Brothers,

When I was growing up in north Denver, there was an older kid in the neighborhood we all looked up to. He had street credibility “Cred” before we even knew what that meant. When something really impressed him, something that was solid, true, or worth admiring, he wouldn’t overexplain it. He’d just smile and say, “Righteous, brother.” That phrase stuck with me. Even as a kid, I sensed it meant more than “cool.” It meant something rang true. Something lined up. Something had substance.

When Jesus speaks of righteousness, I hear that same weight, but infinitely deeper. In Scripture, righteousness (or justice) is not merely moral correctness or external compliance. As the Church teaches, it refers to the saving plan of God Himself; the divine design marked out, in His goodness and wisdom, for the salvation of humanity. To “fulfill all righteousness,” then, is to fulfill everything laid down by God. It is wholehearted obedience to the Father’s will. We know this.

That is precisely what we see in the Baptism of the Lord. Jesus does not need John’s baptism, yet He freely submits to it. In doing so, He recognizes this moment as a necessary stage in salvation history, a final preparation for the messianic age. Each step of obedience, each faithful fulfillment of the Father’s plan, is itself an act of righteousness...and humility. Jesus, who came not to do His own will but the will of the One who sent Him, is careful to fulfill that plan in every detail.

The Father’s voice declares: “This is my beloved Son.” Here the Theophany – the Trinity is revealed, and the righteousness of God is made visible, not as an abstract idea, but as a lived, obedient surrender of love.

Brothers, this is why I am so proud of you. What we witnessed at SEEK-Denver, the ‘Diaconal Witness’ offered so generously, joyfully, and humbly, was righteous in the deepest sense. Not performative. Not about recognition. But about fulfilling what God has laid before us in this moment of salvation history. And the same is true for every deacon who gives himself quietly each day: the deacon who shows up faithfully at the altar, who listens patiently in hospital rooms and living rooms, who serves the poor, accompanies the grieving, supports his pastor, loves his wife and family, and perseveres without applause. These hidden acts of fidelity, known often only to God, are no less righteous. They are the steady, daily “yes” that aligns our lives with the Father’s will.

Through your presence, conversations, prayer, and service, both seen and unseen, you have aligned yourselves with God’s design.

And if I could borrow that old neighborhood phrase one more time, I’d say it without hesitation: Righteous, brothers!

In Christ the Servant + Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Receive + Believe + Teach + Practice