The Deacon St Lawrence

Lay-down comics.
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Today is the feast of St. Laurence of course, and he is often regarded as something of a comedian, although levity is more a vice than a virtue, a good sense of humor is admirable.  Larry proves that with his choice post of what St. Lawrence might have said - I used one of his quips for my post today.  Larry is very clever.
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Saints who were Deacons.
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I love the saints who were deacons - it doesn't appear they were transitional deacons on their way to priesthood either.  St. Francis was a deacon and he never aspired to priesthood.  The order of deacon is a holy order - as those saints who were simply deacons attest.  St. Victor, St. Ephraim, and the proto-martyr, St. Stephen are all good examples.
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Today our permanent deacons are generally married, and in my experience, the deacons and their wives are virtuous, devout, well formed faithful Catholic couples whose ministry to the Church is very much needed.  There have been those who insist that married deacons and their wives should observe continence after the husband is ordained - they argue this point from canon law - but the Church doesn't impose such a restriction upon them, and I do not see why it should.  As a married couple they seem to me to set the example of good family life balanced with faithful, generous ministry.
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Elsewhere, I've read headlines that some believe deacons should not preach as often as they do.  Nevertheless, they are permitted to preach.  Again, in my experience they do a better job of preaching than most transitional deacons do.
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I admit I don't know all the ins and outs about being a deacon, but I hope the permanent diaconate  continues to blossom and bear rich fruit, as it so obviously did in the early days of the Church. 
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Prayers today for deacons and their wives and families.  My parish has a particularly good deacon, we are blessed to have he and his wife in our midst.