Celebration of Diaconate!

Today is a very special day for me! It was on this day, October 26, 15 years ago that I was ordained a deacon in the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception Church in Ferdinand, Indiana. At that time, the Archabbey Church at Saint Meinrad was undergoing extensive renovations so we needed a place to be ordained and the Benedictine Sisters were gracious in hosting us. There were seven of us ordained on that day, so Happy Anniversary to my classmates and to all of those in my class who were ordained deacons in 1996. This timeframe begins the journey towards celebrating our 15th Anniversary as priests in 2012. There are three levels in the ordained life: Bishop, Priest, Deacon. It was as a deacon that we made our commitment to celibacy and our promise of obedience. The Ordination to the Diaconate began a new page in our lives and that continues now as priests. There are many memories that I remember from that day but it is these words that have stuck with me. In fact, I printed these words and had them hanging in my room. These words come from the Presentation of the Book of the Gospels during the ordination rite: "Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach" (Catholic Rites Today, 464). Those were great words then and they still apply to my life today. I thank God for the gift of ordained life. May we always pray for one another and the commitments that God calls us to live! Have a blessed day!!!