This Advent, we are given the same opportunity to travel the road of the Magi, and we have been given a special ministry that embodies this mission: the diaconate. Permanent deacons are defined by service to the Word, liturgy and charity. 

The diaconate serves as an example for us to proclaim the Good News, just as they proclaim the Gospel at Mass. Then, it is the deacon who reminds us to “go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.” Their ministry serves as an echo of the angels who went out into the shepherds’ fields, that fearful yet joyful moment, where they shouted the praises of our God’s Incarnation as one of us. Like the deacons in our parishes, we are called to evangelize and spread the Word of God, especially to those who are not familiar with Jesus. Our deacons are a faithful example of serving so that Christ’s mission can be fulfilled in the world.

As Christmas approaches, it is important that we remind ourselves how good the Lord is because, through this, we will be able to announce the Gospel of the Lord with passion and fire. As Pope Benedict XVI said, “Only if people change will the world change; and in order to change, people need the light that comes from God, the light which so unexpectedly [on the night of Christmas] entered into our night.”

And so, we prepare ourselves for the celebration of that humble yet illuminating night, for it is our duty to “go before the Lord to prepare his way” (Lk 1:76).

I wish you all a blessed Advent season and a very Merry Christmas. May God bless you and your families.

In Christ’s love,

Most Rev. Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS

Bishop of Charleston