It goes without saying that some deacons take their responsibilities to Christ in the Sacred Liturgy more importantly than others do. In some cases, (and I am basing this on conversations I have had with other deacons, many of them outside of our diocese) this may be because of their formation, wherein they have been formed to believe that the liturgy is not the most important thing that they do. The ministry of every deacon is going to look different than those of his brothers, no two are going to look exactly alike. I think that most people understand that different people have different gifts.
However, for the average person in the pew, they're more likely to see their deacons in the Liturgy than anywhere else, and the liturgical ministry of the deacon is, in that sense, one of the most important things that he does. Therefore, it's very important to know the Liturgy and try to do the things that we are called upon to do as well as we possibly can. We are doing them for Jesus, after all. I know that for me, at this stage in my life and my ministry, the Sacred Liturgy is one of the most important things that I am engaged in. It is extremely important to me, on a spiritual level, to approach this work of God with the solemnity and prayer that it deserves.
 |
| Shortly after serving at Mass Photo: Jason Davis |
Nevertheless, there are times when my life can get in the way of a more prayerful attitude when I come to the church to assist at the altar. The responsibilities, and the cares, and the worries, and the concerns, that come with daily ordinary life do not end because I have just walked into the Sacristy. There have been times that I have showed up to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and my heart was there, but my mind was on a million other things. How can you just switch that off? How can you begin to focus in such a way as to really give Jesus an hour of your time when everybody is watching you?
The Church provides assistance for us to begin to focus our minds on the Mass through the Vesting Prayers, prayers which are said as we put on the vesture of service at the altar. I have found that these precious prayers have been particularly helpful to me, especially at those times when I have showed up for Mass with just a few minutes to spare, and I really have to try to focus to ready my heart and mind for assistance with the Sacred Mysteries.
When we put our vestments on, we should remember that each of the articles has both a practical use and a symbolic meaning. When we understand this, it helps us to treat our vestments as both the sacramental holy reminder they are to us as well as the sacramental that they are to the People of God. Praying as I put my vestments on helps me to focus on what it is that I am about to do, and to leave my other concerns to prayer-or even better, to take them with me to the altar and put them before the Lord.
If you are a deacon and you are not familiar with the vesting prayers, here they are with some simple instructions on how to pray them when vesting.
The process of prayerful vesting should begin with the washing of hands. Remember that we are going to be distributing the Holy Eucharist to the People of God, so it is important that we should wash hands at some point beforehand, as we shall hold Christ in our very hands. This is both a practical as well as a ritual act. We begin vesting prayers with a prayer at the washing of the hands:
Give virtue to my hands, O Lord, that, being cleansed from all stain, I might serve You with purity of mind and body.
The amice is great for preventing "ring around the collar" on your alb. It also represents the "helmet of salvation." (cf. Ephesians 6:17) If the amice is worn, as we put it on we pray:
Place, O Lord, upon my head the helmet of salvation, that I may repel the assaults of the Devil.
The alb represents the purity of our baptism, and as we vest in it we pray for the Lord to restore in us purity of heart:
Cleanse me, O Lord, and purify my heart, that, washed in the Blood of the Lamb, I may attain unto everlasting joys.
The cincture represents chastity, and we pray for chastity as the cincture is fastened:
Lord, fasten the cincture of purity around me and extinguish my earthly desires, that the virtue of continence and chastity may dwell within me.
The stole is the symbol of our office as ordained men and deacons in the Church. It also represents God's promise to restore immortality to us in Jesus Christ:
Lord, restore the stole of immortality, which I lost through the actions of our first parents, and although I am unworthy to approach your sacred mysteries, may I gain eternal joy.
When we put on our dalmatic, the garment of charity, we pray:
Lord, vest me in the garment of salvation, the vestment of joy. May I always be surrounded by the dalmatic of justice.
By beginning our service at the altar with prayer, we bring our vocation into focus.
No comments:
Post a Comment