A Prayer for Enemies
This Verse Is Omitted From Most Bibles
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I was reading the Roman Catechism and it quoted the book of Tobit, "I will show thee who they are over whom the devil can prevail; for they who in such manner receive matrimony as to shut out God from themselves and from their mind, and to give themselves to their lust, as the horse and mule which have not understanding, over them the devil hath power" (Tobit 6:16-17). I found that this verse is omitted from the RSVCE and a lot of different translations.
The Catechism further teaches that "Man, conscious of his own frailty and unwilling to fight battles of the flesh, is supplied by marriage with an antidote by which to avoid sins of lust." The difference between these quotes is the intention. The first man desires to make his spouse into his "happily ever after," not God. The second man firmly fixes his sight on God, but recognizes that without marriage, he could fall into serious sins; out of humility he marries.
The Catechism truly desires our minds to be set on God. If our minds are getting too distracted by the marriage, then it is time to take a little time away for prayer.
Marriage is a great Sacrament that can lead to great sanctity. However, just like every other Sacrament, we need to have to correct disposition before receiving it.
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About the Author
I am a scientifically minded Catholic. I grew up in a world of darkness and vice, and my baptism (in my late 20s) gave me a clear distinction between good and evil. Incorporating that goodness and rejecting that evil has been a battle, but also a learning process that I'd like to share with others. The Lord told me to go and share His Light so that is what I aim to do. However, I need you to pray, so that the Gospel can be received in the fullness of the Catholic sense and with immense joy and peace.
