, in communion with the bishop and his group of priests [deacons] serve in the diaconate of the liturgy, of the word, and of charity to the people of God." So just as priests are the tangible instruments of the bishop, who has the fullness of the priesthood, and represent him and his ministry, deacons are the instruments and tangible presence of the Church among the People of God by their life of service. Let us continue to be thankful and pray for the many ways that we can serve the Lord, our Church and one another.
Fr. Rob Sinatra
