Some signs make me understand that I am called to marriage and to the diaconate

Question

Father Angelo,

about 5 years ago, wondering what the Lord wanted for me as a vocation, I came across a passage from the Levites, I found it interesting and I thought about the figure of the deacon.

In fact, from what I understood by reading the notes, these could not access the innermost parts of the Temple because it was not possible to know which of them had remained faithful to God during a period of great tribulation and which had sacrificed to the other gods on the surrounding hills. .

I think that the general term “Levites” indicates those descendants of the tribe of Levi who do not have a high enough rank to sacrifice in the innermost and “Holy” parts of the Temple.

Therefore, comparing it to today (or if we wanted to answer the question “who are the Levites today?”), For how the sacrament of Orders is divided, I thought of the lowest and intermediate step between the laity and the hierarchy: deacons, who cannot consecrate the bread and the wine (that is, they cannot “enter the Holy of Holies”).

I am a layman and in the last vocational scrutatio the references that spoke to me of the Levites were many. The starting passage that was proposed to us did not quote them at all. After all this time then I found myself again confronted with them and what this means in my life.

I have read some of the things you wrote on the site about the function of deacons in the Church and I have personally seen them mainly engaged in catechesis, adoration, service of the Mass.

From the Acts of the Apostles I see that they have chosen 7 educated sages (in the Wisdom of God) to take care of the works of charity for widows and orphans, something that I do not see doing today at the level of role, but on a personal level.

I like the idea of ​​helping the Church “from within” (even the laity are inside but from the texts it seems that the role of charity at the community level is specific to deacons), of getting married (celibacy is hard for me to accept) . I am confused by the fact that both holy priests and religious, lay people take care of charity so well on a wide level, it seems that the diaconate is superfluous as a role, that is, if you already do well without having anointing or being priests, what good is it to keep. the role? Today it seems to me that they carry out more liturgical or spiritual charity tasks than material charity, which confuses me, but so at least it seems more similar to how I imagine the ancient Levites.

What kind of relationship with God and the community is needed to recognize this vocation in me? I don’t have clear ideas inside, as if there was still darkness and noise and the road still open.

Thank you and may the Lord bless you, keep you from all evil (and while we’re at it, lead you to Eternal Life)

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Response from the priest

Dearest,

1. From what you wrote to me, it seems to me that that your primary vocation is to serve the Church through marriage.

And then the idea of ​​further serving the Church through the diaconate smiles at you.

2. The vocation to sacred Orders in general arises from measuring the needs of the Church (local and universal) with one’s own talents which manifest themselves primarily in the attraction to that ministry.

This is the first way the Lord calls.

3. This attraction then occurs in the examination of the person’s aptitudes to carry out that ministry.

Attitudes include both the inclination to carry out that ministry and the required preparation, including the doctrinal one.

4. Thirdly, it must be verified whether the person, in addition to attraction and aptitudes, has acquired a moral behavior appropriate to the required vocation.

Otherwise with one’s talents one would build a moral conduct and would destroy on the other.

In fact, desires are not enough, nor inclinations, however felt and acquired with competence, nor doctrinal preparation.

Moral virtues are necessary as a starting point, starting with the ability to habitually keep oneself in the grace of God.

5. In your specific case, feeling oriented towards marriage and the diaconate you should first set the first objective.

Then you will realize the second.

Otherwise, if you want to become the first deacon, you will know that once you are ordained a deacon, according to the laws of the Church, you will no longer be able to enter marriage.

With the hope that you will be able to serve the Lord’s vineyard in the twofold path for which you feel called, with the wish also of a Holy Christmas, I remind you to the Lord and I bless you.

Father Angelo

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