new splendor and profound joy, even in the midst of difficulties. Every expression of true beauty can thus be acknowledged as a path leading to an encounter with the Lord Jesus. 3 In this second case, function follows form. “The scriptures tell us that Jesus was in the form of God, but did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.” (Phil 2:6-7). This is the basic scriptural text regarding the diaconia as understood in the New Testament. Theology starts its reflections on the diaconal order with Christology. If the ordained minister is configured to Christ, then understanding Christ is fundamental to understanding the different sacramental configurations. We have to first begin with baptism. The International Theological Commission (ITC) said this: The essence of being a Christian can thus be grasped in a Christological perspective. Christian existence is a sharing in the diaconia or service which God himself fulfilled in favor of mankind; it likewise leads to an understanding of the fulfillment of mankind. Being a Christian means following Christ’s example in putting oneself at the service of others to the point of self-renunciation and selfgiving, for love. 4 The ritual for the renewal of the vows of baptism we celebrate each Easter season, exemplifies the foundational identity of the deacon. The deacon is a Christian. But the deacon is, in his person, configured to Christ in such a way that he is the sign of an essential dimension of being a Christian. The ITC says, Diakonein is shown to be a radical determination of Christian life, expressing itself in the sacramental basis of Christian existence, of the charismatic building up of the Church, and also of the sending out of the Apostles on their mission and of the ministry which flows from the apostolate, of the proclamation of the Gospel, and of the sanctification and governance of churches. 5 A Christian is not a person who acts in a good and ethical way, although we expect that she or he will do that. What makes a person a Christian is the configuration to Christ through baptism. Because of the grace of that sacrament, identity is expressed in a way of life. Function follows form. The manner of living signifies the identity of the believer. The sign dimension of the baptized person lies in the way she or he disclosed the transcendent dimension of being a Christian. This is primary. Charisms, mission, and ministry come after this essential quality of baptismal identity. And identity is not of my making but is my identification with Christ by means of my configuration to him. It is for this reason only that we bear the name Christian, an adjective which means “of Christ.” (Acts 11:26) I want to turn now to explore what insights we can gain from studying the rites of the Church regarding the diaconate. As I already mentioned, Saint Ignatius of Antioch painted a beautiful picture of the Church by describing the celebration of the Eucharist. He described the bishop, surrounded by his presbyters, assisted by his deacons, in the midst of the baptized. The Eucharistic rite discloses truths about the nature of the diaconate, presbyterate and episcopate.
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