How Downplayed is the Vocation to Single Life?

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It’s rough, and this is my ignorant opinion you know? I don’t know much, but I do believe, that at least in the case of Gay people, they are called to be celibate. That being said, remember there are many acceptable forms of consecrated life, and they are called to one of them. I also honestly believe that the number of gay people is tremendous, and to be honest, though I’m sure there are a great number of our brothers and sisters who are genuinely gay, there are a bunch who are actually just straight up confused by the culture and maybe even past traumas. Either way, stuff has to be looked into. They may be dealing with one of these other things and may even end up dealing with them well and actually being married. As for those who are genuinely attracted to those of the same sex, chances are that, at leasy for this condition ( if it remains as it is ) they are called tonconsecrated life in some way. It’s rough, but Our Lord never lets Hinself be outdone in generosity :). One must also remember that, though a vocation will bring us happiness, joy, and fulfillment, happiness is not our real ( or only) goal, especially not in this life. One must carry their cross and follow Him. If you picture what crucifixion looks like, it’s hardly a blast lol! But there is joy and fulfillment in each of our callings and ultimately, Him, and the chance of being pleasing to Him. The great opportunity of making Him happy and returning even a little bit of what He gave to us. When we put Our eyes on Him, everything becomes simple:)
 
it must be said that it’s everyone who should be totally devoted to God
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” concern everyone, not only those who are in the religious state.
To easily follow this commandment Saint Paul has advised to remain single! I recall that at the time of Saint Paul there was no religious life, so Saint Paul spoke only of celibacy and not of religious life.
 
Yes, of course! By following the vocation God gave you, be it marriage or consecrated life and by living that life for His Glory, to honor and love Him above all things, one does His will. You are right, the call to holiness and total union with Gid is not reserved to one vocation. To say this would be to say that God calls to this perfect union only a specific few, but this is not the case. This kind of thinking is wrong. The call to holiness ( a perfect state of loving friendship and union with God) is universal. The vocation God gives each of us is the way in which He made us to best accomplish this goal, and no one vocation is better than the other. Like the Bible says, we are the pot and he is the potererer. We aight to always look for His will, and this in every second of every day. Washing the dishes knowing. That sour home is also His home is doing His will and can make Him exceedingly Happy :)! In marriage , just like in every vocation, one can serve Him just as wholeheartedly as in the religious life if marriage is ones vocation. Every one has his or her own vocation and the important thing is that we each do our best to let Him show us what that is and to have the courage to follow it with a His help and the help of Our Lady and the many saints who each followed their vocations. The important thing is to do His will with love and humility. You are absolutely correct :). Never forget that as Catholics, we recognize as scripture not just the written form of God’s word, but that holy tradition is just as important. Our faith developed over the years and the religious life, a life completely and absolutely dedicated to life and His people in whatever the charism of a community may be is absolutely beautiful and perfect for those who are called to it. It is a total renunciation to the world to give oneself to God and His children. The way in which many of the original virgins of the church lived was very similar to how sisters live today. With the freedom to no longer be persecuted by the Romans, religious communities of men and women who wanted to fully consecrate their lives to a God in this way flourished.
 
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In my opinion, it is an abuse to say that God would call someone in a supernatural way at the mariage! it is nature that calls us to marriage! marriage is a natural vocation. But God have given a sacrement to help those who have choosen mariage to be sanctified in that state they have choosen.
But if someone has the capacity to consecrate his chastity to God he should choose celibacy because sacred celibacy is more excellent than marriage, is greater than mariage. It is not me who says it, but it is a dogma of the Church. And reasonnabily, when we have to choose beetween two thing where one is greater than the other, we should have a preference for what is the greater. And only an inability to choose what is more excellent should justify choosing what is inferior
 
It is not a dogma of the church that marriage is lesser than consecration. This is why marriage was elevated to the state of a sacrament. It is the sacred union of man and woman in which inner life of love of the Holy Trinity is made visible and through which God brings new life into the world. It is called the domestic church. Marriage is a supernatural call from God, just like any other vocation. Each one has his or her vocation. Read the Cathechism. The church has never once made a dogma about this.
 
Sorry, but i advice you to read the last link i have given. Celibacy is superior to mariage it’s a dogma of faith.
I quote an excerpt from this encyclical that says it
  1. This doctrine of the excellence of virginity and of celibacy and of their superiority over the married state was, as We have already said, revealed by our Divine Redeemer and by the Apostle of the Gentiles; so too, it was solemnly defined as a dogma of divine faith by the holy council of Trent,[57] and explained in the same way by all the holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church.
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And if you have trouble understanding why it’s better, i can easily show it
 
No, no need 🙂 and thank you, I had no idea that this was a dogma. I appreciate you taking the time to teach me. Still though, it is a divine call. Vocation in itself means call.
 
SacredHeartBassist said:
The unconsecrated single life is a transitional period. Either you’re called to marriage or to a religious vocation.
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Plenty of people live their lives single and have never pursued marriage or a religious vocation. I wouldn’t call being single a vocation; however, I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with living your life and staying single.
 
Actually it is… Trent condemned the Protestant error that marriage is preferable to celibacy. The Church has always taught that celibacy, specifically consecrated life, is an objectively higher calling than marriage. Marriage is holy. It is a sacrament, but celibacy is better still.
 
Didn’t say there was anything wrong with it. But it’s not a vocation
 
Of course, we talking about sacred celibacy, not about any celibacy. But it’s important to notice that sacred celibacy it’s not only being priest or religious, we can live in sacred celibacy being secular.
 
Yes, that’s why I said consecrated life, which is a broader category than religious life. Consecrated virgins are not typically religious. Private vows would also apply…those who live out the evangelical counsels.
 
How can one “downplay” that which doesn’t exist? There is no such thing as a single vocation. There is, however a vocation to holiness, to which everyone is called by virtue of their baptism. Many people will live their lives in singlehood. That does not negate the fact that they are called to be holy, saintly in their condition in life.
 
Of course, but it is prudent to choose orientations, “secondary vocations” if I may say so (holiness being the main vocation commun to everyone), that will make our path to holiness safer and easier.
 
These are excerpts from the US Bishops website’s prayer for vocations.

Prayer #33
Father, look upon Your Church with love
and bless Your people
with generous single men and women,
with loving husbands and wives,
with understanding parents,
with trusting children
with dedicated priests, sisters,
deacons and brothers.
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Prayer #35
Give those you have called to the married and the
single state the graces their lives require.
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Parents Prayer for vocations #2 (last one on the page)
We pray, Heavenly Father,
that our children will discover
and respond enthusiastically to your desire for them
whether it be to the vocation of single, married,
ordained or consecrated life.
Click to expand...
http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/prayers-for-vocations.cfm

While the page was dominated by praying only for the religious life and or so general no specific vocations were mentioned, those three prayers do explicitly mention the single life and there is differentiation between the single and consecrated lives.
 
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Thank’s to give us a reference that proof that, even a non consacred celibacy is a vocation. But i think, even to be a single (in the case where celibacy is viewed as a vocation), we must choosen it definitively and freely. To suffer a celibacy life, by sighing behind a marriage that escapes us is not a vocation at all.
 
There are no magisterial documents which indicate that single life is a vocation in the strict sense. Prayers by the USCCB do not create vocations out of thin air.
 
Well, after going through a divorce with annulment I have considered this question as well. Often in my life I have sensed a strong call from the Lord to serve Him. I recently investigated that maybe I was being called to be a nun because this call to love God with all my heart was so strong, I really felt that He had become my Husband and I still do. I know that nuns often view God as their spouse so I thought well lets look into it. But because of my age 46 I was not allowed to enter any religious vocation. Which I understand but it seems kinda crazy to limit God in this way as Moses was called when he was 80! I don’t feel a desire to marry again. So what now? I don’t have a “vocation?!” All I know is I have a calling like any other Catholic. To love God with all my heart, to love my neighbor as myself. To desire to be a saint!!! This is what I keep my thoughts on. If I had to do it all over again I would consecrate my virginity to God. Or I would be a nun. But I have to live in the now. God has brought me to this point. I am older now, I have depression (which no order will take on) even though I am medicated just like someone with diabetes would be. I function fine with medication. I am a professional. I have a Masters degree. So what do I do? I just serve Him each day and try to love Him as much as I can. I may infact have more temptations that religious in one sense. How do I spend my money? What clothes to buy? How much to give to the poor? etc etc. So each life has its own challenges. I must live in the now knowing God loves me with all His heart. It may not be a “vocation” I live in but I know He loves me and I try to love Him with all ive got. He is my Beloved and I am His.
 
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