Deacon Sunday: Called to Serve Like Christ
In this reflection, Deacon Abram León shares his vocational journey and invites us to listen for God’s call and respond generously.
By Deacon Abram León
This past Deacon Sunday offered us a beautiful opportunity to reflect on the diaconal ministry and to give thanks to God for the witness of so many men who have responded to Christ’s call to serve his Church and his people.
Sacred Scripture presents us with a beautiful image: God prepares a great banquet and sends his servants to invite everyone. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us, “The king sent his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast” (Matthew 22:3). This image beautifully expresses the mission of the deacon: to be a servant sent by Christ to help bring people to an encounter with him. In a sense, the deacon is always saying: “The table is ready. Christ is waiting for you. Come.”
The diaconate has its roots in the apostolic Church. In the Acts of the Apostles, we find the first Christians choosing seven men “filled with the Spirit and wisdom” to attend to the needs of the community while the apostles devoted themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word (6:1-6). The tradition of the Church has recognized in this event one of the foundations of the diaconal ministry. From the earliest centuries, deacons have served the Church in the Word, the liturgy and charity. Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the deacon is configured to Christ the Servant, who “did not come to be served but to serve” (Mark 10:45).
Today, our deacons proclaim the Gospel, preach, serve at the altar, baptize, assist at marriages and funerals, accompany the sick and families, serve the poor and are present in so many moments of need. But behind all these forms of service is one mission: to help people encounter Jesus Christ.
My own vocation reminds me that God can call us many times before we finally respond. After my personal encounter with Jesus Christ, I spent approximately 20 years serving as a layman in my parish, in the Archdiocese of Denver and in various movements and works of evangelization. I was happy serving, and I had discovered something very important: The purpose of my life was to serve God by serving others.
For years, several people asked me, “Why aren’t you a deacon?” I listened, but inwardly I responded, “Later, Lord.” Yet God was patient with me. In July 2021, after several unexpected invitations, a deacon finally walked into my office, handed me a phone number and said, “Call the Office of the Diaconate. They’re waiting for you.” That day, I realized that Jesus had been calling me for many years. I finally made the call, began my formation and responded to his invitation.
St. Paul reminds us, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). When God calls, he also gives the grace. When God sends, he also gives strength. That is why the most important question is not, “Am I capable?” but rather, “Am I willing to say yes to God?” The diaconate does not begin or end at the altar. The diaconate becomes a way of life.
As our archdiocesan community has just celebrated this Deacon Sunday, I want to thank each of our deacons for his “yes” to Christ and his Church. Thank you for your generous service in our parishes, for proclaiming the Word, serving at the altar, accompanying families, visiting the sick, serving the poor and so often being present where no one sees you. Thank you also to your wives and families, who share in your sacrifices, support your ministry and offer the Church the gift of their husbands and fathers. Your service matters. Your witness matters. Your presence in our communities matters. Thank you for being Christ the Servant among us.
This first Deacon Sunday also reminds us that God continues to call. Perhaps today there is a man in one of our parishes who has wondered, “Could God be calling me?” Do not be afraid to listen. Pray before the Blessed Sacrament, talk with your wife, talk with your pastor and ask the Lord, “What do you want from me?” You do not need to have all the answers. Simply begin by listening.
Finally, I invite our entire Catholic community to pray for our deacons: for their faithfulness, their marriages, their families and their ministry; for those who are serving joyfully and those going through times of difficulty, weariness or illness; for our retired deacons and those who have given many years in service to the Church. Let us also pray for the men discerning this vocation and for those currently in formation. And let us ask the Lord to continue calling new vocations to the permanent diaconate: holy, humble and generous men willing to give their lives in service to God and his people.
In my own life, I can say with all my heart: The purpose of my life is to do God’s will and to serve God by serving his people. Perhaps God is touching someone’s heart today as well.
God calls. God waits. God is patient. God prepares. And God strengthens.
May Christ the Servant teach us to listen to his voice and, when he calls us, to respond generously:
“Here I am, Lord. Send me.”
