This morning on my “Ask Anthony” segment on Sacred Heart Radio, I was asked if there is a vocation to the single life. It is not an easy question to answer in the five minutes that those segments go for. Unfortunately, the segment had to come to an end before I could make my last point.
Just got back from Mass and receiving ashes for Ash Wednesday to start another Lenten season. Today is a special reminder to us from the Church that we are not only going to die one day, but that life is very short and that this body of ours is going to end up back to dust.
Sunday I had a wonderful father-daughter outing with Lydia, my 5-year-old. I took her to the Kennedy Center to see a ballet production of Sleeping Beauty. Of course, like every normal little girl, Lydia is very much into all things “ballerina.” It was a fantastic production and Lydia loved every minute of it. I went to enjoy my daughter time, but found myself really enthralled in the performances. What an incredible amount of athletic ability is required to be a ballet dancer! And the men … my goodness, they must have needed to be oozing with male confidence to take up ballet. They were what struck me the most. These were very nice looking, very “manly” looking men performing their hearts out with an obvious talent for dance. I couldn’t help thinking about what their dating issues must be like.
Too many Catholics are entering into marriage without an adequate knowledge of themselves or what marriage is. Marriage is about self-donation (the gift of self), which implies having self-knowledge.
I was just interviewed yesterday for a Catholic newspaper on the topic of Catholic singles who are in their 20's and are not marrying. The interviewer is trying to figure out why this is happening and offer practical answers on how to change this. The interviewer wants to know what the Church can do to better minister to single people about marrying young. He told me many are saying it is due to the poor catechesis these 20-somethings have had.
I have had a very interesting six months in my research about what men and women want. By shear (and amusing) coincidence, I have had about a dozen women mention guys and (believe it or not) their shoes. Specifically, they have all commented on their negative impression of guys in white tennis shoes when dressed casually or on a date.
As single Catholics, it is likely your strongest desire to meet someone who shares the depth of your Catholic faith as a key foundation to your marriage.
In my last article, I gave a prelude to the answer of “Where is Mr./Ms. Right?” by offering an explanation as to why it is so difficult today for single Catholics to find this person they seek for marriage. There were many reasons presented, but not the most important reason.
To find the right person for marriage today is no easy task for single Catholics. Many wonder why it is God has not yet sent this person, despite their desire and readiness to be married. Unfortunately, there is more to it than simply the actuality that this person has not yet showed up on the scene.
My last two articles dealt with background on what is causing the problem of finding the right person. In this final installment, it is time to address directly the answer to the question of where is Mr./Ms. Right and how do you find that person.