Courageous Humility: Reflections on the Church, Diakonia, and Deacons

Courageous humility is a humility that takes risks, investing the talents and strengths God has given us for the good of others. The reflections revolve around that call: “Be strong and courageous!” Chapter One grounds the project in the Trinity, the core dogma of the Church. From the earliest days of the Church, humility has been seen as the heart of Christian communal life, so Chapter Two examines the classic insights on humility from St. Benedict and his groundbreaking Rule. Humility should be the foundation of all the various external structures we create to support our mission of evangelization. Chapter Three offers some suggestions on ecclesial structural reform. Building on these foundational chapters, the succeeding chapters focus on the diaconate within this context of ecclesial humility. Chapter Four discusses the sacramentality of the diaconate. Chapter Five suggests revisions to the Code of Canon Law vis-à-vis the diaconate, and Chapter Six recommends developments in the liturgy of diaconal ordination. Chapter Seven responds to some of the recurring issues of the diaconate, and Chapter Eight discusses how the Church may tap the full potential of the renewed diaconate. †