(Listen to this homily here).
Today is an important day in my life. On June 10th, 2011 I was
ordained a deacon for the Diocese of Duluth.
When
many think about the culmination of seminary—consider our seminarian Beau Braun—we
first consider ordination to the priesthood. Indeed, this is the end of seminary and beginning of
official ministry. But I was more
nervous for my ordination to the diaconate! It was at my diaconate ordination I promised vows to God and
His Church—to pray the breviary five times a day, to live a celibate life
without a wife and kids, to enter more fully into prayer, to serve. After making these promises entering
into life as a deacon, ordination to the priesthood was all the better.
I
love the reminder God gives us today through St. Paul: “Brothers and sisters:
Such
confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that of ourselves we are qualified to take credit for
anything as coming from us; rather, our qualification comes
from God, who has indeed qualified us as
ministers of a new covenant…”
Each
of us, through our baptism, has been entered into Christ’s role as priest,
prophet and king. It is not just
the ordained who are called to be ministers of the new covenant! This passage by Paul reminds us that it
is God who works. Our
qualifications come from God through our Baptism or ordination.
May
we be faithful priests—kingdom or ministerial—today in order to consecrate our
world to God.
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