6th Sunday of Easter

Gospel – John 14:15-21

Family Connections

Deacon Ordination  May 17, 2015

As I read over today’s Gospel, 3 words kept popping up in my mind: commandments, love, and Advocate.  Keep my commandments, I love you, and I will send you an Advocate.  On face value, they don’t relate, looked at together they don’t make any sense.  But maybe they do…

When I was in grade school, I was a pretty good student.  But the one subject I loved more than anything was Spelling!  From 5th grade to 8th, I got far enough to make it into the qualifying round for the National Spelling Bee.  And every year, I lost and I lost to the same kid!  So when I got to 8th grade, I knew this was my last chance.  I studied day and night, pored over the list of words and prepared myself better than I ever had before.  So when the qualifying round began, I was confident and ready!  And as other students slipped up and stepped down, I continued to progress, until it was down to me and my nemesis.  The next word I got was unfamiliar and I did the best I could; I thought I nailed it correctly.  I was wrong and the bell dinged. 

What I wasn’t prepared for was what happened next.  I saw my dad come running down the aisle from his seat in the auditorium. I saw him race over to the judges to plead my case, to stand up for me, to defend me.  He didn’t win the argument with the judges.  But you know what, that didn’t matter to me at all.  I realized that some things are way more important than a spelling bee.  Life is more about commandments and love and having an Advocate.

Growing up, we had rules to follow, just like everyone, and we knew there would be a parental response when the rules were broken.  My Dad was the enforcer!  And discipline was swift and effective.  But it wasn’t until that spelling bee in 8th grade that I realized that rules were important and that enforcing the rules was done out of love and not meanness or hard-heartedness. 

That was the day I saw the reason for having rules; that was the day I saw the love my father had for me; that was the day I saw him not just as the enforcer but as my Advocate – my protector, my guide, my counselor!  I began to see what the relationship between parent and child was all about.  About rules, yes. But also about love and about guidance!

And that is what Jesus is talking about today – our relationship with God the Father.  Are there rules?  Commandments?  Yes!  But the rules are there to guide us and give us direction.  And they are made out of love!  God calls us to a relationship of love, love between parent and child.  And He promises us that He will never abandon us; He will always be there to love us, to guide us, to counsel us.  Jesus says it Himself – I will never leave you as orphans. You are not alone!

8 years ago this coming Wednesday, I was ordained a permanent deacon!  8 years ago I put on this stole (the one in the picture) for the very first time!  It was a gift from my wife Ginger.  But it is also a reminder to me that, throughout the 4 years of formation, of classes and exams and oral presentations and practicums, I did not reach ordination all by myself.  And these past 8 years of serving as a Deacon were also not spent alone! 

All of you, my family, Ginger, Jaime, Josh, Tyler and Nate, Ginger’s mom and dad, my parents, sisters and brother,  my St. Kateri family and my St. Robert’s family.  You have all supported, prayed for, guided and inspired me.  You have never let me feel alone.  You have always reminded me that God is with us always, in His commandments, in His love and in His Spirit of wisdom.

 


Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 14, 2023 at 6:20 PM

    Thank you, Deacon Bill, for your daily reflections. They are very much appreciated. Some valuable lessons are learned.

    ReplyDelete

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