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A future priest, I faced her as before an altar: one of…

“A future priest, I faced her as before an altar: one of her cheeks was the Epistle and the other the Gospel. Her mouth might have been the chalice, her lips the paten. All I needed to do was to say a new mass, according to a Latin that no one learns at school, and is the catholic language of…” quote by Machado de Assis
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““A future priest, I faced her as before an altar: one of her cheeks was the Epistle and the other the Gospel. Her mouth might have been the chalice, her lips the paten. All I needed to do was to say a new mass, according to a Latin that no one learns at school, and is the catholic language of mankind. Don’t think me sacrilegious, devout lady reader; the purity of the intention cleanses anything unorthodox in the style. We stood there with heaven within us. Our hands, their nerve ends touching, made two creatures one: a single, seraphic being. Our eyes went on saying infinite things, and the words did not even try to pass our lips: they went back to the heart as silently as they had come…””

Machado de Assis

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker likens a lover to a priest performing a sacred rite, emphasizing pure intention over formal doctrine, creating a transcendent union.

In simple terms: Love is a sacred ritual beyond rules.

Key Takeaway

Focus on sincere intention.

Themes

love spirituality union

Mood

intimate reverent

Type

poetic philosophical

When to use this quote

  • intimate moments
  • deep conversations
  • shared silence

Key Concepts

ritual symbolism transcendence

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does intention shape connection?
  • What rituals create intimacy?
A Different Perspective

May idealizing love overlook practical realities.

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