Chapter 5 Worksheet
Chapter 5 Worksheet
Chapter 5 Worksheet
Deacon:
Deacon comes from the Greek word diakonia meaning service. Deacons are called to serve the Church
through a ministry of liturgy, word and charity. They do this by assisting a bishop or priest with his
responsibility of teaching, sanctifying and governing the Church. They can assist with sacramental
celebrations by:
assisting a priest or bishop as he celebrates the Eucharist
preaching the word of God
administering Baptism
blessing marriages
administering Viaticum to the dying
presiding at funerals
leading community prayer gatherings.
Bishops and priests govern by serving the Church community for which they are responsible. The deacons
role is particularly concerned with works of charity. Married men may be ordained as permanent deacons.
Samuel Now, the boy Samuel was serving Yahweh in the presence of Eli; in those days it was rare for
Yahweh to speak;
visions were uncommon. One day, it happened that Eli was lying down in his room.
His eyes were beginning to grow dim; he could no longer see. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and
Samuel was lying in Yahwehs sanctuary, where the ark of God was, when Yahweh called, Samuel! Samuel!
He answered, Here I am, and, running to Eli, he said, Here I am, as you called me. Eli said, I did not call.
Go back and lie down. So he went and lay down. And again Yahweh called, Samuel! Samuel! He got up and
went to Eli and said, Here I am, as you called me. He replied, I did not call, my son; go back and lie down.
As yet, Samuel had no knowledge of Yahweh and the word of Yahweh had not yet been revealed to him.
Again Yahweh called, the third time. He got up and went to Eli and said, Here I am, as you called me. Eli
then understood that Yahweh was calling the child, and he said to Samuel, Go and lie down and, if someone
calls say, Speak, Yahweh; for your servant is listening. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Yahweh
then came and stood by, calling as he had done before, Samuel! Samuel! Samuel answered, Speak,
Yahweh; for your servant is listening. (1 Samuel 3:110)
Jeremiah The word of Yahweh came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before
you came to birth I consecrated you; I appointed you as prophet to the nations. I then said, Ah, ah, ah, Lord
Yahweh; you see, I do not know how to speak: I am only a child! But Yahweh replied, Do not say, I am only
a child. for you must go to all to whom I send you and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of
confronting them, for I am with you to rescue you, Yahweh declare. (Jeremiah 1:48)
As the baptised person grows, the Holy Spirit stirs thoughts and feelings that point to a
call for some to become a priest or deacon. To recognise the Spirits action, it is
necessary to pray daily, receive Holy Communion, draw on the gifts the Sacrament of
Confirmation which all relate to providing guidance, and grow in understanding of the
teachings of Jesus. Young men today may be called to a vocation to the ordained
ministry, but if they fail to recognise the Spirits action they may never recognise their
calling so may never find their true vocations.
In his role as a priest, Father Joe finds that dealing with peoples
grief
takes considerable energy and is one of the most
important aspects
of his role of a priest. (Read his
story on pgs 71-72 of the Come Follow Me book)
Priests serve those around them by teaching the gospel, sanctifying believers and guiding the community.
Those called to the priesthood are called by Jesus to be available to respond to the needs of all people at
all times by living a life of celibate love. The call to celibate love is not for everyone, but there have always
been those people whom Jesus called to love in this special way.
Many people today do not understand celibate love. This leaves them with the idea that it is self-denial of
marriage and a family. For a priest to think of celibacy simply as self-denial would not be sufficient to live
this calling. Just as a couple who are getting married are not thinking about giving up all the other people
they might have married, those responding to celibate love are not thinking in terms of giving up anything.
Like married love, as celibate love grows stronger, the priest is able to resist temptations to be unfaithful to
his calling.
JOURNAL ACTIVITIES:
1) REFLECTION
In your journal, reflect on the following questions:
What have I learned about ordained ministers (priests, deacons and bishops) that is new to me?
Do I have a clearer understanding of the priests commitment to celibate love , the nature of their
work and their vocation?
What do I find most interesting, encouraging and/or challenging in what I have learned?
What has this learning taught me about myself? Am I attracted to explore and understand this
vocation
further? Do I see the need to take more seriously the process of discerning my own vocation?
2) Activity #8
Jesus gave these Apostles his special spiritual gifts and responsibilities so that through them he could
continue to support his followers. What examples of Jesus supporting his followers today, through the
special spiritual gifts and responsibilities that have been handed on to Bishops, priest
and deacons can you describe?
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3) Activity #9
Find out more about your diocesan Bishop by developing a profile of who he is and how he continues to
use the spiritual gifts and responsibilities Jesus first gave the Apostles. You can choose to present your
profile in any interesting and creative format. Some interesting facts you might include in your profile are:
where he was born
where he went to school and studied for the priesthood
information regarding his ordination as priest and bishop
his interests
how he lives out his role as bishop supporting all followers of Jesus in his diocese and the wider Church
what he sees as the role of the Church into the future
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