THE SPIRIT of the LORD IS WITH US

THE SPIRIT of the LORD IS WITH US 

SPIRITUAL REMINDERS TO THOSE IN ACTIVE MINISTRY  

Deacon Anthony P. Cassaneto, Ph.D., Ed.D.

             “The deacon’s service begins at the altar and returns there. The sacrificial love of Christ celebrated in the Eucharist nourishes him and motivates him to lay down his life on behalf of God’s People.” [National Directory, §21].  This service is worthily rendered by our understanding that all that we do is for the greater honor and glory of God. 

Not long into my tenure as Director of Formation and Ministry of Life I interviewed a recently ordained deacon.  Since his ordination was scheduled during the Fall of his fourth year of formation, he was responsible to return during the Spring to complete his course of studies.  While in conversation with the deacon, I discovered that every night of the week he was engaged in ministry to the exclusion of family and a wholesome prayer life.  He was on the road to a perilous burnout experience.  Equally perilous is the story of a deacon who does not have time to attend to his spiritual life. 

While in formation, the objective of the spiritual dimension of formation “is to assist the candidate in achieving a spiritual integration of his life, family, work, and apostolate.” [National Directory, §216].  This integration is made possible with the help of a spiritual director, a pastor, the diaconal formators who provide” the means for the future deacon to grow in holiness by equipping and motivating him to lay a foundation upon which he may continue his spiritual growth after ordination.” [National Directory,§216].

The deacon’s spiritual life is the foundation of his ministry.   We read: ”Without prayer a human being will not persevere for long in his spiritual life, so we must seek refuge daily in this powerful resource.”  [Foundations for the Renewal of the Diaconate.  1993.  USCCB.  Kramer, Hannes.  The Spiritual Life of the Deacon.  p. 44]

             Upon Ordination to the Sacred Order of Deacon, the deacon is responsible to maintain a close relationship with the Lord.  Permit me to highlight several key events of the spiritual life that at times are terribly neglected because of other priorities.   Among them:

1.  Prayer

           The deacon’s prayer life maintains a personal relationship with the Lord on a daily basis.  His daily recitation of Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer assists in building up his relationship with the Lord.  Deacons are encouraged to pray the Divine Office regularly and when possible to pray the Divine Office with others. [Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Diaconorum Permanentium, par 75].

            A second component of the prayer life that enhances a deacon’s spiritual journey is Lectio Divina.  Breaking open the Word of God and meditating on a Biblical passage provides us with an opportunity to listen to Lord more closely through His Word and to respond more genuinely with our life of service.   The more we immerse ourselves in realization that our God obediently followed the will of the Father and humbly submitted Himself to death for our sake, the more we become aware that we too must be obedient and humble servants if we are to lead the People of God by our example.  Through Lectio Divina we appreciate more fully the love of God and His boundless mercy.  Deacons set the example for the laity who are likewise urged to adhere to Lectio Divina as often as they can in order to grow in the love of Christ and His Bride, the Church.  

2.  Spiritual Direction

Deacons are to continue their relationship with their spiritual director post ordination.  Preferably, the spiritual director should be a priest, but due to the priestly vocation crisis, a trained and certified spiritual director other than a priest is most acceptable. 

The spiritual director’s task is that of discerning the workings of the Spirit,  of accompanying and supporting the deacon in his ongoing conversion; providing concrete suggestions to help bring about an authentic diaconal spirituality and offer effective incentives for acquiring the associated virtues. 

Preferably the spiritual director is a priest  of proven virtue, equipped with a good theological culture, of profound spiritual experience, of marked pedagogical sense, of strong and refined ministerial sensibility. [Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Diaconorum Permanentium, .§ 23]

3.   An Annual Retreat

Deacons are to set aside each year time for prayer, meditation, and contemplation with the Lord.  Ideally, both the deacon and his spouse attend a scheduled retreat or make a personal, private retreat under the guidance of the spiritual director

4. Frequent reception of the sacraments

Deacons are encouraged to receive the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation on a regular basis.  These sacraments enrich and strengthen the spiritual life so that the deacon can go about doing the Lord’s work among His People.

The source of this new capacity to love is the Eucharist, which, not by chance, characterizes the ministry of the deacon.  In fact, service of the poor is the logical consequence of service of the altar. . . Within the context of this Eucharistic spirituality, care will be taken to give adequate appreciation to the sacrament of Penance@ [Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Diaconorum Permanentium, § 73]

In the prayer of diaconal ordination, the bishop implores God that the deacon may be “full of all the virtues, sincere in charity, solicitous towards the weak and the poor, humble in their service…and may….be the image of your Son who did not come to be served but to serve.”  [National Directory,§85].

“To live their ministry to the fullest, “deacons must know Christ intimately so that He may shoulder the burdens of their ministry.” [National Directory, § 62].  This is possible through an active spiritual life that forms the foundation of their ministry and life.