Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany

Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany Pre-Discernment Session/Retreat Assignment Rev. 9/24/2015 www.rcda.org/offices/deacons/pre-discernment.html

The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of the Father and the fellowship with the Holy Spirit be with you always.

Thank you for your continued interest in the Ministry of Deacon in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. By now, you have completed or are in your second year of the Kateri Institute. You have also attended at least one Deacon Information Session where the processes of Inquiry, Discernment, Application and Formation (Aspirancy and Candidacy) were explained. The need for Spiritual Direction was also discussed. You are already a disciple of Jesus Christ and you feel that you are being called to expand your service to Jesus, his Church and God’s people. Your call may be to the Diaconate or it may be a call to another ministry. This formal phase of the discernment process will help you and the Diocese of Albany to discern a possible call to Diaconal Ministry.

Modified Lectio Divina Before you read on, find yourself a quiet place. If single, this is a solitary exercise. If you are married, ask your wife to join you. She has an important role in the discernment process. Clear your minds of all distractions and then open your Bible to 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and pray with the passage. One of you should read the passage slowly and aloud while the other listens. Spend some time in silence and then change readers, again reading the passage aloud. Pause in silent prayer and then alternate again, reading the passage aloud for a third time. Contemplate, and if a couple, discuss the passage. - What does this passage say to you about call and vocation? - How important is the role of the Holy Spirit in the discernment process? - Are there other ministries that you may be called to? If you want, read the rest of Chapter 12. For more about the practice of Lectio Divina, go to: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-what-how-why-of-prayer/praying-with-scripture

Prayer Following is an ancient prayer to the Holy Spirit you may find beneficial as you discern your calling: “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created, and you will renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy his consolations, through Christ Our Lord, Amen.”

Discerning a Call to Ministry “Discern” – verb 1. to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect; see, recognize, or apprehend. 2. to distinguish mentally; recognize as distinct or different; discriminate. Discerning a call to ordained ministry has a natural component that agrees with the Dictionary.com definition above. You are gathering facts by reading and doing research. You should be talking with people already involved in ministry. You must recognize your skills and weaknesses and well as your ability to commit the time and effort to formation. If you are married, you should be having very candid conversations, discriminating on how the formation process may affect your family and your relationships at home and at work. The natural component is based upon intellect and the senses to help you make a decision and this requires careful examination and honest self-awareness on your part.

1 However, the supernatural component of discerning a call to ordained ministry, or any ministry, is even more important. It is Jesus who calls and it is the Holy Spirit who strengthens us and guides us to a decision: “. . . the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he intercedes for the ]saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:25-27).” Constant conversation with God, which is also known as “prayer,” and frequent Reconciliation and Holy Communion drive supernatural discernment. Finally, Spiritual Direction helps us to hear the “groanings” of the Holy Spirit that may be too subtle for us to hear on our own.

However, you are not the only one discerning a call to ministry. The Holy Spirit speaks to all those who are involved. The Church has standards that she follows to ensure candidates for ordination possess the human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral qualities necessary to become public ministers. Lastly, if you are married, your wife must also be part of the discernment process so she can lovingly give her consent. Carefully and prayerfully read “A Prayerful Guide to Discerning a Vocation to the Diaconate” (again) before you come to the Discernment Session and Retreat.

Reading Assignments 1. “A Prayerful Guide to Discerning a Vocation to the Diaconate” www.rcda.org + Offices + Deacons + New Vocations to the Diaconate 2. “Aspirant Path in Diaconal Formation” & A Handbook for Candidates for Ordination as Deacons www.rcda.org + Offices + Deacons + Initial Formation Another resource you should be familiar with is the “National Directory for the Formation, Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons in the United States (DMLPD).” This is that standard upon which the policy relating to diaconate formation in the Diocese of Albany is based. It is available on-line at: http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/diaconate/upload/DeaconDirectory.pdf Finally, take some time to browse the entire Deacon Web pages available at: www.rcda.org + Offices + Deacons

Written Assignment Prior to attending the formal Discernment Session and Retreat, you MUST complete a written essay exercise. The exercise and instructions are in MS Word (.docx) and are available on-line at www.rcda.org/offices/deacons/pre-discernmentessay.html

Can't open .docx documents because you have an older version of MS Word (.doc)? Consider downloading the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel and Power Point File Formats available at: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3.