Deacons

[Wallace Justin Miller]

I have heard it somewhere that deacons are generally in a "middle step" to becoming priests. Is this true, or are there deacons who simply remain deacons? Forgive me for such an unimportant question, but if you have an answer, I am curious about this.

Justin

[John Wehling]

Justin,

All those who are ordained to the priesthood are first ordained to the diaconate, serving as deacons for a greater or lesser period of time. A man cannot be ordained deacon and priest in the same day, so often he will be ordained deacon at the liturgy one day and ordained to the priesthood the next. Often, though, he will serve as a deacon for a longer period of time so that he can get essential experience serving in the sanctuary before becoming a priest. Many people feel that this is the proper way, and argue that one should not pass too quickly through the orders.

It is also the case that many deacons remain deacons and serve the Church as such permanently. The rubrics of the services most always have a "role" for the deacon, although most often in the Church--at least in America--there is no deacon in a parish so the priest serves alone.

Hope this helps,
John

[John Wehling]

Maybe I should add what is probably obvious, that no orained order in the Church should be looked at merely as a stepping stone to a higher order, but should be given its proper dignity.

Besides this, a wonderful priest that I know often states that when one is ordained to a higher order, he doesn't really leave the other orders (for example, reader, subdeacon, deacon, etc) behind, but takes them up into his new station. I have not heard or read this anywhere else, and I don't know if it is to be understood technically, but I think it has value at least in in its basic sense.

John

[Moses Anthony]

John W.

It's interesting how the wording of a principle varies from religious practice to practice. That same thing I heard as a Protestant in these words: God doesn't uncall anyone. I know not everyone who stands behind a pulpit, or serves before an altar is, as commonly understood, called to that ministry.

What does it matter whether or not a man is elevated in the clergy; or stays at one particular level, even as a Patriarch he's still a servant of God. At this moment I'm a subdeacon, and although I wear vestments and assist the priest, I'm still just a better dressed altar boy. According to the various jurisdictions, the rubrics for deacons differ. I've always liked the fact that the word used for deacon is servant, particularly in the epistle of James where the word used is bond -servant,(one who has been released by his master, but for love of his master chooses to stay for the rest of his life. The servant is then taken to the gates of the city, and his ear pierced to mark him as a lifelong servant to his master).

I'm sorry for the long post, but it's my favorite story about servants. The Scripture reference for the above story is somewhere in the Penatuch.

the unworthy servant

[Moses Anthony]

I made reference to how -under the Mosaic Law- a released slave was designated a bondslave. I couldn't find the reference when I was making the above post; but, here it is: Exodus 21:1-6.

the unworthy servant