DavidGonzalez. You said:
Some people think I’m wrong because they think that being married prevents you from loving God with an undivided heart.
Hold on there, David.
The best way to love God with an undivided heart is to do God’s will. Some are called to the married life. But some are called to a celibate virginal life too.
For example: I specifically said:
If God calls you to marriage, then you need to get married to love the Lord in the best way possible . . . . (This is morality in the subjective order)
But be careful not to conflate morality in the subjective order, with morality in the objective order.
We don’t all have cookie-cutter callings from God.
To those who are called to the celibate life, to those who DO have this grace, to those who desire in conjunction with grace, “to follow the lamb wherever He goes”, is just the person that the Church wants to consider for the Priesthood.
The Priesthood
isn’t all that it is; merely
for the benefit of the Priest himself (in this world).
The priesthood is a call to serve for you . . . and I . . . and others. It is a call to servanthood in a unique way.
The virginal celibate life is better
objectively because they are (by grace) conforming their life as best they can to the person of Jesus Christ now in this world. They don’t have to wait until they get to Heaven (where we are neither married nor given in marriage) to conform to Jesus in such a radical way with regards to their sexuality.
(Incidentally. I am not saying once in Heaven there is nothing special in Heaven for people who were husbands and wives in this world. I am sure what God has prepared is beyond what we could come up with. But it won’t be mere earthly marriage.)
Not all are called to such radical discipleship of giving of one’s self for God to this degree. Not all are called to imitate Christ to this degree with their sexuality. Not all are called to this high level of self-donation—
but some are.
Some are called to renounce power (they take a vow of obedience). Some people are called to give up material things such as money in a radical way too (they take a vow of poverty). Some are not.
Some David, are even
called to lay down their very lives in martyrdom.
These are all forms of radical self-donation that the Church recognizes and extols.
In Heaven we are neither married nor given in marriage. This is revealed truth. It is not a natural philosophy in the sense that you can appeal to the world with.
The world will never understand these types of things David. The cross, which is the encapsulation of self-donation, is folly to the world. Not only is it folly, it is “stench” to the world.
2nd CORINTHIANS 2:14-16a 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are
the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16
to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.
Consider (who I call the potential thirteenth Apostle. The possible
“thirteenth Apostle” who never was an Apostle—but probably could have been) the man who was called to a radical poverty but refused:
**
MARK 10:17, 21-22** 17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” . . . . 21 And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 At that saying his countenance fell,
and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
Yet contrast this with Sts. Peter and Andrew:
MATTHEW 4:18-20 18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20
Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
Why would we want to take this gift and grace away from those like St. Peter and St. Andrew, who are called to this level of giving (who also have the accompanying grace to carry it out), especially when they are called to this level of giving for people like you and I? And . . . .
. . . And will be rewarded accordingly in Heaven. (Why take this gift of self-giving away from them?)
