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Bernard M. Deschler
was ordained as a deacon on May 14, 1988 by Cardinal O'Connor
at St. Patrick's in New York.
He explains that the deaconate goes back as far as the
year 40 when St. Peter called a council to call on the
community for help to tend to the widows, the sick and
the poor of the young church. Listed in the Acts of the
Apostles in Chapter 6, these deacons as they were called
helped the apostles in prayer and preaching of the word.
They were also the first to be solemnly ordained to the
service of the church, the people of God, the Christian
church as it was named in Antioch back in the 50's. Ever
since the beginning of the ordination of presbyters, the
deaconate was the first step on the ladder to the priesthood.
The deaconate, as it was in the early church, went away
because it was now a step on the way within the holy orders
and the priesthood.
During the second Vatican council,
the council fathers thought it wise
to reinstitute the ordination of
the permanent deaconate and the
study course is much the same as
that of the priesthood as far as
theology. The prerequisite in some
diocese's is that the candidate
be a graduate of higher education
which eliminates the seminary philosophy
courses. The requirements are very
tough: First there must be interviews
with the wife and those who are
not married must either be married
before ordination or live a celibate
life. Those who are married can
not remarry in the event their mate
passes on. Deacon's like priest's
are asked to read the daily prayers
and study the scriptures and the
only sacrament a deacon can not
perform is that of absolution as
well as the consecration of the
bread and wine into the body and
blood of Jesus Christ. A deacon
preaches the gospel, presides over
baptisms, marriages and funerals
and can bring the communion to the
home bounds. A deacon may also preside
over prayer services, instruct candidates
for confirmation, council those
who want to be counseled and do
everything a priest does and many
deacons are pastors of parishes
where priests are scarce. Most of
all, a deacon is suppose to be there
to listen and comfort the unfortunate.
Bernard has continually helped clothe
the poor, feed the hungry, care
for the sick, preached retreats
to teenagers and has gotten into
many discussions between husbands
and wife while pursuing his art
with his religious background.
With his religious background and
his performing baptisms, confirmations,
marriages and the like, he knows
how to design a church so that all
these functions can be performed
easily. Many architects of religious
facilities hire a liturgist consultant
in order to properly design what
is needed for a functional church.
Bernard already knows just what
is needed to make the ceremonies
functional within the boundaries
of a church and can design accordingly
without the need of a liturgist
consultant.
Meaning derived from the Catholic Encyclopedia at newadvent.com
"Christian art" is a term which, while it always
applies to the fine arts and their creations only, is nevertheless
used in more than one meaning which we must distinguish
in this encyclopedia. Most frequently we designate by Christian
art, the fine arts in as much as we find them in the service
of the Church, i.e. in so far as they serve either to construct
or to embellish houses of worship, the homes of the consecrated
servants of God, monasteries, convents, the last resting-places
of the faithful, etc., or in as much as they beautify the
rites and ceremonies of the Church. In this sense, Christian
art is also called ecclesiastical art, and we find it convenient
to treat this subject under the title ECCLESIASTICAL ART.
But Christian art is sometimes also used to denote the
fine arts and their creations, in as much as they are in
harmony with Christian ideals and principles. In this regard
Christian art will be treated under the several special
headings into which its divisions naturally fall.
"Old Gifts Used In A New Way" -- When Jesus
was finished speaking to the people in parables, He asked
if they had understood their meaning. All said yes. Then
He said put them to good use and spoke to scribes who were
educated people and to others who had a fine upbringing
and were of means. He spoke to slave masters and slaves,
farmers, winegrowers, etc. --- The message: "You don't
have to change your vocation but implore those things which
I have taught you in your daily life and teach it to those
who have not heard me". This is what what we are to
do: --- Live our lives in a Godly and Christ-like way -
Each of us, everyone, from doctors, computer people, architects,
artists, nurses, secretaries, bank presidents, bishops,
rabbi's, priests, deacons, sanitary people, messengers,
policemen, firemen, and so on. God gave all of us a gift
at birth and Christ does not want to change our vocations
but to implement God's way in our lives which He, Jesus
taught us. It is respecting all, feeding and clothing the
poor, caring for the sick and most of all - helping those
who cannot help themselves.
The Kingdom is not only Catholic,
it is Jewish, Protestant, Muslim,
etc. - It is everywhere and will
remain here till the end of times.
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