Some guidance in asking “Am I being called to the Diaconate?”
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This the last in a series of articles on the Permanent Diaconate.
Is a calling and a vocation the same thing?
We tend to use the terms interchangeably. While they are similar in nature, there is a distinction between the two.
A calling is universal. The Father calls each of us to a greater life through his Son, Jesus Christ.
In the Baptism ritual, we hear that through our baptism we are to live out our calling “as a member of Christ — Priest, Prophet, and King —unto eternal life.”
A vocation is individual. It is how we each respond to God’s calling.
It is deeply personal. God speaks to each of us in our heart and shows us his will. He directs us to the life that he wants us to pursue in order to help build the kingdom of God on earth.
“Thy will be done”
We use the word “discernment” to describe the process of determining God’s will.
Unfortunately, there is not a menu to choose from or a list of options from which we can select. In addition, we are not likely to have a supernatural experience like St. Paul had on his trek to Damascus or like Moses had on Mount Sinai.
Yet, God does talk to us.
Through the Holy Spirit, he gives us cues, promptings and spiritual movements.
On the back cover of the most recent issue of Columbia magazine, Sister Mary Rafqa Boulos shares her own discernment process.
As a teenager, she attended a discussion about vocations. Afterward, she felt that perhaps God was calling her to religious life, but she quickly dismissed it.
God did not give up on her. As Sister Mary Rafqa said, “God gradually opened my heart as I grew in knowledge of him and his merciful love for me.
“When we are open to God’s will,” she continued, “he makes himself known to us in a very personal way. His invitation persisted, and through prayer and the sacraments … I came to realize his will and my vocation with much joy.”
The key for Sr. Mary and for everyone that seeks the vocation to which God is calling them is to open one’s heart, cultivate an avid prayer life and frequently turn to God’s sacramental grace … especially the grace that comes to us from the Holy Eucharist.
Unique vocation
When we think of vocations, our thoughts are immediately drawn to those who choose the Priesthood and religious life.
One’s service to the Lord in building the kingdom of God can also be realized through married life and single life lived out in the laity.
The vocation to the Permanent Diaconate is somewhat unique in that it affords a married man to live out two distinct but complimentary vocations; that of husband and father and that of clergy.
The Permanent Diaconate also allows single men to configure their lives in the model of Jesus, the Servant.
In both cases, it allows a man a wonderful opportunity to consecrate the rest of his life to the Lord.
“Am I being called?”
Has God given me cues and promptings that this is something that he wants me to pursue?
Like Sr. Mary, have I opened my heart to God and prayerfully discussed it with him?
Many deacons find that they receive insight to God’s will from other people.
For many, the first thoughts of pursuing the Diaconate came when another person asked, “Have you thought about the Diaconate? You know … you would make a good deacon.”
Abundant harvest
A vocation to the Diaconate becomes a beautiful means to consecrate one’s life to the Lord and to pursue the calling to follow him.
A vocation to the Diaconate allows a man to:
- be rewired and configured to Christ the Servant;
- live out his life in service and charity to others as a witness to Christ;
- assist the pastor in caring for the parish community;
- be a conduit for the laity to the pastor and vice versa; and
- be the face of Christ to those experiencing profound grief and struggles.
We recall the passage in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus said:
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
The Diaconate represents an incredible means to work in the vineyard of the Lord.
Have you wondered about the Diaconate and sensed that you have a calling to it?
If so, you are not alone. Currently, close to 14,000 men are active in diaconal ministry in the United States.
In the Diaconate formation program, the stages of discernment and aspirancy allow a person to devote significant time and effort into opening their hearts to God and listening to what his will is for them.
If God is calling a person to the Diaconate, a transition takes place. The opening question seems to be, “God, show me that you are calling me to the Diaconate.”
But as the feeling intensifies, the question transitions to, “God, show me that you are not calling me to the Diaconate.”
“Why me?”
Often, a person feels unworthy and shies away from truly discerning God’s call.
Frankly, we are all unworthy, but we soon realize that God “doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.”
This is evident in that the Apostles were fishermen, tax-collectors, a zealot, and a tentmaker.
None of them were scholars of the law or gifted orators, but through them, Our Lord changed the course of history.
It is true that deacons are tested in their ministries. God’s grace guides us as we walk with others on their journey.
In the process, deacons, like priests, experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Yet, we are never alone in our efforts, as the grace of the Sacrament of Holy Orders sustains us.
Deacon Steve Javie of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia retired after a long career as an NBA referee.
He wanted in retirement to serve the Lord in a profound way. He found that vocation in the Diaconate.
Of his experience as a deacon, he said:
“Is it tiring? Yes.”
“Is it stressful? Yes.”
“Would I do it all over again? Yes!”
Where to begin
If you have a feeling that God might be calling you into his service as a deacon, you should:
- discuss it with your wife, if married
- discuss it with your pastor, whose support you will need; and then,
- discuss it with deacons to gain more insight.
If you desire more information and understanding of the application and formation process, contact Deacon John Schwartze, Director of Diaconate Formation for the Jefferson City diocese, at jschwartze@diojeffcity.org.
CLICK HERE to read the first article in this series.
