Deacon Day of Reflection - encountering God
We had our diaconate day of reflection today.
Phew, lots to chew over.
The four-year education and training process is pretty time and labor intensive.
Even the application process is pretty involved – and the outcome is not certain.
I won’t go into all the details at this time (it’s late), but one question raised by one of the deacons appealed to me: Where do you see God?
I immediately thought of three places I have seen or encountered God.
I remembered one morning while walking the dogs and a bird began to sing. It was so beautiful, so unexpected, that in that moment I had a sense of God’s presence in the natural world.
Then there was one day at Mass when the lector read the readings so reverently, so full of feeling, that I sensed God’s presence in her.
And I recalled a time when I took my 90-year-old grandmother out to lunch, and the waitress went out of her way to help my nearly blind grandmother, changed what was on the menu to fit with what she wanted, and then kept checking back with us, always with a smile and a cheerful voice. In her loving service, in her turning what could have been “just a job” into a ministry, I sensed the presence of God.
Phew, lots to chew over.
The four-year education and training process is pretty time and labor intensive.
Even the application process is pretty involved – and the outcome is not certain.
I won’t go into all the details at this time (it’s late), but one question raised by one of the deacons appealed to me: Where do you see God?
I immediately thought of three places I have seen or encountered God.
I remembered one morning while walking the dogs and a bird began to sing. It was so beautiful, so unexpected, that in that moment I had a sense of God’s presence in the natural world.
Then there was one day at Mass when the lector read the readings so reverently, so full of feeling, that I sensed God’s presence in her.
And I recalled a time when I took my 90-year-old grandmother out to lunch, and the waitress went out of her way to help my nearly blind grandmother, changed what was on the menu to fit with what she wanted, and then kept checking back with us, always with a smile and a cheerful voice. In her loving service, in her turning what could have been “just a job” into a ministry, I sensed the presence of God.
posted by A Secular Franciscan | 9:55 PM
2 Comments:
Lee, your discernment is in my prayers; I've gone through that application process, and concluded that my children were too young for me to tackle the formation program this time. I'll be reviewing the situation again in a few years.
I hope the best for you and for your discernment.
Thanks.
I understand your reason for holding off. I've waited until my daughters were older.
Emily, my youngest, graduates from high school next June, so if I am accepted into the program, I would only be just beginning it (the first class would be in March)
It also just dawned on me.
Emily with be finishing college in 2010 - the same year that I would be finishing my theology degree and getting ordained (God willing).
We'd both be members of the Class of 2010!
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