Today I am sharing a reflection by deacon candidate Peter Chiaro on our recent deacon formation weekend. Peter is a deacon candidate at St. Therese Catholic Church in Clinton, TN.

Reading – James 1:2-4

My brothers, count it pure joy when you are involved in every sort of trial. Realize that when your faith is tested this makes for endurance. Let endurance come to its perfection so that you may be fully mature and lacking in nothing.

I thought about being on a journey when reading the psalms and the reading. Each of us began
our journey at Baptism. Even more so now, we are on a journey to become servants of the
Lord as deacons serving others. This journey, as stated in the first Psalm, will enable us to be
among those who stand in the house of the Lord. He will bestow on us His people, because of
Jesus Christ, all we need.

But the journey is not going to be without pain and suffering. Trials is what is used in our reading. The trials we will face may not be physical, but they could be. I think the trials will most likely be internal. How we handle each trial may truly test us. What could they be? Things that come to mind include rejection, rejection by family or friends. Rejection by others we may be working with or counseling. Others trials we may face include fear. Fear to speak up, to say the Truth. To speak as Holy Mother Church expects us to do. Fear could come up when talking with parishioners. Maybe fear could come up when even talking with the pastor of our parish. Another trial we may face is dealing with the loss of control or what we believe is under our control. We may not be able to control events or activities around us like we do now or at least think we do. Again, back to how we respond which I believe is key.

Thinking of Luke 6:38, our response is the measure which will be measured out to us. When we
have strong faith, we can face these trials with an internal joy because we know what is coming.
We know that God is with us on this journey and wants us to succeed. The trials faced already
and those to come give us the strength for this journey, but we must not lose faith. That is how
we mature. That is how we move even closer to God through His Son, Jesus Christ. Strength
based in faith will enable us to stand in the house of the Lord.

Let us pray that we remain strong and faithful, that trials as they arise don’t push us away, that
we face what is being asked of us as true servants of God, and that we not forget or lose sight
of what we will obtain in the end.

Quote from “The Splendor of Truth – Veritatis Splendor”, St. Pope John Paul II, who quoted St.
Ignatius of Antioch, “Let me arrive at Pure Light; once there I will be truly a man.” May God be praised.

Please pray for Peter and all the deacon candidates, and also for Deacon Ken Conklin.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.