Celibacy and the Priesthood

When I hit forty, it occurred to me that I had childhood male friends that were still single.  It was so remarkable to me because at that point, I was a mother of three and had been married for twenty years.  I had been in touch with these guys on and off throughout the years and it just seemed to me they were still enjoying the single life.  My fortieth birthday was such a milestone that I began thinking of all my friends and all their lives.  That brought me to this group of guys I know.  I thought how strange it would be to not be married and having kids by the age of forty.  I figured, "Well, now that they're crossing the big 4-0, they'll begin looking for Mrs. Right more diligently.  Surely, they are feeling the need to settle down and begin a family.  Surely, they want to spend the rest of their lives with someone to love and be loved by."

That day still has not come for any of them.  Then it occurred to me....what if they were Catholic?  None of them are.  If any of them were Catholic, would they have considered the priesthood?  They are all manly guys, who hold down solid jobs, are hard workers, and are nice people.  I just thought how strange this phenomena is of more and more people opting to be single.  They are leading a sort of celibate life in a way.  None of them are womanizers.  With all the controversy surrounding celibacy, there are men out there choosing to live that life but not within the confines of the Church.  What a loss for us.  It is a massive loss to us that these men are unaware of Christ's mission here on Earth.  They could possibly be being called yet they either ignore the call or don't hear it because of the business of their secular lives.

If every one of us were following Christ's teachings, would these quasi-celibate men jump into Christ's army and enlist?  Would they know the truth of Christ's teachings so profoundly within their souls, that making the leap into priesthood would be an honor...and a relief of sort.  I say relief because their souls would no longer be looking and yearning.  They would find their brotherhood and camaraderie not amongst other quasi-celibate men who enjoy hiking and grilling on the weekends, but with strictly celibate soldiers for Christ setting parishes all across the nation on fire with their zeal for Christ's mission.  What a loss to our faith that there are men stumbling through life without faith and wondering where they've gone wrong.  We must continue to pray for the priesthood.  Without priests, we will no longer be able to receive Christ in the Eucharist.  What I see in priests - looking past their humanity and shortcomings - is their pure spirits.  Look closer at them.  They are souls sent by God to help save us.  We need them - these fishers of men.  The priesthood is of paramount importance.  Pray.  Please pray that men all over the world will hear the calling and submit.

"Are you free from a wife?  Do not seek marriage...Those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that...The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about wordly affairs, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided.  And the unmarried woman or girl is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about wordly affairs, how to please her husband."
~ Paul in 1Corinthians 7:27-34