Homily for the Ordination of Jason Allan, Thomas Jones, Samuel Maul, Brett Metzler, Joseph Moreno, and Linh Nguyen to the Transitional Diaconate

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Fort Worth, Texas
Solemnity of Saint Joseph
March 19, 2020

2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
Psalm 89
Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
Luke 2:41-51a

The candidates prostrate themselves before the altar. (Photo by Ben Torres)

Su ordenación diaconal ocurre en medio de un momento desafiante en la sociedad y la Iglesia con la pandemia de coronavirus y el miedo y la ansiedad que esto ha creado entre las personas. Sin embargo, debemos discernir la presencia de Dios que nos sostiene en todas las cosas. El diaconado es sobre el ministerio, y el ministerio es fundamentalmente sobre la esperanza. El ministerio y la esperanza son dos lados de la misma moneda que señala a San José, cuyo día de fiesta celebramos hoy.

Era el esposo de la Santa Virgen María y el padre adoptivo de Jesús. La suya fue una expresión de esperanza sin palabras — los evangelios nunca relatan una sola palabra que pronunció alguna vez — al dedicarse al ministerio que Dios le dio (le ordenó) que hiciera: ser el guardián y protector de María y Jesús. La suya no era simplemente una paternidad espiritual para Jesús, sino una paternidad intrépida — una paternidad pastoral — basada en la realidad de la carne y la vida. Debía guardar, proteger y pastorear a María y a Jesús. Puede que Jesús no haya venido de su carne, pero José no fue menos un padre para Él.

Y así es con ustedes seis hombres que serán ordenados diáconos transicionales hoy. Su base en el ministerio es una expresión de esperanza, así como su esperanza está orientada al sacerdocio ministerial...no a una paternidad espiritual, sin cuerpo o gnóstica, sino una paternidad real, valiente y pastoral como la que ejerció San José para esas dos personas — María y Jesús — puesto a su cargo, cuidado y protección. Su ordenación eventual al sacerdocio, enraizada en el diaconado del ministerio y la esperanza, será la misma: cuidar, proteger y guardar al pueblo santo de Dios en los buenos y malos momentos, en la pandemia y en la paz, dando testimonio al mundo de su fe en Jesucristo.

God in His Providence has designed that this great event of hope, the ordination of six transitional deacons for the Diocese of Fort Worth—the largest class in our history, should be celebrated in the midst of a pandemic that is causing a contagion of panic and despair just as it threatens the health (especially) of our more vulnerable members of the population of the world: the elderly and the immune-compromised. He has also designed that this should take place on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Joseph is the patron and protector of the Universal Church. He is the foster father of Jesus. He is the Patron Saint of a Happy Death for tradition tells us that he died in the presence of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary whom he loved with a most pure love. Tonight, it is hope in the power of God, who loves us so much that He sent His Son to save us from our sins at the cost of His own blood. Saint Joseph is our guardian of hope and the diaconate is the ordained ministry of hope in our world and in the life of the Church.

Hope and service are two sides of the same coin in the currency of nature and grace. They are integral and fused together by fortitude born of a confidence in the loving trust of God. Hope and ministry unite us together in places where our sinful human condition would have us separate and divide out of presumption or despair. The Apostles recognized this as we read in the Acts of the Apostles of how the Greek-speaking widows and orphans were fast coming to be considered as only problems to be solved and avoided. Thus, inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Apostles ordained deacons to minister to the needs of these widows and orphans and to thereby unite them in love.

These men are to be ordained tonight to the diaconate as a transition towards ordination to the priesthood. The diaconate prepares them for priesthood in such a way that their priestly identity will be anchored in service and pure and chaste celibate love and not become entitled and selfish, separating themselves from the People of God whom they have been called to serve by Christ who came to serve and not be served.

Bishop Olson lays hands on the head Linh Nguyen.
(Photo by Ben Torres)

The temptation to separate and divide where Truth calls us to integrate and unite can affect also our understanding of Saint Joseph. This tendency can wrongly prompt us to make Saint Joseph simply a bystander in the domestic life of the home in Nazareth---that somehow because Jesus was uniquely conceived in the womb of Mary and knew God to be His Father, Joseph simply becomes a figure of utility and not in any real relation with Jesus and Mary. Likewise, to reduce priesthood only to a type of spiritual fatherhood by comparing it to biological fatherhood, wrongly leads us to diminish the real role and relationship that the Church requires of her priests. When in God’s Providence, you are ordained priests, remember that your fatherhood is a pastoral fatherhood or guardianship that cares for both soul and body of the faithful church and not simply the relationship of a periodically useful bystander.

Your ordination tonight on this Solemnity offers you an example and an intercessor for integrity of life, selfless service, and pure love. Scripture and tradition reveal to us that Saint Joseph was a righteous man. His righteousness was not born of ideal perfection and autonomy. His righteousness was born of his fidelity to and knowledge of the Word of God---both the Law and the Prophets—that enabled him to understand the dream that he experienced to be what it truly was---the annunciation by the angel of his vocation to be the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the guardian of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. His hesitancy to accept Mary into his home was because of his awareness of his own unworthiness not because of a suspicion of Mary’s worthiness. Likewise, your own doubts and fears about worthiness have been brought to God throughout your years of formation and education and your confidence is a grace from God not a fruit of your own initiative and will power.

Saint Joseph responds to the call of God not with words but with actions. They are courageous actions and they are hopeful. His response is born of silent meditation and obedience. Saint Joseph was confident because he was obedient. He sought only God’s will and not his own. That is the path to fidelity and fidelity is the path to peace and the path to joy. Saint Joseph is proof that there is joy to be found in sacrifice; there is joy to be found in service; there is joy to be found in surrender and that is the place where we receive hope. As you leave the Cathedral tonight as heralds of the Gospel and as ministers of charity, be sure that what you have to offer is good and needed. Be sure that our heavenly Father will sustain you as he sustained Saint Joseph in his vocation.