Christianity – Faith Unto Ages

The Diaconate: Servanthood, Character, and Apostolic Order — Pt. 1.

Illustration of Armenian Deacon and Subdeacon by Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656-1708)

Considering that there is a lack of understanding amongst many of the faithful regarding what the office of the Deacon entails, and what his responsibilities are, I’ve discerned to write on this matter for clarification. This is for both my own reflection as a Deacon and for the potential benefit of my readers; though my understanding of this great office is limited and fallible.

The Diaconate is understood by the Church as being the first rank of the Major Orders of the Clergy. The word Deacon (Greek: διάκονος / diakonos) means ‘an attendant, a minister, a servant’. More explicitly does the word ‘Diakonos’ properly mean, per linguistic scholars: “‘to kick up dust,’ as one running an errand.” (1) Thereby, the Deacon is ordained to serve the Church – the Body of Christ.

The tasks of the Diaconate to minister to the people was at first the responsibility of the Apostles. But to alleviate a workload that was interfering with their mission to “give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4) as “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables” (Acts 6:2), the Apostles commanded the faithful to “seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business” (Acts 6:3) as there was a conflict between the Hellenists and the Hebrews regarding the daily distribution of food (Acts 6:1), given that the faithful of the Church lived in common (Acts 2:44; c.f. Acts 4:32).

The Hebraic and Apostolic Origins of the Eucharist: Liturgical Development in the Early Church

Tombs within the Roman Catacombs: The early Christians within Rome used the stone tombs of the martyrs as altars. This custom is thought to trace to the first quarter of the 2nd century. Marble tops were placed upon the tombs for the Mass to be celebrated upon. [SOURCE]

Holy writ tells us that on the night of Passover, Jesus had instituted the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist:

… took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take eat; this is My Body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’

— Matthew 26:26-28.

Being that our Lord and the Apostles were Hebrews, the elements and customs used were Hebraic in nature. More elaborately, the ancient Hebrews would consider meals to be joyful occasions, which would be celebrated within their homes. Church historian Roger T. Beckwith stated that in accordance to the Mishnah:

“grace was said several times at meals, over each main dish, over bread, and over wine; and when people were eating together, most benedictions were said by one person for all, and a responsive grace was added at the end of the meal.”

— Jones, Cheslyn , Geoffrey Wainwright, Edward Yarnold SJ, and Paul Bradshaw, eds. 1992. The Study of Liturgy. Revised. Oxford University Press. Pg. 72.

The Liturgist and scholar C.P.M. Jones is also in agreement, and even suggested that the singularity of the cup could have been something which originated with Christ Himself:

The action and words concerning the bread precede the meal; those concerning the cup follow it. This pattern accords well with Jewish meal customs on solemn occasions. The bread-words accompany the normal action over the bread; the wine-words accompany the thanksgiving over the cup. The single, common cup, so essential to the symbolism, may not have been contemporary custom, but Jesus’ own idea.

— Jones, Cheslyn , Geoffrey Wainwright, Edward Yarnold SJ, and Paul Bradshaw. Pg. 195.

The use of bread and wine in worship is also evident when examining the Old Testament scriptures that were reverenced by the Hebrews. This can be seen in the case of Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18) as well as within the Levitical sacrifices (Leviticus 23:13-37).

The Kingdom is at Hand: Finding Hope in Christ through the Holy Eucharist

In the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.

The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. This line from St. John the Baptist has been weighing heavily on my heart lately. I’m writing this on March 11th, 2026. The world right now is consumed by division, not just in the United States but in the entirety of the world. This division began in the garden. It has been rampant. I never understood until the veil was recently lifted for me. Satan’s grip on the world is much tighter than I anticipated. Our church has been fighting heresy for so long, but the true heresy that we have lost sight of is within our hearts.

My journey only had one goal, and that was to understand God with my brain. I thought that if I understood God in my head, it would lead me to Him. But Saint Cyril of Alexandria recently spoke to me through his writings and humbled me. As I was preparing my notes and breakdown of the Gospel of John, I was humbled.

“For it is not the part of a mind that loves truth to indulge in restless curiosity and to busy itself about words beyond what is fitting, but rather to receive with simplicity the things that are spoken by God.”
— St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book I

He warns that those who seek answers instead of truth will not only fail to find the answers but will not receive the truth, which is Christ Jesus.

It troubles me, all this death surrounding us, from the passing of the leader of Iran to a recent preacher, Mhir Mhir Zelalem. I thought I understood death. I thought it was something that just comes and goes. Luckily, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ broke down the door of eternal emptiness. But now something was not right.