Exiit qui seminat - “ The sower goes out to sow ”

This Sunday we focus on the last of the Sacraments of Service (and the last of the 7): Holy Orders. After I wrote everything I felt necessary for this Sacrament, I realized it was too big for just one week. So this week, we'll talk about the service aspect of Holy Orders and next week we'll take more about the "nuts and bolts" of the particular aspects of the episcopacy, the presbyterate and the diaconate.  Both Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony are unique in the fact that not every baptized member of the faithful will get married and not every one can be ordained a deacon, priest or bishop. But even in the fact that we may never participate in these particular states of life, the most important aspect of both Marriage and Holy Orders is that they are not meant for the recipient of the sacraments themselves. These sacraments are meant to sanctify and give grace to others. While even on hard days, most married couples and priests can find joy in their lives (Godwilling), a husband is meant to give and share his life with his wife and vice versa, and a deacon's, priest's, and bishop's entire life is meant to be in the service of the local Church and the universal Church as a whole. This is true even for permanent deacons who are already married and have a family at the time of ordination. That's why the Church takes particular care that the wives of deacons are "on board" with what their husbands are about to be committed towards. Permanent deacons' families make A LOT of sacrifices that, unfortunately, go unnoticed. So take time to thank a deacon's wife for her support and the gift of her husband to our local Church!!! Celibacy certainly makes it easier for bishops and priests to dedicate their lives in service of the People of God, but some priests in the Eastern rites of the Catholic Church can be married (but have to be married before they are ordained deacons).  While most of the faithful encounter clergy as a part of Mass on Sunday, it's not the only thing that we do. Priests and deacons do a lot during the week, like visiting the sick and the homebound. Anointing the sick and the dying at hospitals, some of us have special ministries to a particular community (like Fr. Dimitri to the Haitians and me to the Tribunal). As pastor there is a lot of administrative work and other pastoral responsibilities (like writing this column), but everything that we do as a part of our ministry is to help others get to heaven! So pray for the clergy of the parish and check in next week for more about the Sacrament of Holy Orders!

Fr. Rob