Book Description

Winner of a 2022 Association of Catholic Publishers Excellence in Publishing Award: Resources for Ministry (Third Place). Whether you are seasoned from years of ministry or are just getting started living out the vows you made at ordination, this essential handbook will provide the spiritual and practical support you need as a Catholic deacon in the Church today. In Our Life of Service, international speaker and bestselling author Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers will inspire and uplift you as he and his brother deacons—including Greg Kandra, Larry Oney, Dominic Cerrato, and Thomas J. Fox—share their testimonies and insights about how to serve God with determination, faith, and vision. Burke-Sivers explains the gift of the diaconate as a living image of Christ the Servant in the world, a source of comfort and hope at a time when both are in short supply. Burke-Sivers explores the daily realities of life to answer important questions about the diaconate such as: What does the Church teach about the purpose of this ministry both within the parish and the world? How are the three key responsibilities of teaching, sanctifying, and leading entrusted to a deacon at ordination practiced in daily life? How does his commitment to his wife help a married deacon balance his duties to his family and ministry? What are practical strategies and solutions for the challenges deacons face, especially when conflicts arise within ministry? Burke-Sivers also calls for younger, more diverse groups of men who reflect on the face of the Church to become permanent deacons in order to bridge the gap between the Church and the world and to reach the unchurched. Each chapter contains questions for reflection, action steps, and prayers to help deacons strengthen their own commitment to their calling. Drawing from the writings of St. John Paul II and other ecclesial writings about the purpose and gift of the permanent diaconate, Burke-Sivers educates and inspires us to more fully appreciate this gift and enriches and encourages those who have themselves answered this call. Written for deacons in active ministry, Our Life of Service is also inspiring reading for Catholics in the pew who are considering a call or who simply want to understand the purpose and gift of the permanent diaconate.