Newtown, Pa. Near the end of his long career as an NBA referee, Steve Javie took a summer vacation with his wife. They decided to burn his unholy amount of frequent-flier miles and Marriott points on a trip to Saint Thomas. Javie could play golf, hit the beach and live in a tropical paradise. And this unexpected turn of events is how he found himself in church one Sunday morning wearing elaborate vestments to deliver a homily. Crawford says that referees must have unimpeachable judgment, steady control of the game and deep knowledge of the rules. As the rules analyst for ESPN, he remains a constant presence on television, a floating head with unmistakable slick hair whoexplains questionable calls. Javie took classes in everything from the history of the church to the science of preaching as he earned his master’s degree in theology. “Deacons need to be as qualified as priests,” said Michael Pascarella, a deacon in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s office for clergy. “With all the challenges facing the church today, weneed competent, qualified men serving in this role.” ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ There are nearly 20,000 deacons in the U.S., and they have many of the same responsibilities as priests. Javie is a typical deacon in most ways: 95% are older than 50 and 92% are married, according to U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops data. Kelly Anderson, an assistant professor of biblical studies, never would have known about Javie’s work with Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James if one of his classmates hadn’t mentioned it. Javie was assigned to his local parish here in the Philadelphia suburbs, and he’s learning there are some differences between Catholic deacons and NBA referees. While nobody was excited to hear from him in NBA arenas, hundreds went silent inchurch on a recent Sunday morning here. Javie reached for that previously lost golf ball in his pocket on Sunday and read it to his church: “I once was lost, and now I’m found.” “I really believe that searching, finding and rejoicing relates to our Gospel reading today,” Javie said.
Komentar
Posting Komentar