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There are so many distractions in the single world which have ZERO spiritual value. For those who choose the religious life, or the priesthood today, means that they choose a context of people praying every day, sharing 6:30 Vespers, and having a talk about the Blessed Virgin Mary afterwards over breakfast. But, one must choose that way or marriage. Marriage, if one works at it, is a way to heaven through a different spirituality.
Work for single people, run by single people leaves no spirituality or substantive recreation.
Single people even go to work on holiday, being career-centric. This has been the case for over 100 years. Blaming the Enlightening is an excuse for the lack of spirituality. The single life is a reaction to the family. It is rebellion. This generation lives in reaction, as they have no common ground. Those single people have no common frame of reference even in pop culture.
This generation of singles is not homogeneous in any way, even in recreation.
In the past, there was a blending of single activities and married and family activities. The culture is, perhaps, in some places finding communal values, but the single people never see families-they have never seen a successful family or even a baby. Seriously, I have had young people tell me that have never held a baby.
We grew up in neighbourhoods swarming with kids. We took care of our brothers and sisters, as well as other babies from other families.
That the culture of priests reflections the individuality of this generation at the level of accepting a false view of society is dangerous. Perfection can only be found in relationships.
If this generation is not encouraged by priests to seek perfection in a community and not encouraged to seek holiness at all, they will not reach the level of holiness God has called them to achieve. I believe this and so do some religious, with whom I have spoken..
Think, reflect, act.
