In his homily on May 18, 2014, Pope Francis said the following regarding the first seven deacons of the Church (emphasis are mine): “[These] deacons will provide for the service of the tables for the poor. These seven men are not chosen because they are experts in business, but because they are honest men of good repute, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom; and they are established in the service through the imposition of hands by the Apostles.”
As I began to write my petition to receive the Ministry of Acolyte, I realized that the next petition I will be writing (God-willing, of course) is for ordination to the diaconate. From that thought, to the busyness of seminary and the excitement of my internship year coming up, receiving the Ministry of Acolyte could easily become just another box to check off on my journey and discernment towards priesthood.