Marianist Vows: Chastity

The second post in the Spectacle of Saints blog series on the Marianist Vows—written by Father Marty Solma, SM—focuses on Chastity. How does this vow apply to those outside of religious life as well as to religious? Father Marty graciously shares his thoughts:

Perhaps the most characteristic element of consecrated life is the vow of chastity and life within a community. As recent events within the Catholic Church have made abundantly clear, embracing this life calls for both maturity and understanding of oneself as a sexual person. Although chastity receives a particular expression within a celibate community, the chaste living of the Christian life is incumbent upon anyone who is serious about the faith.

More than any other vow, celibate chastity involves a significant renunciation of two deeply human values: a life partner and children. These values are not easily or realistically replaced by “apostolic availability”, “ministry”, or “community life.” They remain renounced aspects of the human experience and must remain so if celibacy is to retain its religious meaning and eschatological witness.

In other words, embracing a celibate commitment points to God as our ultimate fulfillment and the sole good that can fully satisfy the human heart. Other goods (beautiful things, happy relationships, life projects, spouse, family, esteem) are wonderful in themselves and bring much happiness and fulfillment. But, they remain partial and incapable of finally filling “the hole in the heart.” Only God can do that. However, the renunciation must be clear, transparent and honest. A comfortable bachelorhood is no witness to the Kingdom of God.

This witness is important within the Christian community as it keeps our focus on the right

things and on the deepest meaning of our baptism into Christ. We are easily distracted and easily “attached” to things, people, power and honor.

Some years ago, there was a sociological study done on those who were leaving the ministry: Catholic, Protestant, Jewish. The authors outlined many reasons for this. One commentator, however, nailed it perfectly. He said “when people begin to think that what they are doing is not really important, well then, all manner of problems arise.” This witness of celibate chastity derives from a deep and important place within the Christian experience.

Most people, however, live out their Christian vocation in a different manner, one centered on a spouse and children. This is also a demanding vocation. If celibate chastity provides an eschatological witness to our ultimate destiny with God, chastity within the marriage covenant gives striking expression to what a “God-centered life” can mean concretely, practically, immersed in the the world of commerce, family life, entertainment, politics, and finance. Or, as a young student told me once, “I’m interested in practical love.”

Fidelity to a spouse, sexual integrity, love-in-practice can stretch one to personal maturity and to mature Christian life. As Fr. Zosima says in The Brothers Karamazov to the noble woman who wants to dedicate her life to some great ideal but fears she may fail: “Love in dreams is glorious and wonderful; love in practice is a harsh and dreadful thing.” And Christian love - loving like Jesus did, most clearly expressed on the Cross - is the most dreadful thing of all. Living this reality within a marriage covenant and within a family makes Jesus' love command every bit a witness to the Gospel-in-the-world as a celibate’s witness points to our ultimate life with a loving God, the fulfillment of all our hopes.

Lest we forget, some Christians embrace a single life, one perhaps dedicated to a great cause, service, or duty. Although different from a celibate witness or the witness of married and family life, such a life stance can inspire others to dedication, generosity and idealism when lived with integrity and honesty.

We need each other. All Christian life vocations - married, celibate, single - are grounded in the same reality: the desire to live fully our baptismal commitment as sexual and relational persons and to serve the building up of the Body of Christ.