Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Father Glenn Paul Gomez SVD – Christ the King Seminary, Quezon City
Friday 19th Week in Ordinary Time
One afternoon, according to an old Sufi tale, Nasruddin and his friend were sitting in a café, drinking tea, and talking about life and love.
“How come you never got married, Nasruddin?” asked his friend.
“Well,” said Nasruddin, “to tell you the truth, I spent my youth looking for the perfect woman. In Cairo, I met a beautiful and intelligent woman, with eyes like dark olives, but she was unkind. Then in Baghdad, I met a woman who was generous and good-hearted, but we had no interests in common. One woman after another seemed just right, but there was always something missing. Then one day, I met her—beautiful, intelligent, generous, and kind. We had everything in common. In fact, she was perfect.”
“Well,” said his friend, “what happened? Why didn’t you marry her?”
Nasruddin sipped his tea reflectively. “It’s a sad thing. She was looking for the perfect man.”
Marriage is meant to be for keeps, but to look for a perfect partner is nearly impossible. As St. Paul reminds us: “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). Human love is always marked by imperfection, yet it can be sanctified by grace.
If the Church were to allow priests to marry, I would still choose to remain celibate. I have voluntarily renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus Himself taught: “There are eunuchs who have made themselves so for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it” (Matthew 19:12).
Celibacy is not a rejection of love but a radical embrace of Christ’s love, a sign that the Kingdom is already breaking into our world.
I do accept this challenge. My vocation is to live fully for Christ, to embody His words: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
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