Single and Celibate - The Benefits

Eight Great Reasons To Be Single and Celibate

Stanley D. Williams, PhD

[An article published in 2002 ... was lost, now re-found.]

A recurring objection to the Catholic priesthood is the requirement of remaining single and celibate. Our culture tends to look on singleness as a curse rather than a potential blessing. To bring some balance to the dialogue, here are eight great reasons to be single. As a Catholic you’ll find some of these reasons interesting, if not ironic, because they do not come from the pen of a celibate Catholic theologian, monk, or priest cloistered in a Mongolian monastery. Instead, they come from a Protestant-Evangelical minister, John Piper in his book RECOVERING BIBLICAL MANHOOD AND WOMANHOOD. John is married to Noel and together they have four children.

1. Marriage in not the final destiny of any human being.

Christ reminds us in Mark 12 that in heaven there will be no marriage, but we will be like the angels in heaven. If our ultimate goal is heaven, as opposed to marriage, then we must see that our ultimate state is as an angel who is not married.

2. Jesus Christ, the most fully human person who ever lived was not married, and he never once had sexual intercourse.

Modeling our life so completely after Christ’ singleness of life and purpose...in the words of Luci Swindoll “leads into a wide world of wonder and freedom and joy and love.”

3. The Bible celebrates celibacy because it gives extraordinary opportunity for single-minded investment in Ministry for Christ.

An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs —how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world —how he can please his wife.

An unmarried person cherishes his or her freedom for flexible scheduling and for the ability to take risks that you could not take if you were a husband, wife, mother or father. The single life-style enables one to get the most out of the time God gives for His work. One missionary said, “One of my chief delights is that I don’t have to fit my ministry around a family schedule. I don’t have to be home at a certain time each night. My time is the Filipinos’ time.”

4. The Apostle Paul and a lot of great missionaries after him have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of God as Jesus. (c.f. Mt. 19:12)

Ada Lum, a single woman working with an Evangelical mission in S.E. Asia tells of sitting next to a nun while flying from Rome to Munich. Ada was impressed by the youthful enthusiasm of this nun who had been in the mission fields of the Philippians for 30 years and spent part of that time in a political jail. For the first time this single Evangelical missionary, who had considered marriage, saw the plain gold ring that most nuns wear, inside of which was inscribed, “Wed to Christ.” To the Evangelical the concept was new and exciting. Imagine being married to the creator of the universe.

5. The Apostle Paul calls singleness a gift from God.

“I wish that all men were [single] as I am. But each man has his own gift from God." (1 Corinthians 7:7) Although God created all of us for relationships we can have many healthy and fruitful relationships without marriage.

6. Jesus promises that forsaking family for the sake of the kingdom will be repaid with a new family, the Church. (Mark 10:29-30)

Singles have discovered the hundreds of family members in the body of Christ. April, our single daughter who is now 28, always wanted to have a lot of children. She thought she could only do that through marriage. But April is not married, yet she has a rich relationship with 20 children that she nurtures and calls her own where she teaches elementary school. We are regularly inundated with pictures and stories about “her kids” which have in turn become our grandchildren.

 7. God is sovereign over who gets married and who doesn’t. And He can be trusted to do what is good for those who hope in Him.

The Psalmist says, “no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11). Ann Kiemel Anderson wrote this poem: Jesus -- if this is Your will -- then YES to being single. -- In my deepest heart, I want to marry, -- to belong to a great man -- to know that I am linked to his life -- and he to mine.-- following Christ and our dreams together.-- But you know what I need.-- If I never marry, -- it is YES to you.

8. Mature manhood and womanhood are not dependent on being married.

We are either man or woman by nature. God gives us sexuality and a temperament to match. Who we are is based on his creation, not on our vocational decision. We are not made more fully man or woman by being married, or having sex, or having children. Your role as a single person is different than as a married person. But, don’t confuse your role with your sexual identify. Regardless of marriage, you are a full creation, with unique and particular passions, gifts, skills and talents. God, through Christ and the Church, has promised you a full life. All you have to do is respond to his call and say yes.

Miracles Today: Back from the Dead

Attend The Cross and The Light

Facebook Link.
Ticketmaster.

March 24-31, 2013.
11 Performances. Musical Hall, Detroit, MI

Kelly Neito

My friend and tour de force producer-writer, former Miss Michigan, comedian, writer, and composer --  Kelly Neito has been producing a version of this spectacular for the past 12 years. It starter in her parish as the Living Stations of the Cross. Each year she added something to it. Three years ago it was a full fledged musical presentation staged at the Detroit Cathedral with union talent that attracted tens of thousands.

But now they've out grown that, as well. This year for the first time they've moved  to a professional venue,  on a legitimate stage, and added a full Act. This is the most dramatic passion play (with the Resurrection and beyond that the Midwest has seen). If the last year was any predictor, this production will be on Broadway soon. It's that good.

There are only 11 performances at the Detroit Music Hall during Holy Week. Well worth the money and effort. A great musical, written and produced by a Catholic with stage chops to spare, in Detroit's best venue by any measure.        

God's Architect: Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudi

CBS 60 Minutes is doing a special on Sagarada Familia.

"Perhaps the world's most beautiful and unique church, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, has been under construction for more than 130 years, since genius architect Antoni Gaudi started working on it in 1883. Long after his death, builders are using modern technology to realize the master architect's vision."

Feast your eyes on this. Benedict XIV recently consecrated the structure as a basilica.  The idea was to conceptualize the 2,000 year history of the Church in one structure. Amazing. Big images are necessary. But, see the typical reaction by pagans, and my response, below.

On the CBS comment box comes judymar14 March 8, 2013 11:54 AM EST

DISGUSTING...How many people could have been fed over the last 130 years for what it has been costing to build this monstrosity?

And my response:

judy...actually it fed many, many people. It fed the thousands of workers and their families for over 100 years. Not just with food (for some worked for pay), but it fed others with inspiration (for some worked for free). And the materials purchased bought food for the suppliers, the transporters, and those that fed the workers(who might have been poor without the work). And the construction and its presence added jobs for the surrounding community. And today and for years to come, as tourists (like me hopefully, someday)  come and spend thousands of dollars to travel there, dine and board there. Every dollar spent helped feed, cloth and shelter people that might be poor without the expenditure.  Did you think money was melted down and taken away from the poor? Just the opposite. This beautiful church will feed tens of thousands as people spend their money to get there, and then donate to the church out of love of God, and in respect to the artistry. Remember the Catholic Church gives more money, service, and relief, world wide than probably any other single body. The largest group of benevolent hospital and medical services are Catholic, many staffed by nurses who are nuns and make little or no money. The world's University system and the scientific method... all came from Catholic disciplines.  Today, much of our offerings help the poor directly. Your comment would also apply to any painting... as if the painting should not have been painted, and the painter should have given the $10 for the paint to the poor. But with the painting completed, it will earn thousands of dollars to feed his or her family and donate even more to those less fortunate.

DAVE ARMSTRONG CATHOLIC APOLOGETIC BOOKS NOW ON SALE 40%-50% DISCOUNT. WHILE SUPPLIES LAST Click Here for Discount Page of Great Catholic Apologetics

Here is a great opportunity to round out your Catholic library with easy to read and understand books by prolific Catholic author, blogger Dave Armstrong. Dave's writing is clear, direct and flush with many Biblical citations and quotes.

EWTN Schedule for WISDOM FROM ABOVE

Wisdom From Above will air on EWTN beginning Sunday March 3 at 3:00 AM Eastern (Midnight, Pacific) with a second airing of the same episode on Saturday, March 9 at 6:30 PM Eastern (3:30 PM Pacific). That will continue with new episodes weekly for 13 weeks, with the exception of Holy Week.

The series will conclude sometime in early May after it's  13 week "season." 

Wisdom From Above Now Shipping

We have received our first shipment of Alex Jones' WISDOM FROM ABOVE DVD and are now shipping. Development began in April 2012, Recording in July, and editing from September through early January 2013. The 76 page Study Guide is emailed as a PDF. Here's Alex's LIBRARY PAGE, with clips and the much deserved production credits on the MORE INFO PAGE.