LONDON (RNS) A Catholic charity in Britain says it believes couples should pray together before engaging in sex — and to help them along, it has composed a special prayer for the occasion.
The entreaty, entitled “Prayer Before Making Love,” appears in the Prayer Book for Spouses, published by the London-based Catholic Truth Society, which has close ties with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
The special prayer asks God “to 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 adds. “Cover our poverty in the richness of your mercy and forgiveness. Clothe us in true dignity and take to yourself our shared aspirations, for your glory, forever and ever.”
One member of the charity, board, Auxiliary Bishop Paul Hendricks of Southwark, conceded in an interview with London’s Daily Mail newspaper that the prayer perhaps “is a bit idealistic.”
But, he added, “it is recognizing that God is at the heart of the marriage relationship between husband and wife.” That is “something that has not been tried for a while” — or, at least, “I can’t remember seeing something like that before.”
The Catholic Truth Society, which was founded in 1868, says its intention is “to respond to the challenges facing believers and non-believers today with materials that are attractive, truthful (and) engaging.”
By Al Webb
c. 2009 Religion News Service