On March 19, 2025, I was ordained as a deacon to the first degree of the holy order of Priesthood. Reflecting on the essence of that event, I would like to describe it through the following questions: First, what is the meaning of this event for me? What is its remark for my life and vocation in everyday life as a Jesuit here and in the future? In addition, how do I envision this event for the future mission of the Society of Jesus?
Pondering those questions, I’ve found myself reflecting on how I understood and prepared for my deaconate ordination. It makes me consider the seriousness and responsibility I carry in offering myself for Christ and His Church through the Society of Jesus. I believe that the holy sacrament of the priesthood begins with the role of a deacon. This ministry traces back to the early church. As noted in the Acts of the Apostles (chapter 6:1-6), the early church selected “seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” to serve, marking this as a foundational step in the sacrament of holy orders.
The deaconate is a ministerial calling and vocation to services. The term deacon means, the one who serves and configures himself with8 Christ the servant, “who came not to be served but to serve and gave himself as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).”
In the Society of Jesus, I seek to stay, to know more, and strive to love more the Lord in Mission and configure myself to the Lord with His abundant graces. In the process of my life with my family and the life in the ongoing formation in the Society of Jesus, I have experienced God’s mercy and love for me as an imperfect being.
In my imperfection, God teaches me to rely on His compassionate deeds through many kind-hearted people I meet in my life and the Society of Jesus. Therefore, I feel strengthened by and with God’s grace to offer myself and receive the holy sacrament of the holy order with the approval of my Superior and his consultors, and many other families and friends who witnessed my ordination with their faith and joyful faces.
All these experiences have deepened my gratitude for God’s wonderful works that have shaped and sustained my vocation in the Society of Jesus. On the day of my deaconate ordination, I was filled with an undeniable spiritual joy and tranquility, a sentiment echoed by many others present. I believe that this spiritual joy, along with the special gifts I received through the sacrament of holy orders, will be the driving force of my mission as a servant of Christ. I am committed to fulfilling the important roles defined by the Church for a deacon: serving the Gospel, assisting in the liturgy, and actively engaging in acts of charity, while being adaptable in every facet of life.
As a Jesuit, I believe I have been formed and equipped with the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and I am ready to work for God’s Greater Glory, particularly for those in need in Timor-Leste. I remain open and willing to undertake whatever mission the Society of Jesus may assign me. What is important to me is the readiness to serve the Lord with a joyful heart here and now. [Dc. Justino Soares Boavida, SJ]
