http://fatherbhomilies.podbean.com/e/homily-for-the-3rd-sunday-of-easter/
Yesterday morning, Deacon Dave, Deacon Guillermo and I gathered with about twelve hundred other people at St. Mark Church for the ordination of fifteen new permanent deacons for the Diocese of Charlotte. Ordinations are always beautiful. The celebration begins just like a normal Mass . . . except that there are about one hundred people in the entrance procession. There are the servers. There are the men who will be ordained. There are the deacons of the diocese. There are the priests, and finally, there is the Bishop. He is the apostle who will ordain these men by the laying on of his hands and prayer.
Yesterday morning, Deacon Dave, Deacon Guillermo and I gathered with about twelve hundred other people at St. Mark Church for the ordination of fifteen new permanent deacons for the Diocese of Charlotte. Ordinations are always beautiful. The celebration begins just like a normal Mass . . . except that there are about one hundred people in the entrance procession. There are the servers. There are the men who will be ordained. There are the deacons of the diocese. There are the priests, and finally, there is the Bishop. He is the apostle who will ordain these men by the laying on of his hands and prayer.
After the reading of
the Gospel, the candidates for ordination were called forward, each by name. The
Bishop asked them if they were willing to accept the office of deacon and be
faithful to the life of prayer and service which are part of the diaconal
ministry. Then one by one, each candidate went and knelt before the Bishop. Each
one placed their hands in the hands of the Bishop. The Bishop asked each one, “Do
you promise respect and obedience to me and my successors?” It is a promise of
today and tomorrow and every day after that. Then the candidates lie prostrate
on the floor as the congregations sings the litany of the saints. Everyone who
has been ordained remembers that time on the Church floor. There is nothing
quite like it. It is filled with memory, prayer, and emotion. The congregation
sings, “Bless these chosen men; Bless and sanctify these chosen men, Bless,
sanctify and consecrate these chosen men.” And then one by one, the candidates
come before the Bishop and he lays his hands on their head. The prayer of
ordination follows. The new deacons are vested in the stole and the dalmatic. And
then each one goes before the Bishop and kneels. The Bishop places the Book of
the Gospels in the new deacon’s hands and says, “Receive the Gospel of Christ
whose herald you have become. Believe what you read. Teach what you believe.
Practice what you teach.” And at that moment, they become witnesses of the
resurrection.
We are blessed in this
parish with the ministry and presence of four deacons: Deacon Sydney, Deacon
Roland, Deacon Guillermo, and Deacon Dave. Among the four of them, our parish
is blessed with over sixty-fix years of diaconal ministry. Like the fifteen new
deacons, they are witnesses of the resurrection. They have seen and believed.
They have believed and shared. They have shared and received by their sharing
one of the most precious gifts that God can give. The fruit of sharing the
Gospel is a fellow believer, a companion on the journey.
They are witnesses.
Witnesses see and believe. Witnesses believe and share. Witnesses share and
they receive.
We are witnesses. Jesus
says we are. Peter says we are. We are witnesses.
Deacon Guillermo and
Deacon Dave are currently working with the next class of deacon candidates. For
the last two classes of deacons who were ordained, I taught one of their
preaching classes. Today’s gospel gives us a clear pattern for Christian
preaching. It is also a clear example of Christian conversation. Jesus shows us
how to share.
The first word of
preaching is a word of grace. On the day of the resurrection, Jesus did not
say, “I am disappointed in you.” Jesus did not say, “You broke to the rules.”
Jesus did not say, “Where were you on Friday?” The first words are words of
grace and consolation, “Peace be with you.”
The word of grace comes
before the word of challenge. The word of grace opens hearts. The word of grace
opens minds. The word of grace brings comfort. It comes before the word of
challenge.
The word of challenge
is followed by the word of invitation. The word of invitation is followed by a
word of hope. The word of hope is followed by the promise of renewal and a
share in the mission. In this brief passage of the Gospel, we move from the
word of grace in “Peace be with you” to the share in the mission, “You are
witnesses of these things.”
Jesus shows us how to
share. Jesus shows us how to be witnesses.
No, we weren’t actually
at the Empty tomb on Easter Morning. No, we didn’t actually walk from Jerusalem
to Emmaus. And we weren’t actually in the upper room when Jesus appeared on
that Sunday evening.
But we are here in this
room, and Jesus is here.
Jesus is here in the
Word proclaimed. Jesus is here in the community of the baptized gathered for
worship. Jesus is here in the priest who proclaims, prays and consecrates. Jesus
will be here in the simple gifts of bread and wine transformed into his
precious body and blood.
Jesus is here and we
are witnesses.
We see by the light of
faith and believe by the light of glory. We believe and we will share. We will
proclaim with lives radiant in the gospel glory. Like the disciples who came
back from Emmaus, we can proclaim “The Lord is Risen and we met him in the
breaking of the Bread.”
