Today’s second reading from 1 Corinthians 7 is something of a treatise on celibacy for priests and nuns. St. Paul talks about how unmarried men and women and virgins are “anxious about the things of the Lord.” On the other hand, married persons are concerned about how to please their spouses and “the things of the world.” You know…job, boss, kids, bills to pay, etc., etc., etc.
This is not to say that the vocation of marriage is in any way a bad thing. On the contrary, it is a very good and holy thing. In fact, I think you will find that the most successful marriages are ones where both spouses are not only concerned about each other and their family life, but are also “anxious about the things of the Lord.” Imagine that! When we put God first and everything else in its proper place, life seems to go much better.
That being said, we need to be very thankful for our priests, nuns, brothers, monks and other religious who have given up all for the sake of the Kingdom. They take the notion of “anxious about the things of the Lord” and apply it to the nth degree. It takes great grace to live a celibate life. But it is a grace that God bestows on those who seek it. No matter what our vocation, let us pray that we, too, will be always “anxious about the things of the Lord.”
Father, forgive us for those times when we let the world consume us. Help us this day to be anxious about the things of the Lord. Amen.
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