Reflection on July 7, 1982

https://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/jp2tb83.htm

SJPII tackles some of the difficult language used by St. Paul in talking about marriage. When he says that if a person cannot remain continent, then he should marry, because to lose your continence outside of marriage would cause you to be “aflame”. If you look at this one its own, you might think that marriage is only an outlet for the concupiscence of the body that SJPII has talked about through many of his talks. But he says that this isn’t the case. Much like when Christ talked about continence and the fact that those that are called to it understand it, but those that are not will not, St. Paul is saying that those that are not called to continence will not have those same graces to restrain themselves and therefore should marry because if they do not they will fall. He is saying that we are all called and made for a vocation that is our purpose. If we ignore it, we will not be truly happy because we will not be fulfilling our true purpose God made us for. Those called to continence have the graces to live that life and those called to marriage have those graces, and to ignore the call is to set yourself up to “be aflame”.