A priest went out to dinner with a group of friends; one was married and other was single. The one who was single said to him: “I know that for you priests, it must be difficult to remain without a woman in your life.” And he replied: “the same as it is for you.” In turn, the married friend laughed and said: “that’s why it’s good to get married and not worry about celibacy.” The young priest replied: “we are all in this together. If the demand is not easy for us who are not married, yours is greater, because we are all called to fidelity, each according to his measure. We must be faithful to only one person, God, but you must be faithful to both God and your wife.”
The Call to Righteousness is not Selective
Today’s readings remind us that the call to righteousness is not selective. When Jesus says in the Beatitudes: blessed are the poor and woe to the rich, he is not condemning wealth or extoling poverty. Rather, he emphasizes that the path to righteousness is not easy for anyone. So, there is no need for us to relax and live like the rich, who wallow in affluence and think that everything must be subordinated to their whims and convenience. We all need to make an effort and live humbly, like people who need a better life, like the poor who have nothing, the hungry who need food, the sad who long for joy.
A Call to Faithfulness
Living the Beatitudes requires all of us to be faithful in our commitment to love God and love our neighbor. We are all called to faithfulness, and no one is exempt from this responsibility. Also, we are all called to respond faithfully to this fundamental call. In various capacities, whether in the family life or in the priestly ministry. We must do so with great humility and gratitude for this undeserved grace. And not feel entitled like the rich and arrogant. When our lives reflect the beatitudes, only then will we recognize that we are all celibates, called to be faithful in various degrees.
