At the end of the previous post on Theology of the Body, I promised a post with my own thoughts on how celibacy as a vocation for homosexuals relates to celibacy as a vocation for a minority of Christians. I haven't done that yet, and, frankly, I don't recall exactly what I was thinking at the time. But it's been so long since I posted on Theology of the Body that I'll postpone giving my thoughts and just give the following excerpts from the book I'm using: Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body in Simple Language.
"In his words … about celibacy, Jesus mentions three categories of eunuchs … those born with physical defects, making procreation impossible … those who have been maimed … [and] those who made a voluntary decision based on a supernatural calling.
"… Jesus' original listeners … did not uphold virginity as a good in itself. In the Old Testament, marriage and procreation were the norm. In fact, marriage and procreation were central to the covenant between God and his chosen people. … [Cf. Gen. 17:4, 6-7.]
…
"Christ's words mark a turning point. This is why … he makes a clear distinction between those who are eunuchs by nature or accident and those who remain celibate by choice. The disciples would never have considered that a person might choose virginity as a way of life and as a witness to the coming of God's kingdom.
"… [The disciples] must have been deeply impressed. [They] internalized Christ's words and passed them on to others. Christ's teaching was taken up by the Apostle Paul (see 1 Cor. 7), and … John … wrote of consecrated virgins as 'first fruits to God and to the Lamb' (rev. 14:4).
"In the generations since they were first spoken, Christ's words have continued to bear fruit through the lives of those called to celibacy."
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