Atlanta’s Auxiliary Bishop John Tran had the privilege of ordaining eight new deacons for the archdiocese earlier this month, and he reflects on the vocation in the current edition of The Georgia Bulletin:
In the Rite of Ordination through the laying on of hands, passed down from the Apostles and the Prayer of Ordination, the gift of the Holy Spirit for the office of the Diaconate is conferred on the candidate and configures him forever to Jesus Christ to serve as his deacon.
During the homily, the candidate is reminded with these words: “Strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Deacon will help the Bishop and his Priests in the ministries of the word, of the altar, and of charity, showing himself to be a servant of all. It will be his duty to exhort believers and unbelievers alike and instruct them in holy doctrine, to preside over public prayer, administer Baptism, assist at and bless Marriages, bring Viaticum to the dying, and conduct funeral rites.” (The Rite of Ordination of Deacon).
Over the years, I have always been blessed to have at least one permanent deacon serving with me. I always have great admiration for them, their spouses and families. Besides what they do at Mass on weekends, deacons also fulfill other needs of the church parish behind the scenes without much acknowledgment from the pastor or parishioners. They are usually the first to arrive and last to leave church. More often than not, they have to arrange their family celebrations around the church schedule during major liturgical celebrations. They, together with their families, make those sacrifices in serving us.
As we celebrate the ordination of our new deacons, may we thank all of them, their wives and families for the sacrifices they make in serving our community. Stop by after Mass next time and thank them for their service. At the same time, remind them that they promised to pray for you and the whole world daily. Also, reassure the deacons of your prayers for them that they may “be effective in action, gentle in ministry, and constant in prayer.”
There’s more. Read it all.
