May the Lord give you His peace and a blessed new year! Again, thank you for your patience in trying to reach me. The Christmas season has been busy, and blessed! The S. Bronx live nativity, pro-life vigil at Holy Innocents and evangelization at St. Patrick's Cathedral were truly grace filled events (not to mention serving the poor).
In the first Vocations eLetter I quoted Pope John Paul II on three reasons why it is hard for young men to embrace a religious vocation: "Fear of commitment, lack of a clear understanding of this calling, and a deficient relationship with Jesus Christ." This month I would like to offer some thoughts (I hope helpful) on celibacy.
Celibacy is a big issue when considering a possible vocation to the religious life. I have heard many people protest that celibacy is unnatural. I agree! God created sex, therefore it is good and normal to have healthy sexual relations with one's wife. The calling from God to be celibate is not natural, it is supernatural. There is celibacy in many different religions. Many non-Christian religions see sex as somehow bad and dirty. We believe that God has revealed the opposite! Within the correct context (marriage), sex is good and wholesome. There is a lot of buzz lately about Pope John Paul's awesome and revolutionary "Theology of the Body". I encourage you to investigate. Those of us who have grown up in this modern day pornography penetrated planet, JP II's teaching is enlightening and life-giving (another great link).
Is not having sex unnatural and unhealthy (like not breathing or eating)? If you were an alien from another planet
who came to the United States to observe the human race, you would think that everyone is having sex with everyone. This is the impression one gets from the modern media (tv, movies, music, magazines, etc.)! No wonder the mandate of celibacy for Catholic priests and religious seems odd to people today. There are many unhealthy and troubled people who have sex often (sometimes we hear about them in the news). There are also so many normal, balanced and healthy people who are celibate. When considering the question of celibacy, there are some bigger issues concerning lust and purity.
Instead of laying out a teaching on celibacy, I will recommend a great book on the topic, When God Asks for an Undivided Heart: Choosing Celibacy in Love and Freedom, by Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR. This book is used by some religious orders and seminaries in training candidates on the issue of celibacy. I have found this book to be clear, easy to understand, helpful and solid. In this book, Fr. Andrew combines scripture, psychology, theology and personal experience.
I will be away on the following dates during January:
I hope to attend the FOCUS 2005 National Conference in Denver during Jan. 14-16.
We will be going to the Annual March for Life in Washington D.C. during Jan. 22-24. The March itself will be on the 24th. As you may know, the March commemorates the Jan. 22, 1973, Supreme Court decision Roe verse Wade, legalizing abortion-on-demand in our country. Jane Roe, of Roe verse Wade, is now a pro-life Catholic (and a pal of mine). The March starts at the Ellipse (opposite the Washington Monument) and proceeds along Constitution Ave. towards the Capital Building. There is a right turn at the end of the March onto 3rd Ave.
(I think this is the street?). We friars always gather on this corner. See you there!
I will also be going to the Youth 2000 Retreat at in Midland, TX, during Jan. 28-30. |
We are praying for you and your discernment everyday, especially on Wednesdays. May the Lord give you the grace to know His plan for your life and the courage to follow Jesus wherever He is calling you! As you may know, we are not running any special "Come and See" weekends. Rather, give me a call (keep trying!) and we will set up a visit. I think that this method is more helpful in your seeing our way of life as it is with no candy coating, etc. Don't forget all of the people that the Lord wants to get to heaven through YOUR ministry. The harvest is ripe! In struggling to be faithful to our vocation we know that this is the Lord's plan to get us to heaven and take as many people with us as possible. Let us set our hands to the plow in the Lord's vineyard and not look back!
Thank you for your patience in contacting me,
God bless you,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
Saint Joseph Friary
523 W. 142nd Street
New York, NY 10031
(212)281-4355 Archive eLetters
