Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
There is a quiet crisis described in this Sunday’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Not a crisis of persecution, nor of doctrine…but a crisis of charity. The widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution. Something so simple and practical has become a point of tension in the growing Church.
And here is the striking thing: the Apostles do not abandon prayer for service, nor do they neglect service for prayer. Instead, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they deepen the Church. They call forth servants.
Men “filled with the Spirit and wisdom” are chosen, not in any way to replace the Apostles, but to reveal another dimension of Christ’s own mission. For Christ is not only Truth to be proclaimed, He is Love to be lived, thus was born the ministry of the diaconate.
The world often confuses greatness with power, and in contrast, the Church reveals greatness as service. The deacon stands as a contradiction to the world as a living reminder that the hands that serve are often closer to God than the lips that speak.
Here at All Saints, that Gospel truth has names: Deacon Michael Martell and Deacon Alan Sims.
They are not merely the priest’s helpers at the altar; they are signs of Christ the Servant in our midst. When they proclaim the Gospel, it is Christ who speaks. When they assist at the altar, it is Christ who serves. When they walk with the grieving, the forgotten, or the poor, it is Christ who bends low in love.
And yet, like all true servants, much of what they do is hidden. The world does not notice or applaud quiet fidelity; But heaven sees it!
One might say that if the priesthood reveals Christ the Head, the diaconate reveals Christ the Heart, beating with compassion, poured out in love, attentive to the smallest needs.
In an age that asks, “How high can I rise?” the deacon answers, “How low can I kneel?”
As pastor of this great parish, I give thanks to God for Deacon Michael and Deacon Alan, for their humility, their generosity, and their witness to the Gospel lived in action. I encourage you to pray for them, to support them, and, perhaps most importantly, to learn from them, because we all are called to the same mystery: to become, in our own way, servants of Christ and of one another. And in that service, we do not lose ourselves. We find Him.
Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever!
All you holy saints of God, pray for us!
Peace in Christ,
Fr. Michael Silloway
Pastor