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‘to serve, not to be served’

CONTACT

Published by the Archdiocese of Toronto

The Diaconate Community Welcomes Our New Shepherd—Archbishop Thomas Collins

(Photos of the Installation and reception inside!)

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Editorial Note... Editors

Barbara Barringer Publisher & Editor

Steve Barringer Contributing Editor

Bill Whelton Contributing Editor

Barbara McFarland Contributing Editor

Articles, letters, and inserts are welcome, preferably by email or fax as follows (with pic-tures if possible):

Email: barbara.barringer@rogers.com

Fax: 905-822-3464 We reserve the right to edit for length and ’good flow’ al-though we promise to present your thoughts and intent as completely as possible. And, remember, the deadline is the 15th of the month for requested articles for the following month’s issue. But we will do our best to accept other material up to the last minute!

Message from the Editor

Like many of you, I grew up in another part of the world. I came to Canada as a young adult, and quickly learned to love many, many things about my new home. But I really struggle when it comes to loving Toronto in March. Even after forty years in this country, I get homesick every March. The gray days and long nights of winter seem endless. I grow sick of boots and salt stains in the front hall. I look with loathing on my good old winter coat. My winter look of red nose, “hathead” hair, and chapped lips is decidedly less than attractive. Phone calls from the family back in Britain talk of crocuses and daffodils in full bloom, and the cherry trees beginning to blossom. Deep in my heart and soul, I yearn for Spring and Easter.

When I read the Gospel passage of Jesus’ so-journ in the desert, I relate it to my own experience of our desert of winter. Then I think of our homeless brothers and sisters who are trying to survive on our streets: queu-ing up for a bed in a shelter; pushing their shopping carts, piled with their small but precious possessions, over the banks of gray snow and ice; huddling in the doorways of the downtown buildings, hoping for a few minutes of warmth before being hustled back out onto the street by a zealous security guard. They are truly in a desert, not only a physical one of cold, but an emotional and spiritual desert, cut off from the normal life of our Canadian com-munity. They suffer from a “homesickness” I cannot imag-ine. Sitting on a window ledge of a downtown store, watching as the rest of us hurry home, to “a place of our own”, they suffer their “homesickness” in silence.

My homesickness vanishes when I see the flowers of Easter and feel the Spring sun on my face. When will their homesickness be over? When will our homeless brothers and sisters emerge from their desert? When will we finally create a Canada, a Toronto which will make a home for these, “the least of our brothers and sisters”? Dear Readers,

Thanks to all of you who gave us positive feedback on our last issue of “Contact”. Steve and I are very pleased that the work of our contributing writers and our work of preparing the issue for publication was so very well re-ceived. We hope you enjoy this issue, also. Please keep the articles, stories, jokes and homilies etc. coming. We are already accepting items for our next edition. Remem-ber!!! We want to hear from YOU!!

John Cannon Contributing Editor

Attitude (submitted by Dom Sasco)

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. "Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair to-day."

So she did and she had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "H-m-m, " she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today."

So she did and she had a grand day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "Today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail."

So she did and she had a fun, fun day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEAH!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything.

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Welcome, Archbishop Collins

January 30th, 2007 was a significant day for the Archdiocese of Toronto. From all over the diocese, priests, deacons and invited guests made their way to the Ca-thedral of St. Michael for the Mass of Installation of our new Archbishop, The Most Reverend Thomas Collins.

Inside the Cathedral, rows of vested priests filled the whole left side, and the dozens of deacons and wives present filed into their customary pews on the far left, in front of the Blessed Sacrament. After the initial welcoming addresses, we were privileged to hear from our retiring Archbishop, Cardinal Ambrozic.

In his usual quiet and unpretentious man-ner, he paid tribute to the priests, deacons and lay workers of the diocese. Particu-larly dear to our community were his words of thanks to the deacons of the diocese “ for the quiet work that is being done by the deacons – all sorts of work that wouldn’t be done without the dea-cons”. Our hearts were full, on hearing those words.

Mass was followed by a superb buffet luncheon at the Convention Centre. Here, we could all relax, enjoy the company, and relish the sense of celebration. Bishop Boissoneau, Vicar of Deacons, made the rounds of all the deacon groups, helping all to feel welcome and part of the community. To quote our Irish friends, “To be sure, it was indeed a grand day!!”.

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The Deacon in the Liturgy of the Mass and Preaching

by Peter Lovrick

In October, 1964, the third session of Vatican ll ratified the resto-ration of the permanent diaconate. In fact, the council of Trent had called for the reinstitution of this ancient order, but the church would not see it carried out until the promulgation of The Dog-matic Constitution of the Church, Lu-men Gentium, in November, 1964 (Congregation for Catholic Education, 1998). Nearly half a century later, the permanent diaconate, although well-established around the world and par-ticularly in North America, remains often misunderstood and requires clarification. Common questions in-clude why ordination is necessary for charitable work to the marginalized, why deacons are permitted to preach, and how their presence at the altar is in any way different from altar serving.

The identity of the deacon is at stake in all these questions. Confu-sion can sometimes be heard among deacons themselves. It is clear from the sixth chapter of Acts that the insti-tution of the diaconate was in re-sponse to the needs of widows and the distribution of food, in other words, ministering to the marginalized. This focus, however, can sometimes ob-scure the role of the deacon in liturgy. So much so, that even deacons them-selves will suggest that although a ministry to the marginalized is essen-tial to their identity, a liturgical base is not. As well meaning as that kind of comment may be, it lacks balance. A rediscovery of and reemphasis on the liturgical and preaching function of the deacon is vital to a full picture of what the permanent diaconate is about.

Lumen Gentium characterized the ministry of service of a deacon in this way: “For strengthened by sacra-mental grace, in communion with the bishop and his group of priests they serve in the diaconate of the liturgy, of the Word, and of charity to the People of God” (29). The ordering of these diaconates or services is telling. Dea-cons serve in various capacities. The service of charity to the marginalized, however, flows out of their service in the liturgy, their function as ministers of the Word and their commitment to prayer. It is in this way, that they bring Christ as they minister to the People of God in a way that differs from social work. Pope Paul Vl in his apostolic letter on the diaconate, Ad Pascen-dum, quotes St. Ignatius of Antioch: “The deacons too, who are ministers of the mysteries of Jesus Christ should please all in every way; for they are not servants of food and drink, but ministers of the Church of God” (1972). What remains to be clari-fied, however, is just what “ministers of the Church of God” actually means.

The Vatican document The Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons (1998) clarifies the deacon’s ministry as a “triple mu-nus of Christ.” Munus docendi refers to proclaiming Scripture, preaching and teaching; munus sanctificandi refers to prayer and the deacon’s role in baptism, the Eucharist and mar-riage; and munus regendi refers to works of charity. The Directory also notes that the deacon “is teacher in so far as he preaches and bears witness to the word of God; he sanctifies when he administers the Sacrament of Bap-tism, the Holy Eucharist and the sac-ramentals, he participates at the cele-bration of Holy Mass as a ‘minister of the Blood’ and conserves and distrib-utes the Blessed Eucharist”(22).

Thus, aside from ministering to the marginalized, the diaconate identity is closely linked to its value in liturgy. A close examination of the Mass reveals the value that conciliar and post-conciliar reforms of the lit-urgy have invested in the diaconate.

One of the fruits of those re-forms connected with the identity of the permanent deacon can be ob-served in church design. A major de-velopment in the design of sacred space has been the positioning of the altar and the ambo. Whereas tradi-tional church architecture placed the ambo outside of the sanctuary, it is common in modern church architec-ture for the ambo to be within the sanctuary, often in line with the altar (Quinn, 2006). This change reflects the importance the Liturgy of the Word has in the Mass. That is, before the reforms, reading of Scripture and preaching were activities that ap-peared to take place outside of the context of the Mass and thus outside of the sacred space. Preaching itself often had little or no connection to the readings. Instead, the focus was on the altar. Reforms since the second Vatican council, however, have em-phasized the Word, so much so that Christ is understood to be present in the proclamation. The introduction to the Lectionary notes that this is the reason for the Gospel Acclamation: “It serves as the assembled faithful’s greeting of welcome to the Lord who is about to speak to them and as an ex-pression of their faith through song” (23). Preaching, in particular, was no longer to be seen as some-thing exterior to the celebration. The Vatican ll document Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy explicitly states that: the homily, therefore, is to be highly esteemed as part of the liturgy itself; in fact, at those Masses which are celebrated with the assistance of

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the people on Sundays and feasts of obligation, it should not be omit-ted except for serious reason. (63).

Consequently, the liturgy of the Word at the ambo is sacred as the liturgy of the Eucharist is sacred on the altar.

If the Mass is understood as two liturgies, the liturgy of the Word and the liturgy of the Eucharist, the ordination to the permanent diacon-ate and the ordination to the priest-hood as separate functions become evident. Whereas the priest has the primary role in the liturgy of the Eucharist, the deacon has the pri-mary role in the liturgy of the Word. The shape of these liturgies makes this connection of the identities of the priest and deacon with the parts of the Mass clear.

The liturgy of the Word moves from the reading of scripture by lectors to a seated congregation to the proclamation of the Gospel by the deacon to a standing congrega-tion. In fact, a deacon takes prece-dence in proclaiming the Gospel even if a bishop is present. Thus, there is an ascending order of rever-ence for Scripture from the first reading to the Gospel (Dehne, 2006). It is significant that that as-cending order of Scripture moves toward the deacon, whose proper role is herald of the Gospel, rather than toward the priest.

This identity for the deacon is prominently marked during ordina-tion when the bishop places the book of the Gospels in the hands of the deacon with the words “Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become.” The deacon is thus especially commissioned by the Church to take and preach the Word. Consequently, the deacon carries out this commission in this part of the Mass.

The liturgy of the Word also includes the homily which the Church has defined as an extension of the proclamation (CCC 1154). As with the proclamation of the Gospel, preaching the homily also brings Christ to the faithful. The Lectionary points out that “Christ himself is also always present and active in the preaching of his Church” (24). As minister of the Word, then, the dea-con preaches by virtue of his ordina-tion in a liturgy of the Word in which he has a special identity. The Con-gregation for the Clergy notes, It is for the deacon to proclaim the Gos-pel and preach the word of God. Deacons have the faculty to preach everywhere, in accordance with the conditions established by law (24).

Although it is normative for the celebrant to preach the homily, the deacon shares this faculty with the priest through their ordination and union with the local bishop. In addition, the Church requires the deacons to stress their identities as preachers at any other liturgy over which they preside. The Directory for the Ministry and Life of Perma-nent Deacons notes: When the deacon presides at a liturgical cele-bration, in accordance with the rele-vant norms, he shall give due impor-tance to the homily, since it pro-claims the marvels worked by God in the mystery of Christ, present and effective in the liturgical celebra-tions. Deacons should be trained carefully to prepare their homilies in prayer, in study of the sacred texts, in perfect harmony with the Magiste-rium and in keeping with the situa-tion of those to whom they preach (25)

This emphasis on the dea-con’s role as preacher is in accord with understanding the deacon as minister of the Word.

The liturgy of the Word ends with general intercessions or the prayer of the faithful. Once again, the Church intends that these intercessions, as part of the liturgy of the Word, be voiced by the dea-con and only by a lector if a deacon is not present. The General Intro-duction to the Lectionary notes that “In Masses without a deacon, the function of announcing the inten-tions for the prayer of the faithful is to be assigned to the cantor, par-ticularly when they are to be sung, to a reader, or to someone else” (53). Consequently, the pref-erence is that the deacon who has proclaimed the Gospel and who can preach the homily as well, voice the intentions which grow out of the en-tire liturgy of the Word for that par-ticular Mass. This connection among the intercessions, the read-ings and the homily is made even closer in dioceses where the deacon is commissioned to write the inter-cessions for the Mass (Gibbs).

When the liturgy of the Word moves into the liturgy of the Eucharist, the celebrant becomes central while the deacon assists in various ways. Whereas in the liturgy of the Word the deacon serves with the Book of the Gospels, in the lit-urgy of the Eucharist the deacon serves with the chalice as minister of the cup. The deacon may help receive the gifts, prepare the altar and distribute the Eucharist, but it is clearly the celebrant through his ordination to the priesthood whose role is vital. The deacon’s function in this part of the liturgy, however, continues another aspect of his identity which was exercised in the liturgy of the Word. That function is to activate the faithful.

The deacon activates the faithful in that he speaks for them

- continued

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and encourages them. This function in the Mass first occurs at the prayer of the faithful where, as noted above, the deacon invites the people to pray for specific intentions of the commu-nity and the world. During the liturgy of the Eucharist, the deacon contin-ues this role when he invites the peo-ple to share the sign of the peace.

The liturgy provides for the deacon, rather than the priest or a lay minister, to encourage the faithful to express peace in a tangible way in response to Jesus’ admonition in Mathew 5:23-24 to reconcile before coming to the altar. That is, as he encouraged the faithful to pray for others, he now encourages them to interact with others expressing their commitment to peace.

The most important part of this liturgical identity, however, comes at the end of the Mass. The priest blesses the faithful in his role as pastor and as alter Christus, but it is the deacon who activates or en-courages the faithful to “go in peace to love and serve God” and by exten-sion “each other.” Thus, the deacon who has an identity as a minister to the marginalized and who is commis-sioned by the Church as an example of loving neighbour in the love of God, reminds the faithful to do the same. The message is that this mo-ment of the Mass is not an ending, but a beginning for their week carry-ing out their own Christian identity in the world.

A rediscovery of the value and role of the permanent deacon in the Mass helps expand and deepen the deacon’s identity as servant. It is true that it is not necessary for a dea-con to be present to celebrate a Mass. A priest can celebrate a Mass without a deacon. He can also cele-brate a Mass without lectors, altar servers or even music. It is the in-

tention of the Church, however, that the Mass, and particularly the Sun-day Mass, which is the highest form of prayer, be celebrated well. To that end, the Church has instituted re-forms that involve lay ministers, high-light Scripture, and encourage music. It also clearly sees that the Mass is enriched by the ministry of the dea-con. The munus docendi and the munus sanctificandi of the deacon which is derived from Christ is ex-pressed most clearly in the liturgy of the Mass. The deacon who pro-claims the Word and activates the faithful to carry out their faith wher-ever they go, is rooted in the liturgy and the Word for munus regendi. Thus, the three diaconates of the Word, liturgy and charity, become one.

- Peter Lovrick

References

Catechism of the Catholic Church. Ottawa: Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1994.

Congregation for Catholic Education and Con-gregation for the Clergy. Directory for the Ministry and Life of Perma-nent Deacons. 1998.

Dehne, Karl. A lecture in the Intensive for Liturgy and Preaching LIT-D604.Aquinas Institute and Preach-ing, Aquinas of Theology. October 2006

Gibbs, Marshall. Rev. Deacon. A personal interview with a deacon from the archdiocese of Orlando, Florida (October, 2006).

Lectionary: Sunday and Solemnities. 1992 Ottawa: Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Lumen Gentium in The Sixteen Documents of Vatican ll. Boston: Pauline Books & Media, 1999.

Pope Paul Vl. Apostolic Letter Containing Norms for the Order of Diaconate

(Ad Pascendum), 1972.

Quinn, Frank. O.P. A lecture in the Intensive for Liturgy and Preaching LIT-D604.Aquinas Institute and Preach-ing, Aquinas of Theology. October

A Graveside Service

(submitted by Dom Sasco)

A young minister was asked by a fu-neral director to hold a graveside ser-vice for a homeless man, with no fam-ily or friends.

The funeral was to be held in a ceme-tery way back in the country, and this man would be the first to be laid to rest there. As he was not familiar with the backwoods area, he got lost and being like some of the rest of us did not stop and ask for directions.

He finally arrived an hour late. He saw the back hoe and the crew, who were eating lunch, but the hearse was no-where in sight. He apologized to the workers for his tardiness, and stepped to the side of the open grave, where he saw the vault lid already in place.

He assured the workers that he wouldn't hold them up for long, but this was the proper thing to do.

The workers gathered around, still eat-ing their lunch. And the preacher be-gan.

As he preached, some of the workers began to say "Amen", "Praise the Lord", "Glory", and "Alleluia". Well, it kind of got him going and sort of got wound up and he preached like he'd never preached before: from Genesis all the way to Revelations. He closed the lengthy service with a prayer, closed his bible and walked to his car. As he was opening the door and taking off his coat, he overheard one of the workers saying to another," I ain't never seen anything like that before and I've been puttin' in septic tanks for twenty years."

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In The Footsteps of the King of Kings

“Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit through the wilderness, being tempted there by the devil for forty days. (Luke 4:1-2)........ with the power of the Spirit in him, he returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside.” (Luke 4:14).”

As I look back on our pilgrimage to the Holy Land, these words from Scripture focus on what was for me the es-sence of this journey. Robert and I were part of a small group of 15 people; not unlike Jesus and his band of disciples (only they didn’t have the good fortune to travel by air-conditioned bus!) Together with Fr. Joseph DeViveros and our Group Leader, Kitty McGilly, we set out on a path that would follow in the footsteps of Jesus, physically and spiritually.

We began our pilgrimage in Nazareth celebrat-ing mass in the Church of the Annunciation. Each day, we celebrated the Eucharist in a different location where Jesus had been present and it seemed that each cele-bration took on a special meaning of its own through the readings and reflections which related to the location. At three of these events we were able to gather outside for mass. Once was by the Sea of Galilee, (which by the way is smaller than Lake Simcoe) where the feeding of the Five Thousand took place. The second took place near Jericho and the third at Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean Sea where we celebrated mass on the beach, just as the sun was beginning to set. This par-ticular site was on the last day of our tour and was a magnificent, peaceful ending to 10 beautiful days.

Celebrating daily mass was always the highlight for me because it is a very intimate and personal link to the rest my day. I remember particularly the one in “Shepherds Field”. We found ourselves gathered in a dark, cave-like dwelling where our re-enactment of the story of the Nativity formed a part of our Liturgy of the

Word. Being here in the actual field where the Incarna-tion took place added a whole new dimension. Bethle-hem and the surrounding field was now more than just the name of a small village; it was here that the revela-tion of God’s love began and I could visualize in my mind the reality of what happened 2000 years ago. By coincidence, our journey took place during the season of Advent, and so what better way to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Christ child than to be present at the place of his birth. As a way of preparation during this beautiful season, it prompted me to renew my own reso-lutions to surrender to Jesus my resentment and self-righteousness among other weaknesses and once more to trust in His goodness, wisdom and gentleness.

Because our group was small, everyone par-ticipated in our liturgies in some way, and over the 10 days we began to understand that what had happened to Jesus between Bethlehem and Calvary was in the fullest sense what we as Christians were also being called to live each moment of every day.

At another point in our journey a few days later, we celebrated mass at the Cenacle, better known as “The Upper Room”, where the Eucharist was instituted by Jesus on Holy Thursday. I fully expected a small, dark room but instead we gathered in what is now a lovely, modern chapel. Fr. Joseph re-enacted the wash-ing of the feet and he really earned his “Brownie Points” here as most of us wore sandals and had been walking all day on dusty roads!

For part of our tour, we traveled throughout “The Galilee”, as it is known there, visiting Cana, site of the first miracle of Jesus; Migdal, the home of Mary Magdalene and Mount Tabor, the site of the Transfigu-ration. Here we arrived in time to get a tremendous view of the valley below just as the sun was setting. It was easy to imagine the appearance of Moses and Elijah on this majestic mountain top, as a mysterious haze de-scended in the valley below. Throughout “The Galilee”, I became very aware of the visual images that Jesus probably would have often seen. At one point we climbed to “the brow of the hill” which gave us a breath-taking view of the Sea of Galilee; it encompassed “The Galilee” along the shore, just below us and the Golan Heights across the water, stretching from the top end near Mt. Tabor to the lower end where the Sea of Gali-lee connects with the Jordan River. We took a couple of boat rides on the sea, but there were no storms to sud-denly put us in distress! Then again, if there had been, perhaps Jesus would have come by to help us, walking on the water………

By Ria Kinghorn

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After stops at the Mount of Beatitudes, Caper-naum and the Jordan River we bid a fond farewell to our four days in The Galilee and “set our faces to Jerusa-lem”. It must have been a journey of many days for Je-sus and his disciples to walk to Jerusalem. On the way there, we did stop by the Dead Sea for a quick swim/float and a mud bath, and yes, you really float, but don’t get the water in your mouth or your eyes – the sulphur in the water stings your eyes and tastes foul.

These are only small glimpses of what we did as a group and yet it’s even more difficult to describe what was happening interiorly. The best way that I can explain it is to compare it to the deepening of a wonder-ful friendship. When you first visit the home of a friend you become aware of different aspects of their sur-roundings that give you a new insight to who they are. You become a part of their world, of the environment that has shaped and molded them into the person you love and in this consciousness, you reach a new level of understanding and sharing. By visiting the Holy land, I entered into a world where the Son of God had lived as a man amongst the people of Israel and taken on their identity. I could now imagine so much more vividly how he was influenced by his Jewish heritage and his sur-roundings; using nature, the sea and the lives of simple people to pass on his message of love. Without realizing it, I became keenly aware of the beauty of the land and the sea that he must have cherished. Instinctively, it strengthened the sense of familiarity, comfort and devo-tion that I had in my own relationship with Jesus.

But there is still so much to tell. We had to leave the Dead Sea and begin our journey into the de-sert; and this was as much an interior journey as it was a physical undertaking. As the lush valleys slowly gave way to a dry and dusty landscape, we arrived at the summit of a mountainous plateau. Stepping from the bus we walked up a small incline to a level area where a low, circular, stone wall and a stone seating area had been built as a viewing point for what lay before us. However, I was unprepared for the barren and empty panorama that stretched out for miles before us in every direction. The view was overwhelming! From our van-tage point, at the edge of a cliff, I could see that we were high up in the mountains able to look across at a sea of mountain tops – across a wasteland stripped of all forms of visible life, with only our small group and a Bedouin family present in this wilderness. For a city girl used to concrete, cars and streams of people in a bus-tling life this was an awesome experience, the ultimate encounter of what is meant by silence and emptiness and one that is difficult to put into words.

We celebrated mass in this desolate landscape appropriately called “The Valley of the Shadow of Death” and through the readings recalled Jesus’ own journey into this desert and his confrontation with the devil. Throughout our utterly simple and unadorned celebration, there was an almost sacred, reverent si-lence, an unspoken understanding of the majesty and power of God’s creation so dramatically present here. Yet, mysteriously at the same time, an awareness that it was the same God who loved each one of us dearly and became present to us in this very Eucharist that we were sharing together.

It was a divine moment that exploded within me and touched me in a very profound way. I couldn’t avoid making the comparison between Jesus’ journey into the desert and his subsequent ministry in The Galilee. The symbolism and the contrast was so stark – the empti-ness of one and the fullness of life in the other – Jesus emptying himself in the desert and returning to serve the people of Galilee filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Here as I looked upon this barren mountainous land-scape, I began to fathom the meaning and purpose of emptiness, of letting go. It synthesized in one moment the impact of turning to God in prayer and contemplation and coming out of it renewed and replenished. When I touch the emptiness and darkness within myself, rather than pull me away from the source of love, the Holy Spirit sets me on fire, on a path towards an ever deeper and more intimate relationship with God – towards “The Galilee” of my own life, and into a world where he calls me to serve others.

Sadly, we had to leave this extraordinary, peaceful retreat in the desert and make our way to Jeru-salem, where we stayed for our final four days. The next morning our first stop was Bethlehem. I mentioned pre-viously that we celebrated mass in Shepherd’s Field near Bethlehem, but I didn’t recount one of the most heart-wrenching encounters that we experienced here. Who would have thought that Bethlehem, “this city of light”, this humble village where Christ’s love shone out to the world so many years ago could be filled with so much pain, oppression and abandonment. But then, even in the time of Jesus, the Jewish people in this re-gion were under oppression by the Roman government …..so really, not much has changed.

As we approached the village, we could see a huge wall of concrete, probably 80 feet high, surround-ing the area – none of the inhabitants could leave – and those who wished to enter had to pass an armed check-point. The people here are very impoverished and cut

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off from all sources of government funding. However, within its walls we witnessed a sign of hope and of life amid the devastating collapse of the infrastructure. There, a small, elderly nun by the name of Sr. Sophie has set up an orphanage to care for the very young chil-dren of Bethlehem, whose parents cannot afford to feed them. There were also babies of young, unwed, Muslim girls. These babies would face certain death in the strict Muslim community, because their mothers cannot es-cape from Bethlehem and bring them to safety else-where. Sr. Sophie depends solely on outside donations to run the orphanage with her limited staff. The 40 – 50 children, ages 9 months to about 7 years, were a joy to visit and received us with open arms; laughing and play-ing for the short time that we were with them. I had the urge to bring every one of them home with me!

There is no doubt that Sr. Sophie’s work here gives hope to the families in Bethlehem that their chil-dren have a chance to survive. But just as Christ was a glimmer of hope for the people of his time, He is also a sign of the reign of God, a bringer of peace and love through Sister Sophie. When I took time to reflect on how this impacts in my own life, in the midst of my own difficulties and disappointments, which pale in compari-son, I find consolation in God’s enduring love for all mankind. It urged me to give more of myself to help alle-viate the sufferings of others.

Of course, this was not the Bethlehem that I had envisioned before coming to the Holy Land. But now, how poignant, and yet inspiring it was that God should again use tiny children in humble surroundings to spread his message of love once more! For his love could only enter this fractured town in such obscure sur-roundings; and only through humility and compassion could that love be given away as a sign to these chil-dren, to the people in Bethlehem, and to us that God still dwells among us.

We made our way back to Jerusalem where we stayed until our departure, visiting many sites in the vicinity dur-ing those few remaining days. Jerusalem, though not a cosmopolitan city like Toronto or London, has a unique character all its own. The ancient ruins of the old city within its surrounding wall are shared by many different faiths, which has been the cause of much tension over the years. We began a walking pilgrimage along Palm Sunday Road which leads to the Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane. Within the walls of this peaceful garden we celebrated the sacrament of Reconciliation and had time to reflect on the agonizing dilemma of Je-sus as He was confronted with doing His Father’s will.

After stopping at the house of Caiaphas we reenacted the “Way of the Cross” along the Via Dolorosa, stopping at many of the stations along the way to recite a short prayer. We were clearly in the middle of the market place, winding through the old streets, as Jesus would have done at that time.

The narrow passage ways where hundreds of cobble-stone steps take you up and down the endless hills within the old city are lined with shopkeepers on either side trying to elicit your attention. It would have been a grueling walk and a humiliating ordeal for Jesus, now seen as an outcast and criminal, carrying a cross. Our “Way of the Cross” finished at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where the actual crucifixion is said to have taken place. Many of these sites like The Church of the Holy Sepulchre are shared by more than one faith tradi-tion, each of whom has its own ideas of how to preserve these most important religious sites.

I found it difficult to grasp the reality that Jesus was ac-tually crucified in this area – there is no semblance of what might appear to be the original hill of Calvary any-where here. Only a small section of the stone where he was believed to have been crucified could be seen through a small, glass enclosure. The altars here and at the burial site were so ornate and elaborate, to the point of sensory overload, that I found it hard to penetrate into the sacredness of the moment. Combined with all the bustling activity of visitors talking everywhere, it seemed more like a “tourist attraction” than one of the most ven-erable sites in religious history. But everyone’s experi-ence of the Holy Land is different, and so perhaps for some, just standing on this holy ground might be a very powerful experience.

Our pilgrimage was soon coming to an end as we finished with a few final visits to the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock – the Muslim mosque, the home of John the Baptist - the site of the Visitation and Emmaus.

It all passed so quickly and yet the vivid memo-ries, not to mention a few hundred photographs, will last for many years to come. The weather for those ten days couldn’t have been more perfect; sunshine everyday. We had excellent hotel accommodation and our won-derful Jewish tour guide, Gideon, added so much to our experience. He was an inexhaustible source of knowl-edge of both Old and New Testaments, and was very familiar with every aspect of Jewish geography and cul-ture.

-continued

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The Holy Land may seem quite like many other places that you might have seen or visited. Like Rome and Athens, for example, it has beautiful scenery, charming and interesting architecture, fascinating his-tory, and genuine hospitality from the local people. But one thing about Israel stands out far above any other place you or I have ever visited, and remains its endur-ing hallmark for all time – Jesus, the Son of God, be-came man, here!

Shalom !

- Ria Kinghorn

Being a Mentor:

by Derek Skelton

I have been in the ministry of mentoring for many years in the Archdiocese of Toronto Diacon-ate Community. What is a Deacon Mentor? He serves as a guide, counselor, and tutor for another person. He is a friend and brother in diaconal min-istry.

Four years ago Marjorie & I were asked to join the SAS Formation training program as a mentor couple. Of course, we did not think we were qualified for such a task but said we would give it a try for two years. We are now beginning our fifth year as a mentor couple to the first & sec-ond year formation group. It has been a very re-warding journey that has gone beyond all our ex-pectations. It's about listening, sharing experi-ences and working from the heart to the heart of another person. "Gentle Teaching" from the core of one's heart to another!

The reward of any ministry is the flow of love that comes from God to one's heart and flows to another heart, unfiltered by the rules and regula-tion of the mind.

I would like to share with the diaconal community the flow of that love from the last group we men-tored

To Derek & Marjorie With a Heartfelt Thanks from your Motley Crew! June, 2006 This tribute's to a seaman, And his extraordinary wife, Who, with patience and with hearts of gold, Have led us to tonight. We really hope we've made you proud, We, your motley crew, Cause even though we don't know much, We've lasted through year two! And what have we to show for it? We've re-thought all we knew, Our pride's been bruised, our egos crushed, But still we're halfway through! We thank you for your mentorship,

Your caring hearts, the ears you lent, And while assignments didn't relent, You gave us time and a place to vent. Who could predict your impact Or guess the repercussions, How we would grow together, Through all those learned discussions? And thank you too for sharing, Those pains that you went through, It taught us that to give is good But to need is important too. Thinking back upon our start, It feels like yesterday, And yet, with lives forever changed, Who recalls any other way? So with this token tribute, Our heartfelt thanks we send, For just being there and being yourselves, As mentors and as friends! With lots of love Bill & Sally Radigan, Jan & Elizabeth Sirek Tony & Marie Teresi Deacon Class of '08 (maybe?) St. Augustine's Seminary This poem was composed by Bill Radigan.

If you’d like to look into Mentoring as a couple—please contact John Grieve at St. Augustine’s (416) 261-7207

APRIL 2007

12

The Call to Diaconate - Looking Back

Val & Wies Danukarjanto

Sunday 30th of July 2006. One of the seniors from our community was hospitalized and had to undergo surgery. When we visited her, she did not recognize us. She was heavily sedated, and breathing with assistance from a ma-chine. We stayed for a while, prayed, and gave her a blessing. This is all part of my ministry.

Friday, 28th of July 2006, was our daughter's wedding at the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. On the wedding certificate, printed, in Spanish, "The wedding was solemnized by Permanent Deacon Valentinus Danukarjanto". It was my first wedding, my own daughter, Inez, married to Paul, and I gave them the blessing of the Church. Awesome!

After my Ordination on the 24th of June, 2006, things hap-pened very fast. My First Mass was on the same day, Sat-urday 5:00PM at the Epiphany of Our Lord Parish, my litur-gical base. I then assisted at all three English Masses the next day. The following Sunday I assisted at my First Mass in the Indonesian language with the Indonesian Catholic Community at St. Pius X Church. This is also part of my ministry.

On Wednesday of that week, one of our elderly seniors passed away. With the priest absent, I conducted the Wake Service Friday evening, assisted with the Requiem Mass on Saturday, led the prayer at the Crematorium, and on Monday presided over the internment of the ashes.

All this happened so fast. I still cannot believe it. Is this really happening? I am still overwhelmed and awed with God's grace, to myself and to my family. Words cannot describe my feelings. I am so honored, I am so humbled, I am so blessed, I am so thankful to God for His abundant blessings

Looking back - when did it all start?

I am not sure. But, if I remember correctly, the first seed was planted sometime around early 1990's, by our family friend, Gary Johnson, at that time preparing to be a Dea-con. Whenever we met, he always commented with some

words, which would hint: When is your turn? And at that time I answered: Who? Me? A deacon? No way, I don't think so.

But, God did not give up with His call. He did not want NO as an answer. Since then, several people remarked: "You can be a deacon"; "Are you going to be a deacon?" "You ought to be a deacon". As for myself, I was not sure.

In the year 2000, the real starting point was the annual UKI (Umat Katolik Indonesia = Indonesian Catholic Com-munity) retreat. After the retreat, I started to go to addi-tional weekday Masses whenever I could. Going to Mass in the morning, and the additional prayers during the bus ride to work, somehow got me closer to God. Then during the "Christ the King" Rally in November, I heard again the call "to be holy". I thought at that time: what does this mean for me?

Again, more of God's calls were registered. A person whom we seldom meet, commented to me: "Are you a deacon?" Then, I met a friend who said, "I heard you are going to be a deacon when you retire." He said, "I heard it from my wife."

In January 2001, I went to see our parish priest, Fr. Vito Marziliano. I told him about this lingering thought, and also about the comments some people have made, that I may have the call to be a deacon. Then I asked, how do I dis-cern the will of God? He said, pray and listen to God. Also, talk to our vocation director. I was not sure if I was ready, so I didn't do it right away.

My wife Wies and I, are faithful attendees of the "Lift Jesus Higher" Rally. In March of 2001 the theme of the Rally was: "Put out into the deep". The speakers challenged us to "go deeper". For me the challenge became very per-sonal. How do I go deeper? Four months after my meeting with Fr. Vito, I called our vocation director, and asked for an appointment. When we met we had a good conversa-tion, and she gave me some materials about Christian vo-cation, and also a brochure about Deacons.

But more than two months passed by before I called St. Augustine's Seminary on July 24th. Deacon George New-man gave me some more information.

Then in August 2001, at a wedding presided over by Dea-con Gary Johnson, a fellow guest remarked, "Are you not a deacon too?" Hmmm ...??.

Up to this point, I was still not sure. To gather more infor-mation, we turned to our friends Deacon Gary and Helen Johnson. Gary and Helen shared their experiences. It is not easy. A big question lurked in my mind, what are we getting into? - continued

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Every time I asked my wife, Wies, what she thought of my becoming a Deacon, she always answered, I will support you 100%. What a wonderful wife. When I feel doubtful, she is always there to give her full support. I could see now that God and the angels must have been all behind her. I don’t think I would have gone forward without her support.

We decided to go ahead. The process of candidate’s evaluation, selection, and application started. The first step was an interview by Deacon George Newman and his wife (October 23, 2001). They explained all the de-tails of the formation program.

I went to see Fr. Vito again, and he, as always, was very supportive. He assured us, “Do not worry that you are not sure now. The formation program is part of the proc-ess of determining that you really have the call. The staff, the mentor, the spiritual director, and yourself will further discern and evaluate if you are suitable to be a deacon. You will have four years to decide. So go ahead, take the plunge.” And I (we) did!

In July we were informed by Deacon John Grieve that I was accepted to the Diaconate Formation Program, to start on September 21, 2002.

In Spring, 2002, when the evaluation process was still ongoing, we attended the “Lift Jesus Higher” Rally once more. At the end, I answered an altar call for peo-ple who wanted to dedicate their lives to God. I went up, saying: “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will.”

That was 4 years ago. I answered God’s call, and God led and guided me all the way through the formation. Now I am an ordained deacon, and the work has just begun. Please pray for us.

Post Scriptum: God has unique ways to guide our lives. During my prac-ticum, I met Deacon Don McPhee, recovering after the miraculous escape from his accident. We visited, and talked about how I ended up in the Diaconate Formation. I told him about how “Lift Jesus Higher” Rallies helped me to take the final move. At that time, I really did not know that Deacon Don was on the Steering Committee of the rally.

In 2006, instead of Spring, the Rally was held in October After Ordination, I was very surprised when Deacon Don approached me and asked, if I would consider being the “Deacon of the Word” for the closing Mass of the Rally. I said: it will be an honor for me to be of service.

It was another awesome experience. I came early to help bless the hall (Metro Convention Center – South

Building), I assisted with the Exposition and Eucharistic Procession of the Blessed Sacrament with Blessing, led by Fr. Tom Rosica. Then during the Holy Mass cele-brated by Bishop Lacey, for the first time in my life I had the opportunity to proclaim the Word to about 4000 peo-ple. Thank you Lord! This experience confirmed my call.

I would like to invite all of you to experience “Lift Jesus Higher Rally”. Dynamic speakers are already lined up, e.g. Fr. Stan Fortuna, the rapper priest, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, etc.

Mark it on your calendar for Saturday, 14 April 2007. See you all there!

For more information about “Lift Jesus Higher Rally” in Toronto, visit the website:

http://www.lift-jesus-higher-rally.org/

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A WIFE’S WORDS AS GRACE

by Tony Pignataro

In August of 2005, I was hired as the pastoral coordinator at Villa Forum, a nursing home in Mississauga. After thirty-two years as an elementary school teacher, and fifteen years as the chaplain at Sancta Maria House, a group home for young women in dis-tress, this was a distinct departure from my now familiar and comfortable work with youth.

One of my duties as chaplain was the conducting of a hymn sing every Tuesday morning in Milano, the Alz-heimer’s ward, named after an Ital-ian city, as every floor is named. Us-ing my guitar and singing both in English and Italian I provided forty minutes of gentle soothing music to calm and assuage the compulsive-obsessive behavior of the twenty or so residents.

It worked well and soon even the nurses and personal-care providers left their station to sit with the resi-dents and join in the singing. But those encouraging results were quickly off-set by an unexpected malaise. When I began my music ministry in this part of the Home, I was prepared for just about anything – to be interrupted by irrational screaming or indecipherable gibber-ish, to sing alone, to be ignored or even rejected. What I was not pre-

pared for was the disturbing effect the lyrics of songs would have on my own emotions and psyche especially when placed within the context of an Alzheimer’s ward. What I had not anticipated was the impact words of hope and affirmation, sung in an at-mosphere of desperation and incom-prehensibility, would have on my faith.

One evening, a few weeks into my new job, I sat down at the dinner table dejected and troubled. “It makes no sense,” I blurted to my wife Laura. “It makes no sense. Here I am singing, ‘The Lord has prom-ised good to me’, while staring at faces more dead than alive. Here I am singing, ‘The Lord is my Shep-herd, there is nothing I shall want’, walking among people strapped to wheelchairs, babbling incoherently, no longer in touch with their own identity; it doesn’t make sense.” And Laura with hardly a moment’s hesita-tion answered, “Perhaps that’s the only place it does makes sense!”

And with those words she chal-lenged my spiraling descent into doubt, inviting a deeper exploration, understanding and commitment to the faith I so easily – and at times glibly – profess. Spoken from a more objective yet profoundly compas-sionate perspective, she served to lead me from the edges of despair to search out the deeper meaning and truth revealed in the words I am singing. I could only marvel in grati-tude at the grace she occasions with her presence and timely remarks.

As I contemplated my wife’s in-sightful response I remembered that this was not the first time she had gently guided me toward a deeper understanding of a conflicting situa-tion. Early on in my career as a dea-con I was invited to be part of a three-man rotation team for a Sun-day afternoon ecumenical service at

the Queen Street Mental Health Center. This service was directed at a group of about 18 patients, both male and female, who were under-going psychiatric assessment to de-termine if they were competent to stand trial. It was a fascinating and demanding ministry which I enjoyed.

To save having to write a new homily, I volunteered to go on my preaching Sunday when I had al-ready prepared a reflection on the readings. Still, the stress was un-avoidable since no sooner did I get home from church, than I had to get ready to leave for the Centre. My enthusiasm began to wane and I noticed a growing resistance to my commitment, so much so that I con-sidered quitting.

When I expressed my concern to Laura she alerted me to a different side. ‘I see the opposite’, she said, ‘when you get home you’re buoyant and refreshed, eager to share how you’ve been touched by their sad stories; how gratified and humbled you are as you place your hand over their head, call each by name, and bless them. You remind me, ‘she continued, ‘of the parable of the two sons, the one in which the father asks the first son to go and work in the field. He resists saying no, but then thinking the better of it relents and says yes. The second son says yes quickly, but then refuses go. You are like that first son, initially saying no, but then yielding and saying yes. And being happy for doing so.’

Amazingly my wife had framed my dilemma. Her words gave me a way of understanding myself and my predicament, allowing me my com-plaint and continuing to avail myself of the benefits and rewards of a diffi-cult yet effective ministry. With her support and encouragement I re-mained in that ministry for many years after.

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Dear Wives, no doubt you will re-member that, during your initial inter-view prior to being accepted as candi-dates in the formation program, you were informed of the requirement to participate to some degree in the For-mation program. The reason given was so that you would be sufficiently in-formed to give your consent at the time of your husband’s ordination.

You may consider that the minimum legal requirement. I would like to offer you not the minimum but the ideal, not the commandment, ‘Thou shalt attend …’ but the beatitude, ‘Blessed is she …’ My growing understanding is that far from needing to offer only tacit permis-sion for her husband’s ordination, a wife – her presence, understanding, and companionship is essential not only for the proper formation of her husband, but for the success of all fu-ture endeavors, especially ministry to the marginalized.

That this is true is self-evident, for there is no one who is better poised and equipped to be for him that neces-sary balance, support, source of objec-tivity, interpreter of events, and wisdom than the person who is most intimately joined to him as his spouse. Who else but she can offer that unique mix of understanding, patience, and trust he can rely on unreservedly?

Who else but she can invite, chal-lenge, insist, push if need be, or pull if she must so as to facilitate growth and maturity? A wife’s words are an occa-sion of grace, her presence a treasured blessing.

- Tony Pignataro

DEACON’S PRAYER

God Our Father:

I thank you for the love and care you show to me and my family, and for calling me to serve you as a deacon in the Church.

May your Holy Spirit guide me in my home life, in my employ-ment, and in my ministry to your people. I ask for understanding of others and compassion to all. Help me to know the gifts you have given me, and show me how to use them in serving oth-ers.

Bless me with the humility needed to accept rejection, the ability to discern your will, and the peace of mind that comes with serving you as you would have me do.

I pray for my brother deacons, the men in the diaconate forma-tion program and those being called. I pray for their wives and families, and their special' needs. I pray for our Pope, our Bishops, priests, religious, par-ish communities, and all peo-ples. May we serve each other in love, and with understanding.

Give me the courage, strength and grace to help build a world of justice and peace through Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen.

WIFE’S PRAYER

LORD:

I said "yes" when my husband was ordained a Deacon.

The "yes" meant my support, my love, my sharing him as he serves our brothers and sisters.

Thank you for our marriage and our life together.

I ask for your help in my sup-porting him in his service to others as a Deacon.

I know you love me Lord as your unique creation.

You have gifted me in many ways. Help me to know my gifts and to use them wherever you desire - within my family circle, and in this world when I am called to love and serve others as Jesus did.

Amen

Imprimatur, October 4, 1986,

Memorial of St. Francis of Assist Stanislaus J. Brzana, S.T.D., Bishop of Ogdensburq

The Prayers below from the diocese of

Ogdensburg were submitted by

Tab Charbonneau

APRIL 2007

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Reflection on 1 Peter 1:3-5 by Lionel Gomes

The Lord said to Simon Peter: I have prayed for you Pe-ter that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned to me you must strengthen the faith of your brothers. In this letter Peter is strengthening the faith of the new con-verts to Christianity. They received no appreciation from the Authorities and others but they received eternal ap-preciation from God the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Baptism had given them new birth in Christ. They had been freed from sin. They were now children of the Most High and heirs to the permanent inheritance of God's Kingdom. They looked to the future with a vision of Faith, Hope and Victory. They lived under God's protec-tion and awaited with joy and peace the day of revelation when their new birth would lead them to the glory of eter-nal salvation.

If history truly repeats itself then let me tell you the story of a young Jesuit who came from Belgium to Calcutta India and revolutionized an Institution along with a gen-eration of people in a bloodless coup.

Gerad Beckers was a Jesuit. He was armed with a Doc-torate of Science (DSC) from Louvain University, Bel-gium. He came to teach Biochemistry in St.Xavier'College, Calcutta in 1954.

His teaching made a tremendous impact on the Staff and students of the Institution, mainly composed of non Christians. They liked the way he taught and the ideals he shared with them. They described his approach like this. He did not prepare us for examinations; but inspired us with a vision of love for further studies, research and doing good for others in life. The students wanted to do something for their poor brothers and sisters who lived in the backward areas of North Eastern India. Most of this land lay fallow and under-developed and the people lived in extreme poverty. The students vowed to do something of lasting worth for the people in this area

Although Beckers never baptized anyone with water he inspired them with a Baptism of Desire. These young men were filled with a vision of faith, hope and victory. Peter himself would have remarked: "Young men filled with vision ...." These young graduates, mainly non-Christians, working under Christian ideals fed the hungry and vowed to liberate the captives, Politicians envied Beckers and his young brood - their blood sweat and tears - but could do nothing to stop the tremendous revo-lution of love, goodness and reform that had been re-leased by these young people.

Under the leadership of Beckers the Institution of St. Xa-vier's opened an additional wing to accommodate young men and women from backward classes who longed to break the vicious circle of their fate, aspire to higher edu-cation, and decent living standards.

In course of time Beckers became regional director of the Catholic University Federation (of which I was Gen-eral President back in my University days). Beckers be-lieved youth power could transform society. These non catholic students joined the catholic University Federa-tion and collaborated with them in a spirit of Christian altruism.

As the movement spread to the remotest corners of the afflicted areas the face of that part of the Country which had remained backward and neglected even 40 years after Independence began to change. The young people took pride in what they were doing even though at times it meant making heroic sacrifices. They strongly believed that this land was their inheritance and something had to be done to improve it.

Along with Beckers, they worked tirelessly toward its development. Many of the graduates could have secured plush jobs in the big cities. But they did not. Instead they turned their attention and energies towards working in the backward areas. They became researchers, engi-neers, scientists, farmers, administrators, and politicians in the region. They worked on agrarian reforms, eco-nomic and technological development. Initially they worked for hardly any money; but soon the job market was flourishing. People found jobs locally and did not have to go to big cities. Companies located to the area, Government assistance was given to new entrepreneurs. Social advancement programs got the funding they needed.

What the Congress and the Marxists had failed to do with their corrupt policies Beckers and his little band of faithful and sacrificial followers accomplished.

God was working with them and protecting them from harm in their endeavours. Beckers himself escaped sev-eral attempts on his life. Eventually, his enemies gave up and joined hands, as they too were benefiting from the schemes which had been introduced.

Beckers was known as Babu Beckers a title of respect which meant sir, gentleman and scholar. In 1975 Babu took Indian Citizenship and became a Santal citizen. The Santals were Untouchables according to the Hindu

-continued

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caste system. The Government of India outlawed the caste system in the Con-stitution by giving equal rights and op-portunities to all- at least on paper. In actual fact, the Santals remained as they were. Beckers worked hard among them. He learned to speak their language; he wore their dress; he was like Jesus moving about them bringing light to their darkness. "Blessed are the poor; Blessed are those that hunger for justice"; Blessed are the compassion-ate. Santals are doing better today than ever before and many have as-pired to leadership in rural affairs.

Beckers was a Christian in love with the world; he was ready to spend him-self producing the fruits in abundance for others; He was a religious, who in his manifold activities, related to the Divine at the heart of all that was hap-pening.

Gerad Babu Beckers died on the 12th December 2006. He had sown the seeds of new life that had taken birth in the depressed society of North Eastern India. He had given the people a vision of Faith, Hope and Victory through a Baptism of Desire. They had finally inherited their land and made it fertile ground for future generations. God pro-tected the people and enabled them to carry out His Will for them. This new birth, new life, new awakening has led to the salvation of a despised and ne-glected minority. They thank God in their various ways and Beckers they have enshrined as an icon in their hearts.

Like the conclusion of Peter's letter, Babu's story ends: The true worth of all that Babu and his followers have done for the neglected and despised com-munity of North Eastern India will be revealed by God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in the last days.

- Lionel Gomes

Advice From Pope Benedict's recent talk with seminarians (on Preparation of Homilies ) submitted by Fuad Nimer-Boutros “I have a rather simple formula – to combine preparing for the Sunday homily with my personal meditation, so the words I say will not just be words but will truly be words said by the Lord to myself, and matured in personal conversation with Him.

“In order to do this, I would say to start on Monday, because if one starts to do it on Saturday, it’s too late, you will be preparing in haste, and the inspiration will not always be there because we always have other things on our mind. Therefore, I say, on Monday, simply read the text for the following Sunday, which may appear rather inaccessible to us. A little bit like when Moses said before the rock at Mssa-Meeriba, “But how can I draw water from these rocks?”

“But let it be, let the heart digest these texts – the words will work on our subconscious and everyday will become clearer. Of course, we should also refer to books if that is possible. And with this interior work, day after day, one sees how these words open up, become words ad-dressed to me. And because I am their contemporary, the words are also addressed to others. Then I can start translating what I see in my own theological language to the language of others, but the fundamental thoughts remain the same for everyone.

“And this way, one can have an ongoing contact with the Word, which does not demand too much time which we may not always have. But find a little time: that way, not only will a Sunday homily mature that will benefit others, but my own heart becomes touched by the word of the Lord: I remain in contact with Him even when circumstances leave me with little time at my disposition.

“I will otherwise not dare to give other advice, because life in the great city of Rome is different from what it was 55 years ago in our Bavaria.

“I think however those are the essentials: the Eucharist, the Daily Office of the Liturgy – daily prayer and conversation, no matter how brief, with the Lord, on His word that I must proclaim.

“And never lose, on the other hand, friendship with your fellow priests, listening to the voice of the living Church, and be always available to the people who are entrusted to your care because it is from these peo-ple, from their suffering and from their experience of the faith, their doubts and difficulties, we can learn to look for and to find God, find our Lord Jesus Christ.”

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The Liturgy Corner (An ongoing refresher on the Rites and Ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church in Canada)

- Silent and Quiet Prayers - Compiled by Steve Barringer

This issue’s column in The Contact, will look at some silent prayers that we are called on to say as part of our role in the Liturgy of the Mass, (and which many of us have forgotten about!) We all remember that we say a special prayer (quietly ) during the preparation of the gifts as we pour the water into the wine. It may even seem “silent” to the congregation because they can’t hear us as we say, “By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity!” After all, that one is printed in the mis-salette! But there’s more! Did you know that when we are finished reading the gospel, after we have proclaimed, “The Gospel of the Lord!”, we are sup-posed to kiss the text (by custom at the opening words of the reading), and we are to pray quietly (or silently), while we do this, “By the words of the Gospel, may my (our) sins be washed away!” (1) If you’re like me, that came as a bit of a surprise—but it is a very meaningful prayer at that important time, particularly if we are just about to begin preaching! The last reminder for now is of the prayer that is meant to be said as you purify the vessels after communion on the altar. If the custom at your parish is to carry out the purification ON the altar, rather than at a side table or in the sacristy, then there is a prayer which should be said. While we consume the last of the precious blood and pu-rify the chalice, we are invited to pray quietly (or silently) the following words, “Lord, may I receive these gifts in purity of heart. May they bring me healing and strength, now and forever!” (2) I have found that praying these words helps to elevate “doing the dishes” to a special level and helps me to keep my focus on the miracle of the Eucharist. If these prayers are new to you, try them out and feel the difference these quietly spoken phrases can make! 1. Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite, Revised Edition,

Ignatius Press, p97, no.263

2. Ibid, p127, no.348

YOU ARE IN OUR PRAYERS

When I spoke to Henry he told me that his wife LUCY VER-SCHUREN had a quadruple bypass and not only is she back to normal but he says she's better than she was before. They defi-nitely felt the benefit of all our prayers. I was talking with her husband and he says GABRIELLE SUTHERS is doing very well. She did well when they went south to the warmth - not so well when they came back to the cold - so they went south again. They feel they had the best doc-tor possible and feel that the prayers worked so well that the doc-tor says things are happening that can't be explained. This seemed to be the night for me to speak to the husbands - Roberto told me that JEANETTE ROSALES is now back to nor-mal and back to work after her surgery. They were very grateful for our prayers. JOHN GRIEVE had hip replacement surgery and is now walking with a cane and is back to acting as a Deacon at his church. He is out of pain except when he walks for an hour and then he's achy. Barbara was happy to say that RAY DEL CASTILO is doing very well. His surgery - which was to remove a tumour from his back -was a complete success. The tumour was benign. Ray is back at work and says their prayers were answered. He had a Mass said for him, by a friend, in the Vatican. DES CARROLL reported that both he and GEORGINA can safely be taken off the prayer list - they are both fine. I spoke with OLGA MacLELLAN's son and he said that she is doing very well. She is in a rehab home - under doctor's orders - learning to walk again. She is in much less pain than she was before her surgery. How do I report about myself, BARBARA McFARLAND? Just to say I'm finally back on my own two feet while walking in the house but still need my third leg - my cane - when walking out-doors. I am out of pain and just starting to drive again. - Barbara McFarland

A sign from God: In Fort Lauderdale, the local church erected a billboard beside the highway at one of the busiest interchanges, it said simply…

Keep using My Name in vain, And I’ll make rush hour even longer! - God

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BULLETIN CONTINUING EDUCATION DAY—MAY 5TH, 2007

ARCHBISHOP COLLINS JOINS US ON MAY 5TH.

The Archbishop will be the celebrant and homilist at the 11:00 Mass and have lunch with us during our Continuing Education day on May 5th, 2007.

The theme will be “Diaconate, Past, Pre-sent and Future” and the presenter will be Deacon William T. Ditewig PhD, execu-tive director of the United States Confer-ence of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on the Diaconate in Washington D.C.

It promises to be a very interesting session. Mark your calendar and respond by com-pleting the enclosed registration form.

ELECTION TIME!

Coordinating Board Elections

The nominations to the Coor-dinating Board is now com-plete. The candidates were con-tacted to determine if they wished to stand for election to the Board for a two year term. By now, you should have re-ceived a ballot for voting pur-poses. It is now the respon-sibility of the Diaconate Com-munity to elect TWO mem-bers. Please remember to mark your ballot and mail, fax, or e-mail to Marlene Weiss.

VISIONING – MARCH 10TH MEETING We had a very productive meeting this past March 10th. In attendance were Deacons Bert Cambre, John Cannon, John Kennedy, Dan Murphy, Stan McLellan, Bob Partridge, Michael Robertson, Bob Rosales, Dom Sasco, Miles Schell, Frank Siriani, Alf Stong and Hugh Taylor. Some groups had asked to have an independent observer to take notes and offer his views to the planning committee and Mr. Bill Target was present and acted in that capacity.

Thank you to all who represented their support groups and came to the meeting! The objective of the meeting was to ensure the comments from the community had been heard and acknowledged. There was a very good exchange and the summary that had been circulated in the bulletin was deemed mostly correct. The two most pressing aspects of our vi-sion were considered to be: The need for a more cohesive community and the need for recognition and awareness of the Diaconate among priests, religious and laity in our Archdiocese.

Other aspects also to be considered were the need for an ecumenical approach, deacons’ balance among the attention to family, job and Diaconate and the ordination of women as deacons. Also in regards to the mission, a need was expressed to expand the diaconal ministry to include other fields.

On May 7th, the planning committee will meet to formulate a written vision and mission, which will then be sent to Bishop Boissonneau, our vicar and after we receive his comments, to Archbishop Collins for his consideration and deci-sion.

“Not to be served, but to serve”

Matt. 20:28

Catholic Pastoral Centre, Diaconate Office, 1155 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M4T 1W2 Phone: 416-934-0606 Fax No. 416-934-3445 E-mail: diaconate@archtoronto.org

A Note from Barbara McFarland to the Diaconate Community

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2007 CALENDAR

Continuing Education - May 5 (Our Lady of Grace)

Ladies Retreat - May 25 - 27

Region ll Convocation - July 27 - 29

Diaconate Dinner - September 29

Deacon Retreat - November 23 – 25

TORONTO DIACONATE CONVOCATION JULY 27 – 29, 2007 You are invited to attend the Diaconate Convocation in Toronto. The Convocation is a voluntary assembly of clergy, and/or laity to discuss and review the mission of the group, the Diocese, the Order or the Asso-ciation.

The registration forms will be mailed to all Region II members in April. Mark your 2007 calendar now and ensure that you can attend.

This continuing education event allows us to meet, to study, to pray, and have fun being together with dea-cons from our other dioceses in northern New York and southern Ontario without having to travel much. It coincides with the 35th anniversary of the restoration of the Diaconate in our Archdiocese. Our new Archbishop Thomas Collins will be part of the celebration. The Convocation this summer will be held at the University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus. The invita-tion to attend will be open to all deacons and their wives as well as widows of deacons and candidates and wives in their 3rd Year of the Diaconate Formation Program. The theme for the weekend is:

“The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.” Gaudium et Spes, 1965.

D I A C O N AT E C O M M U N I T Y L I S T For your information, included with

this mail is an updated Community list.

Catholic Pastoral Centre, Diaconate Office, 1155 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M4T 1W2 Phone: 416-934-0606 Fax No. 416-934-3445 E-mail: diaconate@archtoronto.org

A Dog's Purpose – (from a 4 year old) - submitted by Dom Sasco A veterinarian was called to examine a ten year old Irish wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owner and his wife and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they hoped for a miracle. The examination showed he was dying of cancer. The vet told the family there was nothing to be done and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. The parents thought it would be good for the four-year-old to observe the procedure, that he might learn some-thing from the experience. The next day, Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, the Vet wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition with-out any difficulty or confusion. His parents sat together for a while, wondering aloud about the sad fact that ani-mal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why." What came out of his mouth next stunned them all. They'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The four-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

BULLETIN

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Catholic Pastoral Centre, Diaconate Office, 1155 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M4T 1W2 Phone: 416-934-0606 Fax No. 416-934-3445 E-mail: diaconate@archtoronto.org

Couples Retreat—March 23—25th, 2007 Twenty-seven couples gathered at the Queen of Apostles retreat centre for a chance for reflection and community. The leaders of the retreat, Fr. Allan and Fr. Roger from the York U. Chaplaincy, brought us some wonderful messages. Feedback indicated it was a good weekend for all.

Fr. Roger’s 6 “principles of Faith” from the Catechism:

1. Revelation leads to Faith 2. Faith is obedience 3. Faith is personal, not just intellectual 4. Faith is Trinitarian, it includes Jesus too! 5. Faith is a supernatural gift 6. Faith is Believing (doing our part with the gift!)

Fr. Roger’s 5 “implications” of having faith

1. Coming to know God’s greatness and majesty! 2. Living in Thanksgiving! 3. Knowing the unity and true dignity of all people! 4. Making good use of created things! 5. Trusting God in every circumstance!

LADIES Retreat—May 25-27th at Queen of Apostles

Be sure to call the Diaconate Offices and register NOW for the upcoming Ladies’ weekend retreat at the Queen of Apostles retreat Centre in Mississauga. An excellent program is planned for all. Watch for the next bulletin for details!

C a t h o l i c s f o r P E A C E Catholics for Peace was well represented at the March 17th “Stop the War!” protest in down-town Toronto. A pressing issue at this time is Canada’s hospitality to our brother Americans who are resisting the War.

Enclosed is a message/card to the Prime Min-ister that makes it easy for you to ask for Ca-nadian hospitality.

Please take a couple of minutes to fill it out and send it. It does not require postage.

You can find out more at www.resisters.ca

“Catholics for Peace” now has more lay mem-bers than deacons - visit the website at www.catholicsforpeace.ca to find out more and feel free to join in at the next meeting on Wed.April 11, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at the Paulist Centre, 830 Bathurst Street (north of Bloor, directly opposite the Bathurst Subway station, adjacent to St. Peter's Catholic Church.)

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Pray for the Community every Third Thursday of the Month at Noon

Or join them for Mass in St. Michael’s Cathedral and at St. Mary’s

Parish in Barrie.

PRAY FOR PERIOD CIRCUMSTANCES REQUESTED BY

Al Moulton ‘87 March - June R.I.P March 6, 2007 Diaconate Community Ron McFarland ‘75 Feb. - May R.I.P February 22, 2007 Diaconate Community Blanca Hackembruch ‘78 Feb. - May R.I.P December 11, 2006 Bert & Terry Cambre ‘83 Veronica O’Connor March - April R.I.P. February 8, 2007 Bert Cambre & (Retired Chancery employee) Anne Mastrovita Olga MacLellan March - April Surgery Bert & Terry Cambre ‘83 Gabrielle Suthers April - July Recuperating from Surgery Bert & Terry Cambre ‘83 LONG TERM PRAYER REQUESTS

Shannon Higgins Health problems Milt and Anna Hall ’75 (Deterioration of brain cells) (Grandparents) Rita Crump Health problems John Crump ‘81 Paul Gabourie On-going cancer Gabourie Family Elizabeth Pillisch On-going health problems Olga MacLellan ‘74 Louise Russo & family Injured in gunfire incident Bob Partridge ‘78 Peter MacLellan Health problems Mary MacLellan ‘87 Judy McPhee Chronic health problems Don McPhee ‘76 and bone cancer Eileen Ouimet ‘02 Emphysema Fred & Lina Colucci ‘04 Rose Marie Partridge Chemotherapy-cancer treatment Patti & Bob Partridge ‘78

..May our prayers bring light to any darkness you know…

R.I.P.***ANNIVERSARIES***R.I.P. 1-’83 Mary Engel ‘76 2-’91 George Morley ‘75 10-’96 James Hall ‘81 10-’97 Carl Ann Birss ‘85 15-’01 Richard Matthews 22-’97 Paul Martineau ‘92