Further on in the reflection this idea is supported by Monsignor Paul McPartlan when he
speaks of the deacon as expressing the, “seamlessness between church and world, moving
smoothly from one to the other…deacons are signs of seamlessness, signs of solidarity.”78 The
complexity of the vocation of the deacon is such that the deacon can share the intimacy of his
relationship with the Word of God as preacher of the Gospel, with the coworker with whom he
shares a break. The entire diaconal ministry revolves around pastoral leadership, the deacon is an
approachable member of the Church hierarchy. Even beyond the worshipping community, the
deacon can have a role. As W. Shawn McKnight, STD observes, “The deacon can forge a bond
of communion between the shepherd and his flock, and to foster the link between the Catholic
faithful and those on the margins—even beyond the Church.”79 Living in the “real” world
affords deacons an opportunity to reach out to the periphery, to the afflicted, the outcast, the
marginalized. Pope Francis in a homily to new Cardinals on February 14, 2015, exhorts the
Church to “Serve Jesus crucified in every person who is marginalized. See the Lord present even
in those who have lost their faith, or turned away from the practice of their faith, or who have
declared themselves to be atheists. We will not find the Lord unless we truly accept the
marginalized! Truly, the Gospel of the marginalized is where our credibility is at stake, is found
and is revealed!” This is the mission of Christ’s Church, this is the mission of the diaconate.
At baptism we are called to share in the threefold mission of Christ. All Christians share
in Christ’s mission as priest, prophet and king. We share in Christ’s mission of teaching and
preaching, (prophet), sanctifying, (priest), and leading, (king). In Lumen Gentium, the Church
reinforces this idea stating that, the Christian faithful, through baptism, have been constituted as
78
James C. Kruggel, Ph.D., Servant Icon of Hope: A Reflection on the Vocation of the Permanent Deacon,
Commissioned by the Archdiocese of Vancouver, British Columbia, 2015.
79
James Keating, ed., The Character of the Deacon: Spiritual and Pastoral Foundations, 154.
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