Deacon Stephen Kula (second from left) at his 2015 ordination. (Photo courtesy: Dann Ebina)
I AM A DEACON
I am a deacon … and I am still, at the age of 72, trying to learn to be myself. Growing up as the youngest of 4 children, I was always being told what to do and what to be. I was never really being myself or even trying to find out who I was. I know that the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, who were the teachers at the grade school I attended, always told me, and showed me how much they and Jesus loved me.
Their love of God and others led me to join the Young Priests Club. I wanted to learn as much as possible about being Catholic. My dad was happy with me joining the club and told me that when he was young, he had also thought of the priesthood. He even attended the seminary for a while.
As time went on and I became older, but not much wiser, the secular world took over. I became very independent and strong willed and never seemed to have a problem doing just what I wanted to do. On several occasions, my dad told me that being so independent and strong willed, I was bound to learn how to live a good life — the hard way. One day I asked him, “So what is a good life?” And he said, “Be like Jesus.” I let that go in one ear and out the other, as most of my family said that there was nothing in there to stop it from doing just that.
Many years later, after my dad passed, I realized what he was telling me. Jesus loved to do the unexpected. He enjoyed life to the fullest, having fun, enjoying eating, drinking, and telling stories with people, even while upsetting the powers that be, so to speak. Even more, he loved to help people that loved him, themselves and others. That was exactly what I wanted to do with my life. After all, it is said that life is what you make of it.
After some prodding and research, I realized, with the strong help and encouragement of my wife that becoming a deacon was what I should pursue. It is true being a deacon is just that. Doing the unexpected, (loving your neighbor), enjoying life to the fullest, having fun, enjoying eating, drinking, and telling stories with people. Even more, learning to help people. Being a deacon is not trying to be a lesser priest up at the altar during the liturgy but being out with the people helping and living with them in their world — loving them as Jesus does.
Deacon Kula is assigned to Holy Trinity Parish in Kuliouou.
