Till I understood celibacy along with the other evangelical life principles of obedience and poverty, I had to struggle to find true joy. Till I understood these as pillars of my spiritual life, I had to grapple with personal relationships with God and people, personal possessions and personal plans. Till I realized the truth of scriptural anthropology, I had confused concepts about celibacy, obedience and poverty. Now really these life principles have become a source of joy in my life. I would like to share my realizations regarding celibacy in my life.
At my diaconate and priesthood ordination, I vowed celibacy. Since I had the understanding that it is connected with the physical instinct of sexuality, I suppressed my feelings and was affected psychologically, trying to sublimate these emotions.
When I was consciously making the anointing of the Holy Spirit received in Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders into real inner experiences, then I realized deeply that celibacy and chastity are sourced from the spirit within. As mentioned by Paul (1 Thessalonians 5: 23), my body, soul and spirit together must be kept blameless. When I live chastity in my spirit in communion with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:13), celibate life has become a joyful one. Obedience of my will has become a possibility and poverty in my needs has become a reality. While I realized that these three life principles are for every human being, even the married ones when they fulfill their duties towards their partners, celibacy is for me a great opportunity to live a chaste life with an in-depth spirituality.
When my lifestyle is based on minimum needs for a healthy life, poverty becomes easier and happier. When I come to realize that God’s plans for me are far higher than my own, I can surrender my plans to God in total obedience. When I enter into the spirituality of conscience, I begin to live conscientiously, respecting my own body, respecting others and their bodies. This helps me to be free from self-abuse and any form of sexual abuse.
Fr Panneer Selvam, Diocesan Priest
To read the entire article, click Subscribe
