Brother Seelos Maria vows unmarried chastity for life.
August 15, 2016.
His disciples say unto him:
If the case of a man with his wife be so, it is not expedient to marry.
Who said to them: All men take not this word, but they to whom it is given...
He that can take, let him take it.
(Mt. 19)
Here, according to the authorities,
Our Lord does not simply offer celibacy as an option
but rather
He exhorts all who can,
to follow Him by living in unmarried chastity.
This is the teaching of St John Chrysostom, Origen, Theophylact, Euthymius, St Jerome, St Augustine, St Ambrose, Tertullian and others:
Jesus Christ and St Paul advise every believer to live in unmarried chastity.
"Christ in this place, as well as St. Paul (1 Cor. 7:7),
gives the counsel of continence to every believer.
For nothing is counselled except what is in man's power
gives the counsel of continence to every believer.
For nothing is counselled except what is in man's power
and good pleasure with God's grace,
which truly he offers and provides for all who ask it."
(Cornelius A Lapide on St Matthew XIX, Vol. 2., pg 330.)
If you are married,
be faithful to your duties.
Pray daily to persevere in your married life until death.
There is no doubt that marriage is good.
And there is no doubt that it is the more difficult road to heaven.
The best advice is that it should be taken only if it is the only road that is open to you.
If you are still unmarried,
pray earnestly for chastity,
decide on celibacy.
Serve God as a monk or nun.
Decide to be wholly occupied with serving God
in prayer and in a life serving your neighbour for the love of Him.
The chaste life is, according to Our Lord and St Paul,
the happier of the two life options.
Leave the world and give yourself wholly to Jesus Christ!
Seek a holy life.
Pray that by this means
you will save your immortal soul and the souls of others.
Brother Peter Mary signs the register after making perpetual vows
15 August, 2016.
If you would like to do something about your vocation
begin by writing to:
fr.michael at the-sons dot org
Well, the problem is that many people nowadays can only choose between a modernist monastery and a modernist spouse ;-) I don't know which option is worse.
ReplyDeleteI cannot be the onlY one who lives in secondary virginity......
ReplyDelete