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Is Consecrated Life A Higher Calling than Marriage?
The Catholic Church teaches, as dogma, that the consecrated life is superior to the married state, and should be preferred, if it is within the capacity and disposition of the soul to do so.
: “As a way of showing forth the Church's holiness, it is to be recognized that the consecrated life, which mirrors Christ's own way of life, has an objective superiority. Precisely for this reason, it is an especially rich manifestation of Gospel values and a more complete expression of the Church's purpose, which is the sanctification of humanity. The consecrated life proclaims and in a certain way anticipates the future age, when the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven, already present in its first fruits and in mystery,[62] will be achieved and when the children of the resurrection will take neither wife nor husband, but will be like the angels of God (cf. Mt. 22:30)”
: “This doctrine of the excellence of virginity and of celibacy and of their superiority over the married state was, as we have already said, revealed by our Divine Redeemer and by the Apostle of the Gentiles; so too, it was solemnly defined as a dogma of divine faith by the holy council of Trent, and explained in the same way by all the holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church."
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"If anyone saith that the marriage state is to be preferred before the state of virginity, let him be anathema." [...] "writing to the Corinthians, [Paul] says: I would that all men were even as myself; that is, that all embrace the virtue of continence...A life of continence is to be desired by all.”
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"The state of the consecrated life is thus one way of experiencing a "more intimate" consecration, rooted in Baptism and dedicated totally to God. In the consecrated life, Christ's faithful, moved by the Holy Spirit, propose to follow Christ more nearly, to give themselves to God who is loved above all and, pursuing the perfection of charity in the service of the Kingdom, to signify and proclaim in the Church the glory of the world to come."
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"It is a good thing for a man not to touch a woman. [v.1] Indeed, I wish that everyone were like I am [celibate]. [v.7] I should like you to be free from anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord; how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world; how he may please his wife, and he is divided. [v.32] Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife. If you marry, however, you do not sin, nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries; but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life, and I would like to spare you that." [v.28] (see also Mark 12:18-27, Mtt 19:10-12, 2 Timothy Ch. 2:3)
What is "Consecrated Life"?
The term consecrated life refers to a state to which men and women take public vows to the Evangelical Counsels (poverty, chastity, and obedience), ordinarily within the context of religious communities; monasteries, convents, friaries, etc. By taking these vows, religious men and women follow the Jesus' counsels in a more perfect way. As Our Lord expressly stated, they are counsels for those who desire to become "perfect" (cf. Matt. 19:10-12, Matt. 19:16-22; Matt. 5:48; Mark 10), because they most closely mirror life in heaven (souls in heaven are all perfectly poor in earthly riches, perfectly chaste, and perfectly obedient to God). In this sense, not even the diocesan priesthood mirrors heaven as closely as religous life does (or, is meant to do).
It is thus that the Church gives "preeminence" to the religious vocation, and recognizes it an act of supererogation, that is; exceeding the minimum necessary for salvation. (nb., CCC, p. 914-945).
According To The Saints
The Saints offer us additional insight, namely; that the consecrated life is the surest path heaven, and the greatest means to generate saints and sanctify the world. According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, the consecrated life is such a lofty and exalted state, that "those who enter obtain the same graces as those who receive Baptism". It can thus be said that the graces imparted to the soul at final profession are greater than any other graces that can possibly be merited in this life. Those who enter religious life can be confident in this, for their way is the cross; the highest form of love. Through a life of continual prayer and sacrifice, the religious draws down from heaven grace upon grace for the conversion for souls throughout the world. To be a religious means to become little "co-redeemers" of the world, united to the cross of our Divine Lord. As Our Lord once told Saint Fautina, it is chosen souls (consecrated religious) who sustain the world in existence! As pope John Paul II once said, monasticism is the "reference point for all the baptised" (Orientale Lumen). In other words, religious life is the single greatest indicator of the spiritual health of the world. If monasteries do well, then so too does the world. If monasteries do poorly (which over the past century have undoubtedly been the case), then so too will the world. Therefore, if you want to change the world, then renew religious life.
"Today, the Lord gave me knowledge of His anger toward mankind which deserves to have its days shortened because of its sins. But I learned that the world's existence is maintained by chosen souls; that is, the religious orders. Woe to the world when there will be a lack of religious orders!"
:"They [religious] live more purely, they fall more rarely, they rise more speedily, they are aided more powerfully, they live more peacefully, they die more securely, and they are rewarded more abundantly."
: "If I used to consider my vocation as above all others, now I appreciate it doubly; because I have seen and experienced for myself that the holiness of a [religious] is greater than any other holy ideal." [...] Sometimes, it seems to me that I am dreaming... I still can't convince myself that such incomparable happiness is mine. People who do not have a vocation cannot understand this, since to them there's no happiness in sacrifice; while sacrifice, done for God is the purest bliss."
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“Though I could not at first bend my will to be a nun, I saw that the religious state was the best and safest. And thus, by little and little, I resolved to force myself into it. The struggle lasted three months. [ ... ] When I took the habit, Our Lord at once made me understand how He helps those who do violence to themselves, in order to serve Him, I was filled with a joy so great that it has never failed me to this day.”
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"If they who give a cup of cold water in his name
shall not be left without abundant remuneration, how great and incomprehensible must be the reward which a
religious who aspires to perfection shall receive for the numberless works of piety which she performs every day;
for so many meditations, offices, and spiritual readings; for so many acts of mortification and of divine love which
she daily refers to God’s honor? Do you not know that these good works which are performed through obedience,
and in compliance with the religious vows, merit a far greater reward than the good works of seculars?"
"...it may be reasonably said that a person by entering into religion, obtains the remission of all sins. For, to make satisfaction for all sins, it is sufficient to dedicate one's self entirely to the service of God by entering religion, which dedication exceeds all manner of satisfaction. Hence, we read in the lives of the Fathers, that they who enter religion obtain the same grace as those who receive Baptism."
:"Now if a man choose
the way of the world, namely marriage, he is not indeed to blame; yet he will not receive such
great gifts as the other. For he will receive, since he too brings forth fruit, namely thirty fold. But
if a man embraces the holy and unearthly way, even though as compared with the former it be
rugged and hard to accomplish, nonetheless it has the more wonderful gifts: for it grows the perfect fruit,
namely a hundredfold."
....More Saints Quotes 
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"[Words of the Queen] "My daughter, the greatest happiness, which can befall any soul in this mortal life, is that the Almighty call her to his house consecrated to his service. For by this benefit He rescues the soul from a dangerous slavery and relieves her of the vile servitude of the world, where, deprived of true liberty, she eats her bread in the sweat of her brow. Who is so dull and insipid as not to know the dangers of the worldly life, which is hampered by all the abominable and most wicked laws and customs introduced by the astuteness of the devil and the perversity of men? The better part is religious life and retirement; in it is found security, outside is a torment and a stormy sea, full of sorrow and unhappiness. Through the hardness of their heart and the total forgetfulness of themselves men do not know this truth and are not attracted by its blessings. But thou, 0 soul, be not deaf to the voice of the Most High, attend and correspond to it in thy actions: I wish to remind thee, that one of the greatest snares of the demon is to counteract the call of the Lord, whenever he seeks to attract and incline the soul to a life of perfection in his service. Even by itself, the public and sacred act of receiving the habit and entering religion, although it is not always performed with proper fervor and purity of intention, is enough to rouse the wrath and fury of the infernal dragon and his demons; for they know that this act tends not only to the glory of the Lord and the joy of the holy angels, but that religious life will bring the soul to holiness and perfection. It very often happens, that they who have received the habit with earthly and human motives, are afterwards visited by divine grace, which perfects them and sets all things aright. If this is possible even when the beginning was without a good intention, how much more powerful and efficacious will be the light and influence of grace and the discipline of religious life, when the soul enters under the influence of divine love and with a sincere and earnest desire of finding God, and of serving and loving Him?
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"But chastity maintains the first rank in virgins, the second in those who are continent (celibate), the third in the case of wedlock." [...] "While laws are prescribed to matrons ... virginity and continency are beyond all law; there is nothing in the laws of matrimony which pertains to virginity; for by its loftiness it transcends them all."
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"The cloister is the anti chamber of heaven and in it God alone exists for the soul. A soul that doesn't live in God in the cloister profanes it. The cloister is totally pervaded by God. It's His dwelling place. Religious souls are the angels who constantly adore Him.
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Jesus told me; "In convents too, there are souls that fill My Heart with joy. They bear My features; therefore the Heavenly Father looks upon them with special pleasure. They will be a marvel to Angels and men. Their number is very small. They are a defense for the world before the justice of the Heavenly Father and a means of obtaining mercy for the world. The love and sacrifice of these souls sustain the world in existence. The infidelity of a soul specially chosen by Me wounds My Heart most painfully. Such infidelities are swords which pierce My Heart."
Does This Mean That Marriage Is Inferior?
The Church teaches that marriage and the consecrated life were both created by Our Lord Himself, and are thus both to be held in high esteem. According to the Church, the two vocations are inseparable to one another; they reinforce and support each other (cf. p.1620). It is thus that marriage should never be scorned or looked down upon;
: "Whoever denigrates marriage also diminishes the glory of virginity. Whoever praises it [marriage] 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."
In this vein, we may consider marriage to be a good, and consecrated life, a better good. This echoes Paul exhortation to the Corinthians; "So then, he who marries the virgin does good, but he who does not marry her does even better." (1 Cor 7:38). Saint Ambrose, in a treatise on virginity, repeats; "I am comparing good things with good things, that it may be clear which is the more
excellent." We must remember too that we are only speaking in an objective sense, and we are assuming each life is lived according to its ideal. Ultimately, the highest calling is whatever God calls the individual to, which may often be to the married state, even for the holiest of individuals. In fact, in many ways, the married state is likely the most challenging form of life; one that requires great strength of will and perseverence; to live in the world but not of the world, and to form the next generation of saints. It is quite a tall order, and wholly unfortunate that few live up to it.
All Are Created For Marriage.
We must remember that each vocation is simply different ways to the same end; like two sides of a coin. They each are designed to sanctify humanity by different means, and prepare us for our final destination. We can think of discerning a vocation as like standing at a crossroads, where each path is separate and unique, yet they all eventually arrive at the same point. The path that is most common to men, is marriage. It is through marriage that most men learn about all the qualities of Love; its fidelity, its exclusivity to another, its self-sacrifice, its communal relationship, its self-generative ability to create life, etc. Our Lord Himself desires to be loved exclusively, and thus He, the author of the universe, created marriage as a way to reveal His love to mankind, and to draw man to Himself. As Pope John Paul II teaches us, marriage is an earthly foreshadow of the mystical marriage between Christ and His Church. It is through this earthly foreshadow [of marriage] that men and women can learn more about what they will be eventually called to in heaven.
If marriage can be considered a natural vocation, then consecrated life can be considered a supernatural vocation. In other words, it is the vocation that is not of this world, but instead points to the next. The Church teaches us that consecrated men and women are in a sense beacons directing mans eye upwards towards heaven, where marriage does not exist (cf. Matt. 22:30; "At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven"). In heaven, all of mankind will be united in a mystical marriage to Our Lord, and through this nuptial union we will be united to one another. In this sense, those who live celibate here on earth "skip" the earthly foreshadow in favor of the heavenly marriage. As Christopher West states; "far from devaluing sexuality and marriage, true Christian celibacy actually points to their ultimate fulfillment." In this sense, celibacy can be thought of as a more perfect form of marriage. After all, every vocation ultimately is "spousal", meaning; it is a calling to total love and selfless gift for the other.
SOURCES:
Davide A. Bianchini, Contact
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