Our bishop today led the diocesan diaconal community in a day of reflection. One of the suggestions given to us was to pray over and meditate on the Prayer of Diaconal Ordination.
To all deacons: do you recall this powerful prayer on the day of your ordination?
Draw near, we pray, Almighty God, giver of every grace, who apportion every order and assign every office; who remain unchanged, but make all things new. In your eternal providence, you make provision for every age, as you order all creation through him who is your word, your power and your wisdom, Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
You grant that the Church, his body, adorned with manifold heavenly graces, drawn together in the diversity of its members, and united by a wondrous bond through the Holy Spirit, should grow and spread forth to build up a new temple and, as once you chose the sons of Levi to minister in the former tabernacle, so now you establish three ranks of ministers in their sacred offices to serve in your name.
And so, in the first days to your Church through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, your son’s Apostles appointed seven men of good repute to assist them in the daily ministry, that they might devote themselves more fully to prayer and preaching of the word, by prayer and laying on of hands they entrusted to those men the ministry of serving at table.
We beseech you, Lord: look with favor on these servants of yours who will minister at your holy altar and whom we now humbly dedicate to the office of deacon.
Send forth upon them, Lord, we pray, the Holy Spirit, that they may be strengthened by the gift of your sevenfold grace for the faithful carrying out of the work of the ministry.
May there abound in them every gospel virtue: unfeigned love, concern for the sick and poor, unassuming authority, the purity of conscience, and the observance of spiritual discipline.
May your commandments shine forth in their conduct, so that by the example of their way of life they may inspire the imitation of your holy people. In offering the witness of a clear conscience, may they remain strong and steadfast in Christ, so that by imitating on earth your Son, who came not to be served but to serve, they may be found worthy to reign in heaven with him, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
