Brothers,

During our annual Vicar for Clergy Department mini-retreat this week, I found myself returning again and again to St. Stephen, with the guidance of our retreat master. It reminded me why the Church wisely calls us away each year; not to escape ministry, but to be renewed by the One for whom we entered ministry in the first place. We all need to be refreshed in Christ and His Word, because if we are not continually returning to Him, it becomes far too easy to begin serving ourselves instead of serving the Lord.

One insight struck me with a smile. Stephen's original assignment in Acts 6 was straightforward: care for the widows & orphans so the Apostles could devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word. Yet somewhere along the way, Stephen's ministry experienced what many of us might jokingly call "holy scope creep." The deacon assigned to tables was suddenly preaching Christ so powerfully that he became the Church's first martyr. Stephen wasn't looking for another ministry; he was simply faithful to the one Christ placed before him, and the Holy Spirit did the rest.

There is a lesson there for every deacon. We are often asked to do things that were never listed in our "job description." We teach, bury the dead, accompany the sick and dying, prepare couples for marriage, walk with those entering the Church, mentor younger men, and quietly carry burdens that few ever see. If we are serving Jesus rather than seeking affirmation, then no task is beneath us, and no unexpected mission should surprise us.

This Sunday's Gospel tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field and like a pearl of great price. The man sells everything, not because he has to, but because he has found something infinitely greater.
That was Stephen, and the other new deacons.

He accepted the difficult, thankless work so that others could flourish in their ministry. Our retreat reminded us that the problem is rarely the task itself; it is often our attitude toward the task and, more importantly, toward Who we are serving. The smallest unseen act, done entirely for Jesus Christ, becomes something glorious in His eyes.

The First Reading offers another beautiful lesson. Solomon could have asked for wealth, power, or success. Instead, he asked God for an understanding heart to govern His people well. That should be our prayer as deacons. Lord, give me wisdom before effectiveness. Give me charity before efficiency. Help me to see Your people as You see them.

As we concluded our retreat, one point continued to resonate with me. We spoke about supporting those who carry heavy burdens; our Archbishop, our bishop, our priests, one another, and our own families. Respect is more than courtesy; it is looking deeply into the heart of another and helping carry the weight God has entrusted to him. That is authentic fraternity.

So perhaps each of us can ask two simple questions this week:

What is the hidden, thankless task Jesus is asking me to embrace?
And,
Whose burden can I quietly help carry?

May we, like Stephen, joyfully become better servants. Like Solomon, may we seek wisdom above all else. And may we never lose sight of the Treasure for whom we first said "yes." The treasure hidden in the field is not our ministry, our title, or even our accomplishments. The treasure is Christ Himself. If remaining faithful to Him expands our ministry beyond what we expected, as it did for Stephen, then thanks be to God. Our only task is to keep saying "yes."

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons-Public Domain/Annibale Carracci

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