Is a life without love ?

You've probably met people, who are not married. It doesn't mean that at all, that they underestimate the value of marriage. Nevertheless, they choose not to be married. What drives them ? What value they see in it and for whom they do it ?

And yet out of love.

There are women, who give up marriage, because they want to raise younger siblings, who ran out of mother. They want to replace their mother in the family. They can devote themselves entirely to their siblings, for they have no husband and no children of their own. Such dedication to siblings is a service to the family community, and at the same time a service to society. It requires real love. Others do not have a family of their own and live without marriage, because they want to sacrifice their strength, time and life to great causes. Not just one family, but many families. Some of them devote themselves entirely to science, research and discoveries, others artistic creativity ; still others politics or social work. They are often doctors and nurses, teachers and educators. They can do it, because their family does not bind them. If they want to serve the social good with their work, and only because of this they give up personal happiness in marriage, then you have to acknowledge, that they do it out of love.
Many priests, religious sisters and brothers leave their homeland and go to foreign countries, to serve the sick and the poor, to preach the word of God. Others stay in the country again and also devote their entire lives to others. Religious sisters work in institutions for terminally ill, they look after the sick and lonely in many parishes.
Diocesan and religious priests are healthy and sick whenever they call them, they serve in the confessional, they spend a lot of time catechizing. Even Sunday is a day of work for others for them.
Total dedication to the service of other people is their response to Christ's call to the full love of God in his neighbor. And that's why they don't consciously tighten their love for one person, to one family and your loved ones, but they embrace the entire human family. So that this can be realized, nuns, religious brothers and priests in the Roman Catholic Church are celibate.

You can always serve out of love

Maybe you've met or heard of such people, who wanted to get married, start your own family, have my children, yet they remained lonely. Their lives turned out differently than intended. They must, therefore, necessarily experience them alone, without family. Yet they too can fill their lives with love. They can open up to the needs of others and serve them. They can help other families raise their children, and even materially support. They can devote their free time from work to caring for the sick, who do not have anyone close to them. They can help the sick, abandoned, old people and those who are helpless in life.

How will I answer God ?

You now have a better understanding of both the value of the family, as well as living unmarried, especially the monks, priests and nuns.

You are probably aware of this, that to love, which requires so much sacrifice and sacrifice for others, you have to mature. And you will mature for such love, when you fight your own selfishness and serve your neighbor from an early age.

If you understand, that God is calling you too, that you would give all your strength and time to God's love in people, then you will probably answer this call of God and serve Him without tightening your love for one person, one family, but embracing the entire human family.

■ Think :

1. Co skłania niektórych ludzi do rezygnacji z małżeństwa ?

2. Czym kierują się kapłani, sisters and brothers, who go unmarried ?

3. Jak ludzie z konieczności samotni mogą służyć innym z miłością ?

■ Remember :

24. People, who have not tightened their love for one person, one family and your loved ones, but they put themselves at the service of others, they also live love.

25. Bezżeństwo tych ludzi, who, in the priesthood or in religious life, serve God in their neighbor, it links them in a special way to Christ and to his mission in the world.