Because of Jesus’ prohibition of divorce, his disciples say that it is better not to marry. Jesus says that some people (“born so”) are “incapable of marriage” (v 12). A eunuch (Greek eunouxoi) refers to a man or a boy deprived of functioning male organs (v 12). He may also be a castrated man (“made so by others”) placed in charge of a harem or employed as a chamberlain in a palace (v 12). But there are also “eunuchs”—persons who are otherwise physically normal, but who renounce marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. These are persons who take on celibacy as a personal choice or upon entering priesthood in the Catholic Church. Then there are consecrated men [and women] who take the evangelical vow of chastity, along with the vows of poverty and obedience.

In a culture where the Mosaic Law calls on the Israelites to “be fertile, then, and multiply” (Gn 9:7), Jesus remained celibate as a sign of total self-giving to the cause of the Kingdom of heaven. And he invites those who can accept this [renouncing marriage] to accept it. In turn, Paul advices the unmarried woman, if she has the gift of “vocation,” to remain unmarried so as to wholly concern herself about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit (1 Cor 7:34). Paul himself was probably not married (cf 1 Cor 9:5).

Both marriage and celibacy are paths to holiness. Marriage is a sacrament that mirrors Christ’s relationship with the Church, characterized by love, fidelity, and self-giving. Celibacy, on the other hand, is a radical commitment to God, a sign of the Kingdom to come, where we are fully united with the Lord. Whether in marriage, celibacy, or other forms of dedication to God—each path is a unique gift from God and a means for growing closer to him.