Role of Our Spouses

The following article was a talk given to the Deacons and their spouses on the occassion of a weekend retreat. It is reproduced here in full.

Introduction

As the faithful people of God, the Body of Christ here on Earth, we all come from different backgrounds. We are born into cultures with their inherent traditions. We do not choose the cultures and traditions we are born into, but as members of the family of God, we have made a choice about the direction our lives will take. We have chosen to look beyond our inherited condition towards a better way of life, a more fulfilling and rewarding way of life. We have chosen to embrace the Good News of Jesus Christ and in so doing we cannot remain the same. We have chosen to become Christ’s followers, we are Christians.

New culture, new tradition

As Baptized members of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, we are introduced to a new way of life. We could say a new culture with its own rich and wonderful tradition spanning 2000 years. Our Christian culture can be defined by the words of the Prophet Isaiah which were spoken by Jesus to define his mission Lk.4: 18-19: “..He has sent me to bring the Good News to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the down trodden free…”

Christ at once offers us and also challenges us to accept his offer of true freedom in all its forms: Spiritual, Psychological, Emotional & Physical. His freedom extends, through Christian values and morals into the religious, political, economic and social areas of human life.

The light of the Gospel shines into our own cultures and traditions and makes visible all those things that enslave us in mind, body and soul. The light of the Gospel shines into our religious, social, political and economic environment and in so doing the light of the Gospel reveals that which is contrary to the plan of God: Salvation and eternal life for all his children.

Through our Baptism we, male and female, have become the children of God and heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, equally important in the sight of God and His Church.

Equal share in the life of the Church

This brings me directly to the theme of this talk: The Role of the Deacon's Spouse. Not only have we chosen to become disciples of Christ and been Baptized into him, we have also chosen to answer his call to serve him as ministers of his sacred body. Was this choice made unilaterally or in consultation with our spouses? Is this my ministry or our ministry? While the Church has conferred the sacrament of Holy Orders on us, by the very fact of God’s grace inherent in all sacraments, our spouses, through the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, have themselves received God’s grace through our Holy Orders.

Unlike the other clerical offices of the Church i.e. the Episcopate and the Presbyterate where celibacy is a prerequisite, the Diaconate is unique by virtue of the married state. This implies that a Deacon does not act alone in his ministry. Just as a marriage is a shared sacrament so the Deacon shares his ministry with his spouse through both moral support and active support. Without the support of the spouse the Deacon will struggle in his ministry. Our ministry is not a one-man-band. In recognizing this unique aspect of the Diaconate we must also recognize that our spouses are of equal standing and therefore have every right to partake in our ministry. This goes hand-in-hand with our Christian identity, culture, tradition, values and morals as mentioned earlier.

Having said this, our spouses may find, through the grace of God in their lives, a calling to minister in other areas other than sharing in their husband’s ministry. This is a very common occurrence where the Diaconate is very strong and well established especially in the USA. Many Diaconate spouses have identified their own calling and their specialized ministries. While these may not be the same as their husbands, they do compliment each other. The ultimate outcome is a strengthening of the body of Christ at the very roots, the basic Church, the family. 

Challenge

Given the sharing so far, it is clear that both the Deacon and his spouse have a duty and responsibility to promote the faith beginning in their home and spreading in the Christian community and into the World. 

Whether our spouses share in our ministry or develop their own, they should be encouraged to promote and witness to their faith according to the Charism of the Holy Spirit given to each member of the Body. This encouragement must come first and foremost from the Deacon, followed by the Parish Priest and the Bishop. In our inclusive Christian culture there is no room for our spouses to feel sidelined and isolated nor should we, as Deacons be seen to be treating our spouses as second class or subordinate Christians. Both husband and wife, have to be an example to society of how a Christian marriage stands apart from marriages of other kinds, especially in the aspect of equality.

Thank you.

The S.W.O.T. Analysis

In the world of business, large and small, the S.W.O.T. analysis is an essential tool that assists management and shareholders in charting the course of their respective enterprises. A business that does not make use of this principle is very much like a ship sailing in the dark without any functioning navigational instruments.

Perhaps we can apply the business principle of the S.W.O.T. analysis to our own Christian lives in the sense of knowing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of our daily living in the world. In a sense, an examination of our Christianity away from the liturgy (Mass), the sodalities (associations), the committees, the youth group, the choir, etc. Where our setting as Christians is in the home, in the workplace, at the school, at the college, at the university, at the gym, at the club, etc. This article could be used for discussion and sharing among the faithful and given further perspectives, expanded more and clarified in greater depth.

In preparing a Christian based S.W.O.T. analysis, we need to be aware of two points of reference in this article: Faith founded on Jesus Christ and faith founded on the world (secularism). The former is fairly straight forward but the latter needs to be clearly defined. What is the correct understanding of secularism? The following are extracts from various on-line dictionaries: (1) Religious scepticism or indifference; (2) the view that religion and religious beliefs should be excluded from civil or public forums; (3) a doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations; (4) religious beliefs and practices are for personal and private use only.

Secularism is not necessarily equated to atheism, the denial of the existence of God, but teaches rather that God should not be a consideration or an influence in areas of human endeavour, civil and public life i.e. work, school, college, university, business, etc. In other words God must have no influence and no bearing in the material or physical reality of the world. There are also sub-categories of secularism. For instance philanthropy and humanism, as disciples of secularism, that also teach the exclusion of God and the ultimate power of the human spirit / will. However, the term secularism will suffice for now as the 'alternative' faith to Jesus Christ.  

Strengths
As a Christian person, what do I consider as my strengths when in the secular world irrespective of the particular setting? Here are some personal reflections:

I am never alone. My faith in Jesus Christ assures me that the Lord is always with me in every situation, good or bad, joyful or sad, positive or negative. He never abandons me even in my darkest hour. When I feel distant from him, he himself is never distant from me. By his own word and action he is the Good Shepherd, always present to me. He has given me his Holy Spirit in Baptism through whom he has made his home with me, that wherever I am, he is. I am the living, breathing temple of the Lord. The new tabernacle of his presence, the new Jerusalem.

In every situation my Lord is in control, for he is all-powerful and ever-present, even when it seems that the situation is overwhelming me and driving me to despair, the Lord is present. He suffers when I suffer, he is joyful when I am joyful, my life is his life, a friendship, a companionship that no situation can sever. He nourishes my faith with his Word, the Sacred Scriptures and renews his home, his friendship in me through his Body and Blood, the Holy Eucharist. He gives me a spiritual mother in the person of Mother Mary who is constantly praying for her children in every generation.

When I give in to temptation and fall into sin, he alone offers me the possibility to be forgiven, to be washed clean again and again. To free my conscience from the burden and condemnation of sin. A genuinely humble and sorry heart the Lord accepts and he is so quick to forgive and begin afresh. He came not to condemn me, a sinner, but to save me. While he hates the sin, he loves the sinner unconditionally.

I know that the Lord has prepared a place for me in Heaven, to be where he is with all the angels and saints, our brothers and sisters who have gone before us into paradise and that not even the forces of evil can overcome that promise or that destiny, unless I allow it.

Weaknesses
Reflecting on the area of weaknesses it is not the aspect of sin or sinning, which is a consequence, but rather the aspect of internal and external influences which by their passivity or action negatively impact on my strengths. In other words those things, by omission or action, that actually weaken me spiritually creating the breeding ground for sin.

When my prayer life, both personal and communal, is weak or non-existent, then I am weakened in spirit and in my Christian resolve. Without prayer or inadequate prayer, I am exposed and defenceless against the strength of the secular world. I am buffetted, I am conquered by the forces that oppose Christ. I give in to peer pressure to conform to the identity and standard of society, to seek gratification in worldly things. Without prayer I do not see or experience the hope and joy in my Christian faith, I only see and experience my failure to be successful, to be someone, in the eyes of the world.

When I do not partake of the sacramental life of the Church I am weakened. How can I know the love and mercy of God and call God Father, when I do not open my life to his grace in the sacraments. Those sacraments that are meant to nourish me in my journey through life and to be a constant reminder that God-is-with-us; Emmanuel. Abstaining from the sacraments is a turning away from the free gift of the Father's grace, from his love and I am weakened.

The obstacle that most consistently stands between us and God, especially when we have turned away from him, even momentarily, is Pride. We do not enjoy admitting when we are wrong or at fault least of all to our fellow human beings. Pride is the age old affliction that weakens and destroys both the individual and the community. It is totally opposed to the humble nature of Christ and even goes so far as to foster a false humility of its own. The true humility of Jesus Christ cannot be found in the false humility that originates in pride. Pride prevents us from discerning the truth of who we are, where we are and how we can change for the better. The nature of secularism gives life to this dilemma, to our self serving pride as it seeks to be a comparable substitute for God, putting itself forward as the definitive answer to humanities search for the truth. It gives the teaching that we are the masters of our own destiny, not God.

Opportunities
These are the moments in our lives that invite us to respond in faith to Jesus Christ or to the faith found in the world. We experience these moments every waking day of our lives where these moments form the cross roads in our lives. What do I do? What do I say? Go with Christ or go with the flow? What is more convenient? What is more difficult? What are the risks either way? The challenge for any Christian is to recognise these cross road moments in my life as opportunities.

When we do seize the opportunity to stand by and for Christ we become his witnesses and the more consistent our stance is the more genuine our witnessing becomes. The greatest challenge to secularism is a Christian and Christian community with the courage and depth of faith conviction to stand for Christ and his values in the face of greatest adversity. Even unto death. Secularism does not respect these values or merely pays lip service to them as a veneer, however, if we are consistent in our witnessing even those disciples of secularism can be won over. If we do not seize the opportunities to give sincere witness to our faith in Jesus Christ, how can we expect those caught up in the secular doctrine to respond positively to the Gospel?

Threats
In this reflection we are looking at those external factors that threaten my relationship with God. Perhaps we could refer to it as peer pressure. It is well known fact that Catholics are the most sort after targets for proselytising groups 'trading' under the Christian banner. We need not go into naming such 'players', however they do pose a significant threat to the true faith especially when I am not well grounded in my faith. It is an immature knowledge of my Catholic faith and roots that is attacked.

When legislation is passed by Government that entrenches the values and doctrine of secularism then it becomes a threat to my Christian way of life. It imposes itself upon me and without a fight, I succumb to its rationale. The more it is 'taught' the more it begins to resemble 'truth'. The greatest threat is when the truth, in the eyes of the Christian, becomes relative, when I 'buy-into' the propaganda. If the Government says its true then it must be, when Jesus says its true then it must be.      

Comment
Since the industrial and political revolutions over 300 years ago and the onset of the so-called 'age of enlightenment', Governments, businesses, trade unions, lobbiests in all shapes and forms have sort to redefine humanities past, present and future through scientific and empirical reasoning, excluding, ignoring or downplaying the spiritual dimension of the human person and humanity as a whole and the relationship between human beings and God from the dawn of time. This 'enlightenment', excluding God, has been the basis for the on-slaught of the doctrine and practice that is secularism. Scientifc 'discoveries' and technological break-throughs have been manifested as the ultimate knowledge that can substitute the spiritual faith. 

Please feel free to add to this topic by way of your comments as there is much more that can be contributed.

Dcn. Greg