The good Lord has allowed me to encounter many people in my very own personal and ministerial life who have preached the Gospel truth without using words. I have learned many valuable lessons from unexpected encounters and relationships that enriched and affirmed my own journey of faith. Sometimes He used random exchanges to open my eyes to something that I need to bring to a particular, seasonal, or daily prayer session, too. I believe we speak much more than our words, and we all have the power to preach the Gospel and its liberating truth without having to resort to typical wording and vocal manifestations. As a matter of fact, in a world that is full of so many needless words, viewpoints, and arguments, it is important that we impart the truth with our very own way of life instead of turning to typical egocentric “social” media means.
Hence, one of those people who had enriched my own faith journey was Deacon Vincent. The good Lord had allowed me to minister to Him, but also allowed him to teach me many valuable lessons of what it means to be faithful until the end. Vincent taught me how to be obedient to God’s will, both as a person and as a deacon, through the different seasons of his very own life.
I got the honor of meeting Vincent and his wife, Patricia, when I was a civilian parish priest. They went to one of my parishes for the Saturday evening Mass. Even though I was not his registered parish priest, they told me that they would like to go to Mass with me since we are closer to them and they said that I made it feel more like home for them. As a matter of fact, most of the people who went to Mass did not know that he was a permanent deacon since they kept a low profile and never asked for any special treatment or recognition. Both of them were elderly when I met them. Both of them had limited mobility. However, Vincent was very caring toward his wife. He spent much time caring for her since she had many health problems. One could see his gentle devotion and commitment to her!
I remembered when he approached me one day, asking if I could grant him a special favor. Of course, I told him that I would do my best to do so. Hence, he asked if I would be able to assist him up the steps of our sanctuary space (since they were steep) so he could kiss the altar one last time. He asked his “favor” after Mass one day… and, I mean, how can I deny this humble man’s request?!? I remembered assisting him up the steps so he could gently kiss and reverence the altar as a deacon. I do not know if he had a premonition or not, but his health began to decrease after that moment.
He was bedridden for a good while. I had the honor to administer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to him several times, too. I tried my best to visit him as often as my schedule permitted. Thus, one day, I got a notification from his hospice nurse and close family friends requesting the Last Rites since they felt like his time was close…
Vincent was not lucid when I arrived. Nonetheless, I did what was necessary in giving him the Anointing of the Sick, absolved him from his sins, and gave him the Apostolic Pardon. As I was praying the Our Father and prayers of commendation, he began to open his eyes and gently called out to me, “Father.” I held his hand and asked him, “Deacon, are you ready?” To which he answered, “Yes, Father.”
That was a very grace-filled moment for me even though the conversation was very short. In a few words, the good Lord taught me so much through the simple deacon’s own life and humility. As a matter of fact, that moment is one of the precious memories that I still hold dear today. Even though it seems very easy and simple to put into words the short exchange, the lesson and grace that came from that encounter, I believe, cannot be captured in words because I do not know how to describe its immeasurable value. My heart swells up when I recall the memory. It was holy ground. I still hold it to be sacred and dear to me to this day! Hence, that was the valuable lesson that was taught to me through the simple, humble, and committed life of Deacon Vincent.
The family asked if I could be the presider for his Funeral Mass, and of course, I agreed to do it — with great honor! I began to receive many insights and testimonies from the faithful who had come to know the good deacon. They all attested and affirmed his humility, genuine care, and commitment to service of the Church — on top of his devotion to his wife and family. All of those testimonies gave light to a life well lived in persona Christi servi — in the person of Christ the Servant — for Deacon Vincent. People encountered a life of genuine care, commitment, and service through him. He “spoke” life to them with how he humbly served the Church and cared for the people who needed him. Vincent did not need a pulpit to preach, a channel for followers to followers, a podium to let the whole world know of his opinions and viewpoints, or a stage to voice his thoughts. He remained faithful to his calling as a husband, father, and deacon of the Church, doing his best to care for others in a personal and ministerial way.
As we reflect upon life and how our year has been going so far, I would like to invite you to take a moment to step back from your own busyness to see how you and I can speak life and preach the Gospel without the necessity of using typical social media means. It gets so easy for us to lose focus on what gives us life in a day and age when we are constantly on the move and busy ourselves with so many things. Hence, if we lose focus on what really gives us life and do not make time in order to spiritually connect and get recharged with the One who loves us, how can we give life to others who are constantly on the go and busy themselves with the mundaneness of this world?
Our so-called popular social media means have made many of us become narcissistic and egocentric because they cheapened social exchange, interaction, and dialogue into quantifiable approval, acceptance, popularity, and manipulative influence. These so-called social media influencers have become so worried about branding themselves, selling their sponsored products, lifestyle choices, or making themselves more popular instead of looking beyond themselves toward a life of genuine service and care. Too many people have bought into this fake, shallow, and self-satisfying lifestyle where we do things to make us feel good instead of living, giving, and making sacrifices for a higher purpose and calling! So many people have become so worried about making themselves more appealing, popular, and wanted instead of truly being humbled, devoted, and committed to doing small things with great love.
Perhaps that is why we see people easily falling into depression, having more anxiety attacks, and losing purpose, joy, and hope because they have put them elsewhere, in places and people that have no depth, substance, and genuineness. If we spend so much time trying to quantitatively define ourselves with “more” stuff, I believe we will always end up not having enough because nothing satisfies and makes us happy in the end. Simplicity, humility, and contentment are hard to achieve, but they are very necessary for us as we search for deeper meaning, purpose, identity, and mission than the daily, worldly, shallow, hedonistic, and consumeristic version of happiness. Perhaps in the midst of all these things, we need to step back and ask ourselves that there needs to be something more!
If each and every one of us learns to be content and seek joy in small matters, I believe we can let that theocentric, purposeful, purpose-filled, and eternally-focused way of life be radiated and shared with others who are around us. Commitment and devotion to daily life and its ups and downs are not always glorious, appreciative, and euphoric, but we can choose to preach, share, and radiate our faith and its values and beliefs in how we intentionally put meaning into our words and actions. Imagine what we can do if we seek to share our joy and loving faith in each and every encounter, relationship, and act of service! I think the world would be a much better place if we go beyond the mundane redundancy of life in order to preach, share, and radiate our faith beyond words. Perhaps not everyone will do it, or we ourselves are able to make a big impact; but if we at least try ourselves, I believe this world, or at least the people that we get to encounter, will see in us as His disciples. It does begin with us… one person at a time.