Dealing first with the retained ‘essential to all’ items, some of them can be taken as basics for any amicable, just and lovable person, and should therefore be part of any true Christian.
The deacon (and each of us) must or should
be hospitable
be sincere in his words and heart
be generous and ready to serve
be quick to understand, forgive and console
be vigilant about his language
That the deacon, and we, ‘should be humbly open to recognising his (and our) own limitations and gifts’, is perhaps one of the initial signs of progress beyond those basic and commonly shared attributes. With encouragement, this progress can lead to where every Christian should hope and strive to be: walking with Jesus, and conscious of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
A focus on the poor and other disadvantaged or needy persons, and an ecumenical attitude, are two examples of the fruit of such a way of living.
He (and we) should
be filled with the Spirit
be a man of faith and prayer
be helped to acquire a humble and helpful love, especially for the poorest, the suffering and most needy
cultivate his capacity to dialogue, so as to acquire a truly ecumenical attitude
The ordained deacon’s primary and most fundamental relationship must be with Christ.
A true charity should prevail which recognises in every ministry a gift of the Spirit destined to build up the Body of Christ.
He is ordained to follow Jesus with an attitude of humble service which finds expression not only in works of charity but also in
imbuing and forming thoughts and actions.
He is called to “collaborate in building up the unity of Christians.
The above attributes can be taken as being essential parts of what could be thought of as the ‘default setting’ for all devoted and active Christians. We should all hope to find ourselves described here, at this stage of our separate journeys, with our faith and awareness awakened and living in our daily lives. It is from here that will come those who sense a calling to, in some way, become more involved in the spreading of Christ’s teaching and in the building up of His Church.
But by taking a few steps beyond that point of genuine Christian awareness, we venture into a different territory, where the focus becomes more ”Church” and community than “one to one”.
He should
have a humble and strong sense of the Church
have love for the Church and her mission
He is called to a ministry of service in the diaconate of charity to the people of God.
It may well be a sound start-point to regard some of those willing to become more involved in the parish community as potential deacons within the Church. The sowing of seeds by parish priests and others, through such means as the well-considered and gentle asking of a question (such as the “Have you ever thought of ...” one asked of me) may be all that is needed to stir a pre-existing, vague and thinly spread awareness into the realization of an undeniable vocation.
‘All priests must look to the future and be alert for good men of faith in our parishes who would be able and generous enough to respond to a diaconal vocation. We need to pray for such vocations and then actively seek out potential candidates.
... Sowing the seeds of a vocation is important, for when work and family commitments have diminished, the seed sown some years back may begin to flourish. Often the best candidates are those who first considered the possibility of a diaconal vocation because the priest or some other member of the parish community suggested it to them.’
(The Permanent Diaconate in the Archdiocese of Westminster: A Handbook. p.23.)
