of Marc Lyden-Smith, John Moriarty, and Séan O’Brien

Ushaw College – 19 June 2009

For years now, you have been wondering if you had a vocation. Sometimes certain; other times, not so sure, you continued to listen, to pray, to discern, to test yourself and allow yourself to be tested by others. I suspect that your path has been one of day to day, plodding achievement – like most of us, which has led you to where you are now.
For the first time in this process of discernment you can say, you have a vocation; for you have just been called and chosen – your name was called out, you responded and then we heard: “we choose these men, our brothers, for the order of deacons”. Listen to what the Lord says to his chosen ones:

When Israel was a child I loved him, I took them in my arms. I led them with reins of kindness, with leading-strings of love. I was like someone who lifts an infant against his cheek; stooping down to him I gave him his food.

Should you ever doubt the Lord’s love for you, remember these words and let them bring you strength and courage.
In a moment or two we will hear the prayer of consecration:

Lord, look with favour on these servants of yours, May they in their lives imitate your Son, who came to serve.

So, you are sent to serve in the Lord’s name. And what will that service entail? Let me remind you, The Cross. Today’s gospel sums it up rather well for us:

When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water.

If we are to follow Jesus in serving, we will be asked to give our all, our lives, just as the master gave his.
You are about to make a commitment to live the rest of your lives in the celibate state. The love of Christ and his people will be your goal, your strength, your sustenance, your joy and consolation. Give your life, give your heart to Christ today and be prepared to offer it again tomorrow for the rest of your life so that you can live and serve in freedom with an undivided heart.
I can hear you squirming inside: “I’m only human; that’s a tall order for anyone. Left to myself I will find that hard.” But you won’t be left to yourself. In the name of the whole Church we will pray: “Lord, send forth upon them the Holy Spirit, that they may be strengthened by the gift of your sevenfold grace to carry out faithfully the work of the ministry.” Rest assured that all of us are praying for you now and in the future.
In the words of St Paul, I pray, kneeling before the Father, that he may give you the power through his Spirit for your hidden selves to grow strong, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then planted in love and built on love, you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; until, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you are filled with the utter fullness of God.