Here in Gaming, we live among several Eastern Rite priests that are married. The sacrifice of their wives and families is enormous. They survive partly because in the East the parishes are quite small (or there are many priests) to lighten the load.
Anyway, I don't link and comment to this story to discuss celibacy, as such. I want to point out a very interesting comment that he makes at the end of the article that is crucial for us to understand as Christians. Let's pick up the article:
Cozzens, 67, a priest for 41 years, says he has been faithful to the celibacy vow. "Celibacy has worked in my life and that is due to the grace of God," he said.When did the Lord EVER teach that it costs less than everything??A moment later, however, paraphrasing poet T.S. Eliot, he confessed that "at times I feel it's cost not less than everything."
He said, "For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. Mark 8:35
and
"If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26
Jesus, in the above passage, is using hyperbole to make his point: to be his disciple he must be first in everything.
Jesus gave us everything in love - to the very last drop of his Precious Blood - so that we might in return give everything - our very selves - in love.
So yes, Father. He calls for everything. To the extent we keep a part of ourselves for ourselves whether it be sex, family size, money, possessions, our own opinions that contradict Church teaching, or time (etc., etc.) from the Lord is the extent that we are separated from him; thereby living a life less than the full, abundant life he desires for us.
We only fully realize ourselves in full union with him. We are only in union with him when we give ourselves completely to him.
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