“Lord, it is good that we are here.” With these words from the 17th chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew, Bishop Edward Malesic opened his homily for the Mass during the annual deacon convocation.
The day began with deacons, their wives and members of the permanent diaconate formation community attending Mass celebrated by the bishop in Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd Chapel at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe.
“We gather as brothers in ministry, along with the wives here today, to share our faith, engage in fellowship and renew our resolve to live a holy life in the image of Jesus, the suffering servant.” Bishop Malesic said.
The convocation took place on the feast of St. Matthew. In reflecting on the Gospel reading for the day, Bishop Malesic noted, “The Lord turned the circumstances of Matthew’s life into an instrument of the Gospel. The same is happening in our lives. The Lord has called us from our normal existence to work in his vineyard for all people.”
Following the opening Mass, Father Eric Garris and Father Tom Dragga, members of the preaching faculty at the diocesan seminaries, presented materials to assist deacons in preaching on the Gospel of Life. Preaching needs to be prophetic by revealing the presence of God and the relevance of God’s word, they explained. In addition, preaching needs to nourish the faithful, and inspire action in response to the word.
Deacon Mike Hayes, director of the diocesan young adult ministry, attended the convocation and added that “Father Garris placed the art of preaching firmly in the context of our call as deacons. God has called us to be heralds of the Gospel. And so, we have a voice to proclaim God's love.”
“I was reminded of what a privilege it is to preach, as we are merely vehicles through which God speaks to his people,” said Deacon Mark Tomecko.
In reflecting on the day, Deacon John Zarbo said, “My biggest takeaway was that our preaching is always growing and improving as the Holy Spirit moves us to minister to the faithful in an ever-changing world.”
Mary von Carlowitz, director of the diocesan Office for Human Life, presented material on the changing face of human trafficking including how to recognize and assist victims. The office’s mission is centered on the Church’s consistent ethic of life from conception until natural death.
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