20 years ago today, on the Feast of
St. James the Greater, I was ordained a deacon. I am sometimes asked why I
celebrate this event since I’m a priest. I always explain that I didn’t stop
being a deacon when I was ordained a priest almost a year later. My diaconal
ministry—very much a servant ministry—has most definitely fed and tempered my
ministry as a priest. It is as much a part of my life as my being a priest.
20 years of ordained ministry is a
long time. In that time I have seen many other clergy leave ministry or simply
some to a point in which they can no longer continue. It is a difficult
vocation that affects every aspect of one’s life. And when it’s bad, it’s
really bad. It doesn’t help when one actually loves the people they serve
because when bad things happen in their lives, it happens in the clergyperson’s
life as well. But when it’s good, it’s amazing! And it is those moments I live
for. The rewards have definitely outnumbered the pains.
I am truly thankful to God for these
20 years of ordained ministry. Thank you to everyone who has walked with me
along the way, for everyone who has supported me or defended me or simply just
cared for me along this journey. Without all of you, I could never have made it
to this point in my life.
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