August 13, 2023
It’s a powerful moment in this Sunday’s Gospel: Jesus makes his disciples climb into a boat and set out for other shores while he went alone to pray on a high mountain, to be united with His Father. It took trust for those apostles to set sail at his word, not knowing Jesus’ exact whereabouts at every moment of the journey. Later, when the storm arose and they were frightened beyond belief, it took incredible amounts of faith and grace for Peter to step-out of the boat and walk on the water toward his Lord, still not knowing the full plan of what God had in store for him.
Nevertheless, though, he did. Peter moved forward on those stormy waves in trust, even despite the temporary sinking beneath the water. I can only imagine how Jesus must have felt watching his “Rock” make that first step over the bow. Stepping out and moving forward in faith – the call of each Christian disciple.
It is also an invitation now being asked of our own Deacon Roberto Ortiz, a call to step out of the boat in faith and trust as he is led to share his gifts and talents with the parish communities of the Cathedral of St. Peter, St. Patrick’s and St. Mary’s in Wilmington, Delaware. As Deacon Roberto shared with me upon my own arrival last month to Immaculate Conception/St. Jude, it has been a call – an invitation – stirring for quite some time, and he knew that in order to be faithful to what he believes God is asking of him, he now needs to set sail and walk on new waters.
On behalf of our own parish community, I take this opportunity to thank Deacon Roberto for the many ways he served us these past two years in his diaconal ministry: his faithful preaching; his witness at the Baptismal font; and his dedication to praying for increased priestly and religious vocations through our Sunday afternoon Holy Hours. In these and so many additional humble and hidden ways, Roberto lived his vocation in service to Immaculate Conception parish.
As he moves forward now toward new shores in Wilmington, may we support him, his wife Cynthia and his children Gabriel and Valerie, with our prayers and gratitude. Deacon Roberto’s final weekend with us will be August 26th and 27th. As Jesus himself said to his disciples, so too does he now offer the same words to the Ortiz family (and all of us): “Take courage; it is I. Do not be afraid.”