Letters

Higher calling

Judy O'Reilly

Contents - Feb 2004 - Buy a copy now Editorial: What is the purpose of Catholic schools? - Michael Gilchrist Liturgy: 'Excellent start' on accurate English Missal translation - AD2000 REPORT News: The Church Around the World Modern church design: 'Spank the architect!' - Paul Mees Melbourne and Sydney initiatives to educate adults in the Catholic faith - Peter Holmes Human life: precious from conception - Fr Angelo Serra SJ Interview: Scott Hahn interviewed on Dei Verbum : What Vatican II taught about Scripture - Zenit News Service Letters: Social Justice Statement - John R. Barich Letters: Celibacy book review - Fr Adrian Head Letters: Higher calling - Judy O'Reilly Letters: Christ's gift - Wendy Francis Letters: One-World Church? - Philip Robinson Letters: Fertility rates - Brian Harris Letters: New Age? - Fr Don Coutts Letters: Clarification - August Magdaleno Books: Spiritual Combat Revisited, by Jonathon Robinson - Richard Egan (reviewer) Books: Anti-Catholicism in America: The Last Acceptable Prejudice, by Mark S. Massa SJ - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: Mystical Flora, by St Francis de Sales - Mark Posa (reviewer) Books: The Rosary : Chain of Hope, by Benedict J. Groeschel CFR - Michael E. Daniel (reviewer) Books: The Beginner's Book Of Chant, by a Benedictine monk - Paul Russell (reviewer) The foundation of moral law: the pagan witness of Cicero, 106-43 BC Books: AD Books - Fresh book titles for the New Year Reflection: The ministerial priesthood: 'truly a gift from God' - Fr Dennis W. Byrnes

In challenging John Young's excellent article on clerical celibacy (August AD2000) Kim Albertini (Letters, November AD2000) takes exception to the doctrine that consecrated celibacy is superior to marriage. One reason given is that "Peter our first Pope was married". St Peter, of course, was already married when he met Jesus. We simply do not know whether or not he still had marital relations later.

My own Catholic education and formation instructed me in the doctrine that consecrated celibacy was a higher calling than that of the married state, and reflection shows that this must be so. This does not mean, of course, that all priests and religious lead better and holier lives than all married people.

It is worthwhile noting that single Catholics are also required to practise abstinence. Some make a private vow of celibacy to God, in order to offer their lives more completely to Him. Others may find themselves in the single state, which is not the one they would have chosen.

To live a life of purity in such circumstances calls for courage and self-sacrifice. Whichever vocation we are called to, God's grace will always be sufficient to enable us to achieve the status He has planned for us, and to gain the salvation He desires for all.

JUDY O'REILLY
Raglan, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 17 No 1 (February 2004), p. 14