59. Deacons

This week we’re going to talk about deacons. Although we don’t have any deacons in our parishes, you may attend Mass where a deacon is assisting the priest or bishop. It’s worthwhile to know what that role is all about.

 

We have to go back to the Old Testament. In the Temple of Jerusalem, God established a clear distinction among His people. Only the priests—descendants of Aaron—could offer sacrifice. Yet they did not act alone. The Levites, drawn from the same tribe but not ordained as priests, were entrusted with assisting in the worship of God. They prepared what was needed, cared for the sacred spaces, and supported the priests in carrying out the liturgy with reverence and order.

 

There is a similar pattern in the Mass. In the New Covenant, the bishop and priest act in the person of Christ the High Priest, offering the one sacrifice of Christ made present on the altar. Alongside them stands the deacon, ordained not to the priesthood, but to service. The role of the deacon closely resembles that of the Levites. At Mass, the deacon proclaims the Gospel, may preach, prepares the altar, assists the priest during the Eucharistic Prayer, and helps distribute Holy Communion. He does not consecrate the Eucharist, just as the Levites did not offer sacrifice, but his role assists the beauty, order, and integrity of the liturgy.

 

Alongside his assistance in the liturgy, deacons also add something to the life of the Church. While the Levites were primarily focused on the Temple, the deacon is sent beyond the walls of the church. From the earliest days of the Church, deacons were entrusted with caring for the poor, the neglected, and those in need. Their ministry reminds us that the sacrifice we participate in at the altar must be lived out in love and service in the world. In this way, the deacon becomes a bridge—connecting the worship of God with the needs of His people.

 

This structure teaches us something important: not everyone has the same role, and that is by God’s design. The beauty of the Mass is not found in everyone doing everything, but in each person fulfilling the role entrusted to them. The priest offers the sacrifice. The deacon assists and serves. The faithful unite themselves to Christ’s offering. Together, this ordered harmony reflects the worship of heaven itself—where all is directed toward the glory of God.

 

Deacons wear similar, but different vestments as a priest and bishop. Their main vestment is called a dalmatic, which looks similar to a priestly chasuble, but it has sleeves. The stole they wear is diagonal from the right shoulder to the left side. The practicality of these vestments allows them to assist more freely than the flowing vestments of the priest.