Statue in Cartegena Cathedral
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From: 1 Corinthians 7:25-31
The Excellence of Virginity
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[25] Now concerning the unmarried, [2] I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. [26] I think that in view of the impending distress it is well for a person to remain as he is. [27] Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek marriage. [28] But if you marry, you do not sin, and if a girl marries she does not sin. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. [29] I mean, brethren, the appointed time has grown very short; from now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, [30] and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, [31] and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the form of this world is passing away.
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Commentary:
25-35. The Apostle now explains the excellence of virginity or celibacy (vv. 26ff) for love of God as compared with marriage. The Magisterium of the Church has explicitly spoken on the same lines (cf. Council of Trent, De Sacrum Matrimonio, can. 10; Pius XII, Sacra Virginitas, 11).
He begins by saying that he has no commandment from the Lord on this matter (cf. note on 7:12-16; Mt 19-12) but he for his part recommends celibacy, and his advice carries weight because he is an Apostle chosen by the Lord in his mercy. The reasons why he makes this recommendation reduce to one, basically--the love of God: the unmarried person can dedicate himself or herself to God more fully than a married person can, who has to look after the family and is "divided" (v. 34). "This is the main purpose and primary reason for Christian virginity--to dedicate oneself exclusively to divine things, giving them all one's attention and love thinking of Him constantly and consecrating oneself to Him completely, body and soul" (Pius XII, Sacra Virginitas, 5). This exclusive dedication to God will lead to a full and productive life because it enables a person to love others and devote himself or herself to them with great freedom and availability. Also, celibacy has an eschatological dimension: it is a special sign of heavenly delights (cf. Vatican II, Perfectae Caritatis, 12), and points to the fact that the blessed in heaven live as angels (cf. Mt 22:30).
St Paul's references to marriage should be understood in the context in which he is writing (cf. note on 7:1-9). All he wants to make clear here is that, although celibacy is a higher state, marriage is not something bad: those who marry are not doing anything wrong (v. 28), nor is there any need for married people to live as celibates (vv. 3-5) or to separate (v. 27). However, only someone who acknowledges the great value that marriage has is in a position to appreciate celibacy as a gift of God. "Virginity or celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of God not only does not contradict the dignity of marriage but presupposes it and confirms it. Marriage and virginity or celibacy are two ways of expressing and living the one mystery of the covenant of God with his people. When marriage is not esteemed, neither can consecrated virginity or celibacy exist; when human sexuality is not regarded as a great value given by the Creator, the renunciation of it for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven loses its meaning" (St. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 16)
28. "Worldly troubles" (tribulation of the flesh): this is not in any way pejorative of marriage: "Married love is uniquely expressed and perfected by the exercise of the acts proper to marriage. Hence the acts in marriage by which the intimate and chaste union of the spouses takes place are noble and honorable: the truly human performance of these acts fosters the self-giving they signify and enriches the spouses in joy and gratitude" (Vatican II, Gaudium Et Spes, 49).
The phrase is very like that used in v. 33 ("worldly affairs"): that is, married people cannot ignore the material needs of their family. This is also what the Apostle means when he says that the married man's interests are "divided" (v. 34), that is, he cannot please God unless he attend to the needs--including material needs--of his family. Married people have to turn these circumstances--inherent in their state of life--into a means of sanctification. "Husband and wife are called to sanctify their married life", [St.] Monsignor Escriva writes, "and to sanctify themselves in it. It would be a serious mistake if they were to exclude family life from their spiritual development. The marriage union, the care and education of children, the effort to provide for the needs of the family as well as for its security and development, the relationships with other persons who make up the community--all these are among the ordinary human situations that Christian couples are called upon to sanctify" (Christ Is Passing By, 23).
29-31. In their letters, St Paul and the other Apostles frequently remind us that life is short (cf. Rom 13:11-14; 2 Pet 3:8; 1 Jn 2:15-17), in order to encourage us to make the very best use of our time to serve God, and others for his sake. "When I reflect on this, how well I understand St Paul's exclamation when he writes to the Corinthians, "tempus breve est" (1 Cor 7:29). How short indeed is the time of our passing through this world! For the true Christian these words ring deep down in his heart as a reproach to his lack of generosity, and as a constant invitation to be loyal. Brief indeed is our time for loving, for giving, for making atonement. It would be very wrong, therefore, for us to waste it, or to cast this treasure irresponsibly overboard. We must not squander this period of the world's history which God has entrusted to each one of us" (St. J. Escriva, Friends of God, 39).
A Christian, therefore, should always be detached from worldly things, and never let himself become the slave of anything or anyone (cf. 1 Cor 7:23; Lumen Gentium, 42) but, instead, always have his sights on eternal life. "It is a great help towards this", St Teresa of Avila teaches, "if we keep a very constant care of the vanity of all things, and the rapidity with which they pass away, so that we may withdraw our affections from everything and fix them on what will last forever. This may seem to be a poor kind of help but it will have the effect of greatly fortifying the soul. With regard to little things, we must be very careful, as soon as we begin to be fond of them, to think no more about them and to turn our thoughts to God. His majesty will help us to do this" (Way of Perfection, chap. X).