Celibacy

Aristotle (384-322BC), the great ancient philosopher, famously claimed:

 All men and women by nature desire to know (Metaphysics).

No one likes secrets.

But then again, no one likes being used, which according to St. John Paul II, is the opposite of love.

Jesus highlights the desire of love:

As the Father loves me, so do I love you. Remain in my love (John 15).

St. John Henry Newman (1801-1890) thought this the most sublime teaching of the Christian faith. Who can argue with him? 

For Jesus reveals that he loves us with the very love that the Father has for him. This is a fantastic, extraordinary truth, which makes a claim on each one of us.

Spiritual writers insist that our desire for love is twofold. We desire to be loved. We desire to love.

This all sounds straight forward enough, but spiritual writers claim that the hardest thing to do in life ‘is to let oneself be loved.’

Yet, if we do let God love us – and this is the most important decision we will make in life – then our response of love becomes natural and spontaneous:

For one who has known the immense love of Christ and has received his infinite love in his heart, will desire to give his life heroically (Origen, Commentary on the Letter to the Romans, 4, 10-11).

We give of ourselves heroically either in the Sacrament of Matrimony, Priestly Ministry, Single Life, Religious Life.

It is true that the priestly calling entails embracing celibacy. One does forgo marriage, children and fatherhood. In fact, Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) calls marriage ‘the supreme form of friendship.’

Yet, when a young man walks through the ‘narrow gate’ that is celibacy, on the path towards priestly ministry, he finds himself in ‘pastures beyond his imagination.’

An adventure begins which is not of his own making, whereby he participates in the mystery and ministry of the only priest – Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14).

Amen.