There is a personal lens through which every deacon candidate views their image of God, and by extension, the image of fatherhood. The lens we have been given in the past drives us, but it can be blurred or even closed sometimes, if used incorrectly. It is only the grace of God that helps men control the lens so that they can move others closer to God and not to themselves. Through my father’s reaction to my ordination, I fell in love with my lens, and it made me a better man.
My father’s reaction to attending my ordination to the transitional diaconate stands as something that really stands out to me. I did not expect my ordination to touch my parents in any way, considering they do not participate in the Catholic faith as deep as I do. Nevertheless, as we left the ordination liturgy, my father said goodbye to me and told me that the liturgy, “…was awesome.” He said this with a simple delivery, but I have a lot of respect for my father, and I know what he has been through, so I have an idea of what it means because of the common lens through which he and I view the world.
Both of my parents did not have it easy as children, and my father had it tough. As I look back, it seems almost a miracle my father made it to a point where he could have his own family. My father’s mother (my grandmother) died when my dad was in middle school, and my grandfather was not ready to be a single dad. My dad had to figure out a lot on his own, and it was only through his strong sense of duty, discipline, and focus on something more than himself that helped form his identity and his personal lens.
Therefore, as my father followed the ordination rite, he saw the meaning behind every act of the rite. Each part of the rite has rich meaning that allow the Holy Spirit to work in each candidate, so they possess the grace to carry out each aspect of their mission as Deacons. The deacons-to-be are presented to the bishop and the community consents to their ordination. They offer their promises to carry out the mission of service, evangelization, prayer, and celibacy with the community watching. Following this, the community asks for the prayers of the saints to remain present with each candidate. Finally, the bishop lays hands on the soon-to-be deacons, calling on the Holy Spirit which comes and makes a permanent mark on the souls of each man. The actions in the rite are visible signs of an invisible reality, a lens through which one sees the work of God.
Through the values my father learned as a child, like duty, discipline, focus, and belief in a something more than himself, my father appreciated the ordination. And through me calling forth every occasion my father gave me a great example of being a man, and the example God sets forth through his grace in the sacraments, I can find a lens to see what God calls to me to see and bring that to the people.
Father Christopher Myers
Latest posts by Father Christopher Myers (see all)
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- Through my Father’s Lens - July 20, 2021
