"It is a great mystery"--on the single life--four in a series.

Later today, I am getting feedback from two lovely single women here on why they think they have not met Mr. Right. I shall share that as part of this series (not intended to be, but by popular demand ending up so) on the Single Life. Here is the famous quotation from St. Paul on the husband's call to marriage. Remember, men, it is the man who has to ask, not the lady.  Marriage is a great mystery. Is it that our culture can no longer deal with mystery and the adventure of the unknown? Is it that fear has paralyzed action? Is it that young people have not visited convents or monasteries to find out what is possibly a call?

And, when I speak of commitment, of course I mean to anything. The call to the priesthood, as St. Don Bosco noted, is most likely for one out of four men. That leaves a lot of men for other calls.


“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 
that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the 
word, that he might present the church to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle 
or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.  Even so husbands 
should love their wives as their own bodies.  He who loves his wife loves himself.  For no man every hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does 
the church, because we are members of his body.  ‘For this reason a man shall leave 
his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one.’  This 
is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the church; however, let each 
one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her 
husband” (Eph 5:25-33).