Marian Helper Fall 2015

M arian H elper • F all 2015 • marian.org 17 F or many people, the vow of chastity is mysterious, even perplexing, because in our culture so much is geared toward sex and indulging sensual pleasures. People tend to see chastity in the negative — that you give up marriage, give up children, give up a sexually intimate relationship. But through the vow of chastity, we profess a posi- tive , a profound “yes” to God, “yes” to a life of love of God, “yes” to an undi- vided heart, a heart that, like Mary’s own heart, enables us to rejoice in the Lord and to constantly live in the presence of the Lord for the sake of a fallen world. I knew years ago that this is the life to which God was calling me. Yet this does not mean I didn’t struggle with the idea. Through much thought and prayer, I came to the realization that even if I were able to choose any girl and could know that it would lead to the best marriage, I would never take that over having the ability to say “I absolve you” even once or to celebrate Mass just once, because that is how I am called to love. We all have a vocation to love. In the gift of marriage, this means saying with Christ, “This is my body given up for you, and only you,” for marital love is, by its nature, exclusive. The gift of celibate chastity, on the other hand, allows one the unique ability to say with Christ, “This is my Body given up for you,” not just to one person, but to every person. For those of us in consecrated life, by dedicating our whole life for the mission of saving souls and glorifying God, we become walking advertise- ments for the Kingdom of Heaven, where we all “neither marry nor are given in marriage”(Mk 12:25). B y Fr. Allen Alexander, MIC Ordained July 25 Chastity Obedience By Fr. Jonathan Inskip, MIC Ordained May 16 A s Marians, we imitate the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When Gabriel came to Mary at the Annunciation and shared God’s will (that she would conceive and bear the Son of God), she modeled obedience: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). I, as a Marian, am to obey Jesus, conforming my will to the will of God, as expressed through the magisterial teachings of the Church, my lawful superiors, and human laws, customs, and practices that are just. That’s not blind or unthinking obedience —we may ask questions or share information with our superiors to confirm that what’s being required of us is the best course of action, and we are not to act against our properly formed conscience. But obedience will sometimes mean we must do something cheerfully and promptly, even if we don’t like the task or find it difficult. By obeying, we take up our cross and walk in the footsteps of Jesus (see Phil 2:8). Mary again shows what obedience looks like at the Wedding at Cana, when she says to the servants, “Do whatever he [Jesus] tells you” (Jn 2:5). In a world where people seek “freedom” to do whatever they want (regardless of whether it is right or not), the notion of obedience might seem like a total restraint on our happiness. But pay attention to exactly whom we are to obey: “Do whatever God, who is Divine Love, tells you.” “Do whatever God, who is Divine Goodness, tells you.” “Do whatever God, who is Divine Wisdom, tells you.” Perfect obedience to Divine Love, Goodness, Wisdom— that is not a bad thing at all. It will lead to our perfect happiness. MH