Ομιλία του π.Ανδρέα Κονάνου.
Saturday, 8 November 2014
Why the Orthodox Church Needs Deacons?...
Painting of a Russian Orthodox deacon leading an ektenia (litany)
Imagine going into a
fancy restaurant for a special meal. The dining room is beautifully
decorated, only the best linens are used, and the glow of candlelight
creates a warm ambience. Through the kitchen doors, you see the chef
hard at work preparing a delectable dish. He then shouts from the
kitchen, never moving from his cutting board, to sit yourself down and
asks you what you want to order. You think this is odd, but then you
notice there isn’t a single waiter or waitress in the entire
establishment. What is wrong with this scene is analogous to what is
presently amiss within the Orthodox Church – namely the significant lack
of deacons within our parishes.
A Model Of Service
“Deacon” literally means server.
Deacons are the waiters (servants, slaves) at the table of the Lord
(e.g., Luke 14:16-24; John 2:1-11). Therefore they are usually found
during Liturgy around the altar helping the priest. Deacons are also the
earthly equivalent of the angels who are intermediaries between God and
man (Hebrews 1:14). So, they are often mediators uniting the laity
with priests and bishops, or deacons sometimes represent the Church’s
interests to the populous. Additionally, deacons are the third rank of
the ecclesiastical hierarchy appointed to relieve bishops and priests
from work they are too busy to fully attend to (see Acts 6:1-6).
Therefore, deacons often minister to widows, orphans, shut-ins, the
poor, the sick, the disabled, the imprisoned, the undereducated, and
others with special needs.
However, more important than what they
do, deacons represent something of tremendous value within the Body of
Christ: they are our models of service – no matter what form that
service takes. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus places particular emphasis
on being a servant as a defining characteristic of His followers. For
example, our Lord stated, “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I
am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will
honor” (John 12:26). To be a servant is to emulate Christ Himself: “. .
. whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and
whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son
of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom
for many” (Mark 10:43-45, cf Luke 22:27). In these verses, “servant” in
Greek is “diakonos” [διάκονος]. Therefore, all Christians are called to
be “deacons” in whatever their circumstance in life. The role of the
ordained deacon is a “sermon without words,” a living icon, of this
calling to all believers. If you consider we will be judged based on our
service to others (Matthew 25:31-46), then it is obvious how vital it
is that we are continually reminded to serve.
A Reflection of The Trinity
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
