renounced the great good of marriage to follow the Lamb wherever he
goes, to be intent on the things of the Lord, to seek to please him, and to go
out to meet the Bridegroom who is coming. Christ himself has invited
certain persons to follow him in this way of life, of which he remains the
model:
“For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are
eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are
eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the
Kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive
it” (Mt. 19, 12).
No. 1619:
Virginity for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven is an
unfolding of baptismal grace, a powerful sign of the supremacy of the bond
with Christ and of the ardent expectation of his return, a sign which also
recalls that marriage is a reality of this present age which is passing away.
No. 1620:
Both the sacrament of Matrimony and virginity for the
Kingdom of God come from the Lord himself. It is he who gives them
meaning and grants them the grace which is indispensable for living them
out in conformity with his will. Esteem of virginity for the sake of the
kingdom and the Christian understanding of marriage are inseparable, and
they reinforce each other:
“Whoever denigrates marriage also diminishes the glory
of virginity. Whoever praises it makes virginity more
admirable and resplendent. What appears good only in
comparison with evil would not be truly good. The most
excellent good is something even better than what is
admitted to be good” (St. John Chrysostom, De Virg.,
10).
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