Mass Readings for Deaconate Ordination October 25, 2008

These are the reading which Bishop Lennon chose for our Diaconate Ordination Mass:

1st (Old Testament) Reading: Numbers 3:5-9

Now the LORD said to Moses:
"Summon the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest, as his assistants. They shall discharge his obligations and those of the whole community before the meeting tent by serving at the Dwelling. They shall have custody of all the furnishings of the meeting tent and discharge the duties of the Israelites in the service of the Dwelling. You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been set aside from among the Israelites as dedicated to me.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all you lands;
worship the LORD with cries of gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
Know that the LORD is God,
our maker to whom we belong,
whose people we are, God's well-tended flock.
Enter the temple gates with praise,
its courts with thanksgiving.
Give thanks to God, bless his name;
good indeed is the LORD,
Whose love endures forever,
whose faithfulness lasts through every age.


2nd (New Testament) Reading: I Peter 4:7b-11

Be serious and sober for prayers.
Above all, let your love for one another be intense,
because love covers a multitude of sins.
Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another
as good stewards of God's varied grace.
Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God;
whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies,
so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Gospel Proclamation: John 12:24-26*

Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me.

* This was a verse of the Gospel of John which I wrote a paper on for our Scripture class on Johannine Literature. How providential to think that I've been preparing to hear this particular verse of the Gospel proclaimed since last Spring Semester when we took that class. -CJT.

The Prayer of Ordination for the Sacred Order of Deacon

For those who wish to prepare with my classmates and I for this coming Saturday's Ordination rite, I am including the text of the Prayer of Ordination for Deacons. This is the prayer that the Bishop will pray aloud as he calls the Holy Spirit upon us and ordains us for ministry in the Diocese of Cleveland. It is always beneficial to our celebration together to have read through and prayed the prayers of the liturgy.

The Ordination Mass will begin at 10:00AM on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (on the corner of Superior and E. 9th Street) in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. There is some open seating available and anyone may participate in this celebration of liturgy. (Come earlier...around 9:00 or 9:15 AM for the best chance at a good seat).

As we prepare to celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Orders this coming weekend, please keep my classmates and I in your prayers. Thank you.

Candidates for the Sacred Order of Deacon:

Kevin Estabrook
Sean Ralph
Matthew Pfeiffer
Anthony Suso
Christopher Trenta


And, so that we may celebrate well together...

"Draw near, we pray, almighty God,
giver of every grace,
who apportion every order and assign every office,
you who remain unchanged but make all things new;
who, in your eternal providence, order all creation
and make due provision for every age
through him who is your Word, your power, and wisdom,
Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.

For the upbuilding of the new temple,
you grant that the Church, his body,
should grow and spread forth
adorned with manifold heavenly graces,
joined together in the distinction among its members
and fastened in unity by the wonderous bond of the Holy Spirit;
and you established ranks of ministers
in sacred offices to serve your name,
as once you chose the sons of Levi
to minister in the former tabernacle.

Thus, in the first days of the Church,
through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
your Son's Apostles appointed seven men of good repute
to assist them in the daily ministry,
that they might devote themselves more fully
to prayer and preaching of the Word.
By prayer and the laying on of hands
they entrusted to these chosen men
the ministry of serving at table.

We beseech you, Lord:
look with favor on these servants of yours,
who will minister at your holy altar
and whom we now humbly dedicate to the office of deacon.

Lord, we beseech you:
send forth upon them the Holy Spirit,
that they may be strengthened
by the gift of your sevenfold grace
to carry out faithfully the work of the ministry.

May every Gospel virtue abound in them:
unfeigned love,
concern for the sick and poor,
unassuming authority,
the purity of innocence
and the observance of spiritual discipline.

May your commandments shine forth in their conduct,
so that by the example of their way of life
they may attract the imitation of your holy people.
May they remain strong and steadfast in Christ,
offering the witness of a clear conscience.
By imitating on earth
your Son, who came not to be served but to serve,
may they be found worthy to reign in heaven with him,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever."

All answer: "Amen."

Called to Holy Orders - 1 October 2008

Today I have officially been notified by letter that the Bishop of Cleveland, the Most Reverend Richard Lennon, has called my classmates and I to Sacred Orders, to the Order of Deacon for service to the Diocese of Cleveland. This is the final step before being called to Priesthood and is often referred to as the "Transitional Deaconate" (as compared to "Permanent Deacons" who will be deacons for the rest of their lives) since we will be in transition to becoming priests, God willing, in May 2009. So, October 25, 2008 there will be five new deacons here in Cleveland. I thought it would be fun to share the contents of the letter:

1 October 2008

Mr. Christopher John Trenta
Saint Mary Seminary
28700 Euclid Ave
Wickliffe, OH 44092

Dear Christopher,

It gives me great happiness to acknowledge receipt of your petition regarding ordination to the Diaconate for the Diocese of Cleveland. With this letter, I hereby call you on 1 October 2008 to Sacred Orders, to the Order of Deacon for service to the Diocese of Cleveland.

In these past years I know that you have given yourself to discernment and formation. You have achieved this readiness for ordination by applying yourself in priestly formation at Saint Mary Seminary. I thank the Lord for the grace He has given you to discern in your own heart a readiness whereby you now ask for the sacred gift of ordination.

This time of sacred ordination marks a commitment on your part whereby you pledge yourself to be faithful to Christ as His minister of His Word and Sacrament. With great joy, I thank God for the gift of your vocation and I pledge to you my priestly support as you soon will assume your responsibilities as a Deacon for the Diocese of Cleveland.

With my prayerful best wishes, I am

Fraternally yours in Christ,

(signed) +Richard Lennon
Bishop of Cleveland