"In choosing to renounce marriage, the celibate person seems to spurn it as a lesser good. Celibacy that is truly for the kingdom, however, actively upholds the value of marriage.
"First, celibacy for the kingdom requires an informed choice. If a person does not appreciate the goodness of marriage, as instituted by the Creator from the beginning, he cannot choose celibacy for the right reasons.
"But more than this, celibacy must be seen as a way of proclaiming the value of marital love to the world.…
"As we've seen, the celibate vocation confirms the nuptial meaning of the body, male and female. It is not a denial of, or an escape from, our sexual embodiment. By living out the nuptial meaning of the body apart from human marriage, celibate persons become witnesses to the ultimate meaning of sexuality.
"Celibacy for the kingdom points to our ultimate destiny — total union with God. Celibacy reminds us that marriage, too, is a sign of the union between Christ and the Church. They are complementary vocations, each vital for the other.
"What is the key to understanding the sacredness of marriage? The spousal love of Christ for the Church. Christ — himself a virgin and the son of a virgin — reveals the value of marriage at its deepest level. … By living a transformed life of sincere self-giving, celibacy for the kingdom indirectly highlights the deepest meaning of marriage. In this way, Christ's invitation to a life of celibacy for the kingdom is a key to the entire theology of the body."
"But more than this, celibacy must be seen as a way of proclaiming the value of marital love to the world.…
"As we've seen, the celibate vocation confirms the nuptial meaning of the body, male and female. It is not a denial of, or an escape from, our sexual embodiment. By living out the nuptial meaning of the body apart from human marriage, celibate persons become witnesses to the ultimate meaning of sexuality.
"Celibacy for the kingdom points to our ultimate destiny — total union with God. Celibacy reminds us that marriage, too, is a sign of the union between Christ and the Church. They are complementary vocations, each vital for the other.
"What is the key to understanding the sacredness of marriage? The spousal love of Christ for the Church. Christ — himself a virgin and the son of a virgin — reveals the value of marriage at its deepest level. … By living a transformed life of sincere self-giving, celibacy for the kingdom indirectly highlights the deepest meaning of marriage. In this way, Christ's invitation to a life of celibacy for the kingdom is a key to the entire theology of the body."
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