Hope for Singles...
Recently, on a Catholic T.V. program, a priest was heard to say that there is something wrong with a person who has not accepted a vocation to priesthood, religious life, or Matrimony. He obviously was not familiar with the amount of annulments that are granted in this day and age. Annulments, of course, pronounce the invalidity of a poorly discerned vocation. Although we highly respect celebrated vocations, we do great harm in reducing those who have not been called to those who "have something wrong with them."
We make the mistake of separating Providence and Vocation. Vocation is by God's Providence. It is provided. Vocation to many is exemplified by publicly witnessed vows to answer a definite call toward the certain gifts in marriage priesthood, and religious life. A vocation is not limited to those three things. A vocation to many is only special calling to particular public witness within an organized structure. If that is true, we must recognize the validity of our baptism and the providence of a single life that witnesses our faith.
Marriage is not a mating call or something to do because one gets bored with life or thinks that people will look upon them with better regard. Religious life and priesthood are not reduced to mere "alternatives" to marriage. They are very specific and cannot be acted upon in pretense. If one is not called by God to these specific witnesses, it does not mean that one does not have a valid vocation or call. They merely do not have the distinction of a publicly proclaimed vocation or a "celebrated" vocation. If one did approach one of these offices , one would make a mockery of these offices if one was not indeed "called."
A true vocation is to act upon that which God provides and directs through the Holy Spirit. If one is not called to one of these specific offices and refuses to make a mockery of them by attempting to "join" in order to please others and their expectations or designs, they are indeed following God's will, which is a vocation... although not a "celebrated" one.
We often make the mistake of celebrating the hierarchy of vocations as if it were spelled "higher-archy." That blasphemes God's love and will for all people.. in this case, single ones. It presumes a class system that denies the stations of service.
As one person told me once, "I'd rather be a saint then a priest." You can't tell me that this isn't a vocation. Unfortunately, it's only celebrated after the person is dead.
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