Three Promises

"In the presence of God and his Church, are you resolved, as a sign of your interior dedication to Christ, to remain celibate for the sake of the kingdom and in lifelong service to God and mankind?"

Following the universal call to holiness, all men seek unity with God in heaven by living the life of Christ on earth. For those called to married life, this imitation is achieved by two spouses' lifelong sacrifice for each other. When a man is called to Holy Orders, however, this union occurs as the deacon or priest conforms himself to the image of Christ, who was himself celibate for the sake of the Kingdom. A sacred minister's celibacy proclaims to those he meets that he belongs completely to God, and frees him for ministerial service.

Obviously, celibate life entails the sacrifice of sexual relationships. Though this facet of celibacy is called, "negative" in the sense that it is a discipline, it is the positive result of the deacon's relationship with God. It follows that the greatest sign of a deacons love, his sexuality should be reserved to God. Just as parents living their family lives engage in the exchange of affective love that all of us need, so too the deacon as he carries out his ministry. In every act of service and prayer, most especially at the Mass, the deacon communes with God. Here a personal exchange of love happens between the minister and his Lord, nurturing and sustaining the deacon for a life of joyous service.

Liturgy of the Hours

"Are you resolved to maintain and deepen a spirit of prayer appropriate to your way of life and, in keeping with what is required of you, to celebrate faithfully the Liturgy of the Hours for the Church and for the whole world?"

The deacon promises to pray the Liturgy of the Hours each day for the rest of his life, for the good of the Church and the whole world. This prayer, faithful to St. Paul's urging, "pray constantly," is designed so that the entire day and is made holy by giving praise to God. The Liturgy of the Hours is an ancient form of Scriptural prayer, centering on the praying of the Psalms, as Christ himself did. The deacon's daily prayer focuses both his personal needs as well as his service to others on the relationship with God. In this, the Liturgy of the Hours contributes significantly to a deacon's work spreading the boundaries of the Kingdom wherever he goes.

Obedience

This promise, this capstone, empowers the others. By committing himself to a life of humble, active obedience, the deacon locates his promises of celibacy, prayer, and the spreading of the faith in their proper place; a joyfully obedient response to the will of God, annunciated by his Church. He might well see himself as a servant at the wedding of Cana (Jn 2:1-11). In the midst of this ritual, Christ performs a miracle that anticipates the Paschal sacrifice to come. Thus, the deacon is serving the work of God in the world (liturgy). He is obedient to the Word, Christ himself, serving in an act of revelation. Finally, the moment is an act of charity on Christ's part. The deacon, as a servant in the story, is also obedient to Mary, herself a model for the Church, whose words, "Do whatever he tells you." (Jn 2:5) direct the deacon to the will of God. Carefully contemplating God's desires for her, Mary, and so the Church, led by the Pope and Bishops, totally submits herself to the Father's will. Consequently, when the deacon receives instructions from his ordinary, they should be taken as the fruit of that same discernment. Just as any sacred minister arrives at Christ through Mary, so a deacon can be sure that he will find the Lord's will in his bishop's words, directions and ministry.

Prayers from Religious Orders

A ordination is a time for the whole church to rejoice and to pray. As we approach our ordination, we have asked numerous religious houses, 'power-houses of prayer' to pray with us. They are listed below so that we might pray for them as well.