Tuesday, May 03, 2016

What is a deacon? (Sunday homily)

This is going to be pretty minimal, I apologize. My homily this past weekend was not much connected to the readings. We had a member of our parish ordained as a deacon on Saturday, and so I explained what a deacon is, the origins of deacons, and how their participation in the sacrament of holy orders is the same as, and distinct from, that of bishops and priests.

I pointed out that deacons, like bishops and priests, receives holy orders. I am a deacon. Archbishop Schnurr is a deacon. All priests and bishops are first ordained deacons.

The word deacon comes from Greek, diakonos, which appears in the New Testament, and means "servant." The Lord Jesus uses this word of himself, as well as telling us that if we would be first, we must be the servant of all.

I recounted the origins from Acts. I explained the meaning of some of the rituals that happened at the Ordination Mass, and what they mean. I pointed out some of the distinct things a deacon does at Mass, and why, such as: proclaiming the Gospel (always), reading the prayers of the faithful, and assisting at the altar.

Sorry, I had rather brief notes, and I can't find them at the moment.

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