‘the two ‘To the willunmarried...I become say that it is good for them one fl esh’ to remain single as I am’. 5:317:8 1 Eph Corinthians
‘I know the plans I have for you… a future full of hope.’ Jeremiah 29:11 Single in Transition The single life as a transitional state is a vital part of most people’s vocational journey. Many single people are hoping to discover a vocation to marriage, priesthood or consecrated life but are unsure about which one. Or they may be clear about wanting to marry but are still looking for a husband or wife. Or they could be in a long term relationship but unsure if they should get married. This moment of being single in transition requires prayer and patience as people seek to hear God’s personal call to them; although it is temporary and the future is unclear, it is in itself a time of growth in faith, hope and love.
Single with Commitment Some people effectively make a personal commitment to lifelong celibacy without taking formal vows. They choose to remain single in order to dedicate themselves in service to other people or to a particular work. In recent decades new forms of celibate vocations have emerged, for example, within the movement known as Communion and Liberation or the personal prelature of Opus Dei. There is a great variety of vocations within these new organisations and for some people their calling involves a lifetime commitment to the celibate life, inspired by those early Christians who chose to stay single for the sake of the Kingdom of God but in the midst of the world. A distinctive feature that many of these new organisations have brought to the life of the Church is that they embrace both those who are married and those committed to the single way of life. They enable lay people of all kinds, married couples, transitional single and committed single, to walk together along the path of Christian life while remaining in the world, each following their own charism, with mutual support and a distinctive spirituality.
Single with Consecration There are a variety of ways of formally consecrating one’s life to Christ as a single person. Through vows of life-long celibacy and often through vows of poverty and obedience, men and women have sought to follow Christ’s own example as closely as possible. This single life may be lived as a member of an institute, such as a religious congregation, or individually, as in the case of consecrated lay people. There are other leaflets in this series that consider priesthood and religious life so this leaflet looks at the single life lived outside the structure of religious congregations or the priesthood. In contrast with the previous group of unofficially committed single people, there are those who vow to remain single within formal church structures but without joining a religious congregation or being ordained priests. This consecration includes a number of possibilities. Among the oldest of these are consecrated virgins and consecrated widows. These are described in the Letters of St Paul but then faded from view. Consecrated virginity has been revived
Jean Vanier, Founder of L’Arche Federation
Some people are stable in their single state of life, not actively seeking another state, while remaining open to whatever the Lord presents to them. In this way, the single life becomes their vocation, even though it is not formally declared. Of course, although somebody in this situation may not be looking for a new opening, because there is no official vow, they can remain open to other possibilities that may arise unexpectedly. Other single people may come to accept that, for a variety of reasons, they are unlikely to get married so they embrace this reality as God given and willingly follow Christ in the state of being single.
Chiara Lubich, Founder of the Focolare Movement
The Catholic understanding of vocation begins with the call to be baptised and then grows into a calling to a particular way of life. Every human being begins life as a single person but not everybody has a vocation to be single. The single life can become a vocation when it’s chosen in response to a sense of calling or at least willingly accepted as a long term way of life in response to circumstances.
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Social and political reformer
Single, stable and open
Saint Catherine of Sienna
On Being Single