Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: Thorin
There is no doubt that it is harder to live a life of chastity now, when the society is hypersexualized and those abstaining from sex are portrayed as freaks (even within some quarters in the Church), than during an era when chastity was considered a virtue and "virgin" was something other than a term of abuse.

Those who abstain from sex for the sake of the Kingdom are to be admired and held forth as examples as contrarians for the Gospel. I know several priests who fit this model, and they are truly men of God in their mission.

In their candid moments, some of them will tell you (as they've told me) they are often lonely, and they long for one person who will simply indulge their desire to be held and told they are wonderful human beings.

No sex, mind you. Just be held, and admired, and told they are simply indispensable in someone's life.

I've heard that from good priests, who miss what they've given up.

But, I tell them, that's what "giving up" means. When you marry, you give up everybody but the one you marry. It's no trick to make love to 1,000 women. It is quite an accomplishment, however, to make love to the same woman, 1,000 times.

Answering a call to celibacy is a decision that must be made before one can answer a call to priesthood, in the Latin Rite. I'm just not sure that's what the Good Lord is demanding of His priests today.

40 posted on 03/08/2005 8:48:10 PM PST by sinkspur ("Preach the gospel. If necessary, use words.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies ]


To: sinkspur
I'm just not sure that's what the Good Lord is demanding of His priests today.

I don't think the Good Lord ever 'demanded' it, yesterday or today. He did make a good case for it though, same argument holds true for the guy in 150 AD or 2005 AD. Can you give up all for the sake of the kingdom? Some can, some can't.

45 posted on 03/08/2005 10:31:52 PM PST by american colleen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson