Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Time to pray for deacons!




I read yesterday from the Hawaii Catholic Herald that Bishop Silva announced that Deacon Thomas Contrades is now Chairperson of the Deacon Council; Deacon Billy Whitfield, Co-Chairperson; Deacon Modesto Cordero, Secretary; and Cora Constantino, Treasurer. This had taken into effective July 1, 2010, and will continue to be through June 30, 2012.

"Wait a minute!" I told my husband, "Isn't that Deacon Tom of the formation team for the aspirancy program leading to the diaconate formation?" He nodded. Deacon Modesto Cordero, who is also in the formation team, is more known to me since I met him at St. John's in Mililani when I sold my book there.

Wonderful news! And what perfect timing this is for, today, we celebrate the life of St. Lawrence who was a deacon and martyr of our Church! Read about him here, or here.

A well-known legend is attached to the name St. Lawrence who was once Deacon of Rome. Before his persecution, he distributed the goods of the church to the poor. When asked to produce the riches and be returned to where they once belonged, St. Lawrence came back, indeed, and presented its treasures:


Lawrence replied that the Church was indeed rich. “I will show you a valuable part. But give me time to set everything in order and make an inventory.” After three days he gathered a great number of blind, lame, maimed, leprous, orphaned and widowed persons and put them in rows. When the prefect arrived, Lawrence simply said, “These are the treasure of the Church.”


Let us pray for our deacons:

Dear Lord,
we present to you all deacons of the world.
Indeed, they too, are treasures of the Church.
Bless them for all their good works,
they who toil and ask not to be repaid.
Bless them in many ways you only can give
and bless their families without reserve.
In Christ Jesus, we pray.
Amen.


Please pray for the men, including my husband Joe, who are in the last few months of aspirancy. May they fully discern God's will and way for them. Mary, Mother of God, Mother of us all, pray for us!