My sisters and brothers in Christ, my dear candidates for the permanent diaconate who will be instituted in the ministry of lector, and all who gather with them today, from near and far, a warm welcome to all of you today here at St. Mark the Evangelist Parish for this event. I thank Father Ward for his gracious welcome for all of us. This is another phase of your vocational journey.

This moment in your formation is not simply another step checked off along the path to ordination. Today, as you are instituted as lectors, the Church entrusts something precious to you: the public ministry of the Word of God. That trust deserves to be received with reverence, humility, and deep gratitude.

The readings given to us today help us understand why.

In the Old Testament, the First Book of Kings, we hear of Solomon standing before the Lord at Gibeon. God invites him to ask for whatever he desires. Solomon does not ask for wealth, power, or long life. He asks for an understanding heart, the wisdom to listen, to discern, to govern according to God’s will. Scripture tells us that this request was pleasing to the Lord. Wisdom begins not with speaking, but with listening—listening, above all, attentively to God’s voice.

That is where the ministry of the lector begins: with listening. Before you proclaim the Word with your voice, you must first allow it to shape your heart.

The long and evocative Psalm 119 continues this theme. “How shall a young man be blameless in his way? By keeping to Your word.” The psalmist treasures the Word, rejoices in it, meditates upon it, and hides it in his heart. The Word is not treated as a relic of the past or a text to be consulted occasionally. It is a living guide, a source of joy, a rule for life. Psalm 119, which is often used for midday prayers in the Liturgy of the Hours, carefully courses its way through this long Psalm: 176 verses! It appears the psalmist has consulted a thesaurus so as not to repeat “word” so many times. We hear of ordinances, statutes, decrees, precepts, promise, laws, and commands. One can substitute “word” for any one of these and it would remain true. So, these words provide a further nuance to the word and its rich connotations.

And then, in the Gospel of Mark, we see Jesus Himself responding to the hunger of the people. They are like sheep without a shepherd. Moved with compassion, he does not begin with activity or spectacle. He begins by teaching them many things. The Word nourishes before the bread is multiplied. The Word gathers before the mission is sent forth. Our action is always grounded in the Word – indeed, it is grounded in Christ Himself!

All of this brings us to the heart of what we celebrate today.

The Word of God is not merely an idea, a concept, or a beautiful collection of ancient texts. As St. John proclaims, “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The Word is a Person. Jesus Christ is the Word Incarnate, God’s self-revelation not only spoken, but lived, embodied, and given for the life of the world.

And yet, it is precisely through the words of Sacred Scripture that we come to know this living Word. Over centuries, men and women of faith recorded how God revealed Himself: in the Pentateuch, in the Judges, in the Prophets, in the Psalms, and ultimately in the words and deeds of Jesus Himself, Who so often turned to the Scriptures, reading them in the synagogue, praying them, fulfilling them.

Our Bible, then, is nothing less than God’s love story to His people. It tells us Who God is, who we are, and how deeply we are loved. It is not a book we dust off from time to time. It is a living place of encounter, where the same God Who spoke to our ancestors still speaks to us today. 

As you are instituted as lectors, the Church asks you to cherish this Word, to honor it, and to proclaim it with faith. But even more, the Church asks that your lives give credibility to what you proclaim. The power of the Word is not only in the sound and timbre of the voice at the ambo; it is in the witness of a life conformed to Christ. Your Word is life! 

Your future diaconal ministry will place you at the intersection of Word, altar, and charity. Today, the Church reminds you that everything begins with listening; listening to God’s Word, treasuring it, allowing it to form your heart, and then letting it flow outward in service to God’s people.

My dear deacon candidates, may your witness help others recognize that the Word of God is alive, powerful, and active. May those who hear you proclaim the Scriptures sense not only well-prepared reading, but a heart shaped by prayer and fidelity. And may you always honor the Word, not as a memory of the past, but as the ongoing, unending love story of God with His people - a story that continues to be written in your lives and ministries today. Amen.