Marriage?

[ccmnxc]

I’d like some adivce. I’m considering joining the priesthood, but am still unsure. Should I decide it’s not my calling, I still don’t think I will ever marry. I feel like I am unable and also a little uwilling to properly develope an emotional bond with my spouse. I am personally okay with this. I am just wondering if it would be a sin to not marry for that reason. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[1ke]

I’d like some adivce. I’m considering joining the priesthood, but am still unsure. Should I decide it’s not my calling, I still don’t think I will ever marry. I feel like I am unable and also a little uwilling to properly develope an emotional bond with my spouse. I am personally okay with this. I am just wondering if it would be a sin to not marry for that reason. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

what makes you believe it is a sin not to marry?

 

[robwar]

I’d like some adivce. I’m considering joining the priesthood, but am still unsure. Should I decide it’s not my calling, I still don’t think I will ever marry. I feel like I am unable and also a little uwilling to properly develope an emotional bond with my spouse. I am personally okay with this. I am just wondering if it would be a sin to not marry for that reason. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

I am not why it would be a sin not to marry but if you think you might be called to a religious life, you should seek out and discuss this with the office of vocations in your diocese. If you are not dating someone or have a friendship with someone where it might lead to marriage, I am not sure why you are worried about getting married. You should view the priesthood as a specific call and not as a last resort or escape because you think that you might never marry. As a priest, you are going to have to interact with all sorts of people. Priesthood is not an escape for those who have problems relating to others. You should discuss all these things with a vocation director.

 

[DevotedChild]

Its great that you are discerning the priesthood. Don’t worry about not marrying anybody if you aren’t called to be a priest. The Single Life is a vocation in itself and most people don’t know this. The single life isn’t bad but it is unheard of and avoided because our culture and society feels that marriage is the only good vocation there is, which is untrue.

Just remember this and you’ll be fine. God has a different purpose for all of us and for some people, they are called to be single for their life because that is how they can best serve God.

I hope this helps. God Bless.

 

[Pilosopo]

Yes, priesthood is not an escape. (Remember Maria, in Sound of Music? In fact, you may want to watch that one again, I’m serious.) I was in training for the religious life. I left. Now, I’m happily married with three wonderful kids. God had actually called me to the married life. I’d say, try to develop an appreciation for either calling… single, married, religious. Talk to a vocation director… even apply to a seminary… just continually be open to the Spirit. You may have gifts or a natural disposition to remain single. Still, God has His reasons… Strive to continually be open to the Spirit. Something tells me you’ve started.

 

[robwar]

Yes, priesthood is not an escape. (Remember Maria, in Sound of Music? In fact, you may want to watch that one again, I’m serious.) I was in training for the religious life. I left. Now, I’m happily married with three wonderful kids. God had actually called me to the married life. I’d say, try to develop an appreciation for either calling… single, married, religious. Talk to a vocation director… even apply to a seminary… just continually be open to the Spirit. You may have gifts or a natural disposition to remain single. Still, God has His reasons… Strive to continually be open to the Spirit. Something tells me you’ve started.

thanks, I was thinking about Sound of Music because while we get lost in all the iconic songs, the basic story was a struggle over the vocation of Maria and she had a very wise Mother Superior who sensed that Maria might not be called to become a cloistered nun. I think the scene where she tells Maria that “these walls are not meant to keep problems out, we have to face them” is the best line in the movie. I have seen other posts and questions by those who are single and fell that they are too shy or don’t relate well to the opposite sex so maybe they should be a priest or nun. But a priest is very much a public figure and has to relate to a wide variety of people, they have to get up in front of others at Mass, give homilies etc.
Relating well to the opposite sex for a priest is very important. Most parish staff is female.
Being able to have positive friendships with male and female is very important for priests.
Celebacy is not an escape because you don’t think you can “relate” to the opposite sex.
I hope that the OP will speak to vocation director and together pray and look into what God is calling him to do.

 

[DevotedChild]

I don’t think the OP sees the Priesthood as an escape but rather is just trying to figure what else he could do if that isn’t his calling and still doesn’t feel called to marry, from what I read of his original post.

 

[ccmnxc]

Hi, sorry I haven’t commented yet. Thanks for all the responses. I wasn’t entirely sure on Church teaching on the subject, so thanks. DevotedChild is correct. I don’t see the priesthood as escape, but I am looking at my options should I discern it’s not my calling. Thank you all for posting.

 

[natalie1993]