The single vocation?

[angell1]

is there really such a thing.

and I mean primary vocation, not the universal call to holiness or to love, for example

can a person be called to committed celibacy without joining a religious order, for example.

obviously, I know that not everyone who Is single is necessarily called to that. not that everyone who is married was necessarily called to marriage or even priesthood, eTC.

but if the committed single life is not a vocation? then what?

either, all the singles are missing their call

or not everyone is called to a vocation

then you have things like the permanent deaconate, or priests who are married. does that mean they have 2 vocations?

and then you have the church’s traditional teaching that being single is better than being married.

so why do many catholics make it seem like singles are people who are ignoring God? and if they remain in that state of life, then their salvation depends on it

and if I’m not mistaken, marriage didn’t used to really be considered a vocation either.

is there any official church teaching on this? like for example, if every person is supposed to have a primary vocation?

 

[ChibiViolet]

The single life is indeed a vocation. The word “single,” however, implies that one is free to marry and one may also make a life-long private vow of chastity and ask God to marry them. If one is old and mature enough and really mean the promises made and there is some kind of affirmation on God’s part (like sensing He says “yes” in your heart, than I would say this makes a person married to God (at least when they are in Grace, which should hopefully be all the time) and then the word “single” no longer really applies to them. They are still a layperson, however, if they were simply single before and this vocation is not a main one and does not have to stand on it’s own, meaning one could be a priest, or religious sister for instance.

We are of course–all of us baptized Catholics, in a way, married to God, but I was thinking more of a marriage that implies not being able to marry anyone else in favor of only being married to God.

Yes, everyone has a primary vocation to love God and others, but also a vocation to the priesthood, religious and or consecrated life, the semi-consecrated life and or marriage, or the single life. The most common is marriage. The disdain for the singe-life that many Catholics have, I really do not get.

 

[angell1]

The single life is indeed a vocation. The word “single,” however, implies that one is free to marry and one may also make a life-long private vow of chastity and ask God to marry them. If one is old and mature enough and really mean the promises made and there is some kind of affirmation on God’s part (like sensing He says “yes” in your heart, than I would say this makes a person married to God (at least when they are in Grace, which should hopefully be all the time) and then the word “single” no longer really applies to them. They are still a layperson, however, if they were simply single before and this vocation is not a main one and does not have to stand on it’s own, meaning one could be a priest, or religious sister for instance.

We are of course–all of us baptized Catholics, in a way, married to God, but I was thinking more of a marriage that implies not being able to marry anyone else in favor of only being married to God.

Yes, everyone has a primary vocation to love God and others, but also a vocation to the priesthood, religious and or consecrated life, the semi-consecrated life and or marriage, or the single life. The most common is marriage. The disdain for the singe-life that many Catholics have, I really do not get.

what’s semi-consecrated? never heard of that before

 

[bardegaulois]

Haven’t you asked this a number of times before? My answer, and likely those of most who replied in the past, is much the same as it was last time I responded to one of your like questions.

 

[angell1]

Haven’t you asked this a number of times before? My answer, and likely those of most who replied in the past, is much the same as it was last time I responded to one of your like questions.

please refresh my memory, I don’t relaly remember peoples’ answers

 

[bardegaulois]

Here’s just one example: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=917939. Here’s another: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=974483. And a few more in the same vein: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=897366; forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=919456; forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=943583; forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=955276. I hope you’re aware that you can go through all posts you’ve started through your profile here.

I’ve noticed here and in many other boards that we’ll have many people asking the same question or very similar questions over and over again because they don’t get the response they want to hear, even if the response they get is 100% correct. I also notice from your post history that you seem to struggle with scrupulous tendencies, which might explain why, although you seem to have been given some very good advice here, you’re merely asking about it again and again and again.

Angell, have you ever considered spiritual direction? Let’s drop all academic disputes with strangers online for a while about your life’s vocation and such, and pick up the “vocation of the present moment” instead, seeing how best you can cooperate with the grace that God gives you now. I don’t know you from Adam, and so I can’t tell you exactly how to do that. But a good director, after getting to know your soul, can. All you have to do is obey him. Go ahead; you’ve nothing to lose from it.