A feel-good story, a break from the usual liturgy tussles. Order the whole prayerbook here.
Here’s the excerpt from Zenit:
Place within us love that truly gives,
tenderness that truly unites,
self-offering that tells the truth
and does not deceive,
forgiveness that truly receives,
loving physical union that welcomes.Open our hearts to you,
to each other and to the goodness of your will.
It’s not a new thought. The original Biblical prayer before sex is here. However, I suspect the PBS left out the barbecued fish innards. Some things are just too kinky for a nice Catholic book.
5 September 2009 at 8:06 am
Yes, the Bible is kinky. Come Thou, O Kinky Turtle. What is the sound of that turtle in the land?
A tangent:
Salted fish innards would repel many things, wouldn’t they? On the other hand, fermented fish has been known since ancient times as a key ingredient in many things that are ambrosial. Perhaps this is a foretaste of the Medieval art of the grotesque, wherein God makes beauty of parts that are ugly in and of themselves. And that is itself but a token of a greater love: in immortal poem of Samuel Crossman, “Love to the loveless shown that they might lovely be.”
5 September 2009 at 4:24 pm
More than a few prayers will be along the line of: “Lord, make sure that the pill is working.” “Lord, don’t let the condom break.”
5 September 2009 at 6:37 pm
If I recall correctly, the fish innard incense was only used because the rest of the story indicates that there was a demon that would kill any male who attempted to enter the bride-to-be. Having smelled burnt fish guts, I can tell you it would be enough to gag a maggot, let alone dispel a pesky demon.
Peace, y’all.
13 September 2009 at 6:56 am
and the ladies prayer…Lord as I submit to this drunken beast,I pray that he will not try to go through the back door,give me the strength to ignore his foul breath,and sobriety not to burst out laughing as he grunts like a pig,may the membrane that keeps his sperm with him not break. Most of all Lord,may he take longer to climax than I have taken to pray….