Deacons urged to see like God

By DAWN PROSSER
Director of Communications
 
“Seeing with the eyes of faith and the practice of spiritual accompaniment” was the theme the deacons and their wives of the Diocese of Sioux City contemplated in their annual community retreat July 18-20 at the St. Benedict Center in Schuyler, Nebraska.
 
Deacon Matthew Halbach, director of deacon formation for the Diocese of Des Moines, led the retreat. The deacon is a national author and speaker on mercy, accompaniment, evangelization and catechesis.
 
Bishop John E. Keehner attended the retreat with the deacon community and also celebrated two Masses in the retreat center chapel.
 
Unexpected guests
The deacon wives of the Archdiocese of Omaha were unexpectedly the special guests of the Sioux City Diocese deacon community for the retreat. Angie Luna, retreat coordinator for the archdiocese’s deacon wives, said two days before the retreat she learned that their retreat leader was ill and no one was available to lead their event.
 
St. Benedict Center staff coordinated with Deacon David Penton, coordinator of formation for the diaconate, and the archdiocese deacon wives were soon invited to join the Sioux City community for the retreat, Mass, prayers and meals.
 Deacons wives from the Archdiocese of Omaha offered a blessing over their hosts from the Diocese of Sioux City.“At first, we didn’t want to disturb anyone, but everyone was so welcoming. We felt comfortable being here,” Luna said. “We really enjoyed it. What unexpected graces.”
 
Attending deacons said it was a beneficial to have the guests from the archdiocese join the retreat group. Deacon Penton pointed out it was beneficial to network with the archdiocese.
 
“It was nice having them so we could get some different insights,” noted Deacon Paul Kestel of Storm Lake St. Mary Parish.
 
Through God’s eyes
The speaker explained his presentation would center upon vision. The group discussed seeing through the lens of faith, how God views his children and how the participants can apply that vision of faith to action and accompaniment.
 
“We don’t often talk about faith as a way of seeing things,” he said, noting that can be challenging in relationships with others. “It’s hard to see Jesus in people we have differences with – theological differences, liturgical differences and others.”
 
Jesus “is empathy incarnate,” Deacon Halbach said, explaining that Christ works in people’s lives and gets to know people to understand them.
 Deacon HalbachAt first, it may be hard to see others as God does. Often, it is “sin that distorts how we see.” The deacon used the example of Adam and Eve in the garden. Participants broke off into small groups to read and discern Gen 3:4-7 and consider how the advent of original sin affected the first humans and how they viewed the world. 

“Then the eyes of both were opened and they knew that they were naked,” from the Book of Genesis.
 
“Sin changed how they saw God, each other and the things around them,” the speaker said.
 
In order to see clearly, the faithful needs to see with eyes of faith, and also open their hearts wide for God, “allowing God’s love in our hearts to see him and to see clearly,” Deacon Halbach suggested.
 
“God is always present, but sometimes veiled,” he said, admitting that he often watches for signs of God’s presence. “You have to ask yourself what’s going on in the heart to prevent you from seeing what is present.”
 
Mercy plays a major role in helping the faithful to see others and to view situations as God sees them, the speaker stressed.
 
“Mercy is about making room for the other person,” he said, noting this was the theme for the weekend.
 
Although a familiar story, the parable of the prodigal son and the viewpoint of the older brother provided a good example of seeing with the eyes of faith and mercy, the deacon said. He asked the participants to read the Scripture and reconsider the characters in the story.
 
“The younger brother is wasteful and reckless. The father is generous and lavish,” Deacon Halbach reflected upon the parable in Luke 15. “We compare the brothers with externals. Who is living fulfilling the law?”
 
Many could relate to the older brother’s outlook regarding mercy, he pointed out. If we have done wrong, we want “mercy for us and want justice for everyone else.” The father’s mercy towards his rebellious younger son in the parable mirrors the mercy that God gives to his children.
 
“God doesn’t love us as peers. We don’t deserve it – that’s the point,” the speaker said. “God sees us as children.”
 
Seeing others through the eyes of faith and with mercy – making room for others – is something the speaker practices in his work as director of deacon formation.
 
“We interview a lot of guys including some I don’t like. But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t make a good deacon,” Deacon Halbach explained.
 
He offered steps that can help to view others with mercy in ministry and everyday life:

• Acknowledge
• Evaluate
• Offer
• Accept
• Praise

 Bishop Keehner presided at MassesUsing what they learned regarding viewing others as God would, the retreat participants could practice the art of accompaniment. The deacon clarified that accompaniment isn’t the same as socializing as evangelization is “relational,” and it takes time to build those relationships. 

“This is why Jesus spent three years with the disciples,” he said. “Mercy is the character of accompaniment. It takes relationships to build credibility.”
 
Evangelizers can only effectively share the message of the Gospel if others view them as credible. He referred to Pope Paul VI’s 1975 encyclical on evangelization and credibility.
 
“He said that young people listen more to witnesses than teachers and they would listen to teachers if they were witnesses,” Deacon Halbach paraphrased the late Holy Father from Evangelii Nuntiandi.
 
Also, credibility can be damaged or lost if actions and words do not match. The faithful are called to love their neighbor – even if we don’t like them, the speaker explained.
 
“What actions and attitudes do we adopt to be like Jesus?” the deacon asked. “How are we being like Jesus? Are there times we are short with people or we dismiss people?”
 
The deacons and wives were challenged to go outside of their comfort zones to be available to others and to be credible to others. This would allow them to accompany and evangelize others.
 
“How vulnerable are you willing to be, to let people in, because that’s where Jesus is. Take the leap of faith. It’s doing simple things with intentionality and gestures. It doesn’t have to be this big problem. It’s little seeds that grow into a mustard bush,” Deacon Halbach said.
 
Feedback
The attending deacons and deacon wives found the retreat helpful and appreciated the theme of seeing others through a lens of faith presented by the speaker.
 
“I enjoyed his take on seeing with eyes of faith. I liked the theme of sight and mercy,” Deacon Kestel said, noting he was happy to spend time in community with his brother deacons over the weekend.
 Deacon Tom Morgan of Sacred Heart Parish in Sioux City, and his wife, Sarah, said they found Deacon Halbach’s presentation to be “thought-provoking” and inspiring.
 
“It was a whole different look at our faith, opening new vistas and horizons,” Deacon Morgan said.
 
Deacon David Brown of Ascension Parish in Boone said he also appreciated the focus upon mercy and how it leads the faithful to ask how they can serve others. He pointed out that “needs to be our focus.”
 
Joanne Frankenfield of Millard, Nebraska, said with the last-minute change for the Omaha Archdiocese deacon wives, she was not sure what to expect from the retreat content presented by Deacon Halbach, but said the program was “amazing.”
 
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