I was surfing through the archives of Radio Vaticana today, and came across the Pope’s words to the deacons of the diocese of Rome on February 18, 2006. They were, in part, as follows:
“Union with Christ, cultivated by prayer, the sacramental life and in particular Eucharistic adoration, is of greatest importance for your vocation so that it may authentically give witness to the love of God….Dear deacons, you receive with joy and gratitude the love that our Lord has for you and pours out in your lives, and with generosity you give to men and women that which you have gratuitously received….Announcing the Gospel, you will give the Word the capacity to illumine and give significance to human labor, to the suffering of the afflicted, and you will assist a new generation to discover the beauty of the Christian faith. You will be….deacons of the Truth who will free and lead the inhabitants of this city to encounter Christ Jesus….You will be, therefore, servants of the Truth so as to be carriers of the joy that God wished to give to everyone.” (Original language: Italian)
Isn’t it interesting that the Holy Father seems to emphasize the diaconal call to convey joy to a new generation, a joy that comes from union with Christ through prayer, sacrament, and contemplative time before the Eucharist. Deacons of the Truth will be deacons of joy, according to Benedict.
