Since once again, Lord - though this time not in the…
““Since once again, Lord - though this time not in the forests of the Aisne but in the steppes of Asia - I have neither bread, nor wine, nor altar, I will raise myself beyond these symbols, up to the pure majesty of the Real itself; I, your priest, will make the whole earth my altar and on it will offer you all the labours and sufferings of the world. Over there, on the horizon, the sun has just touched with light the outermost fringe of the eastern sky. Once again, beneath this moving sheet of fire, the living surface of the earth wakes and trembles, and once again begins its fearful travail. I will place on my paten, O God, the harvest to be won by this renewal of labour. Into my chalice I shall pour all the sap which is to be pressed out this day from the earth’s fruits. My paten and my chalice are the depths of a soul laid widely open to all the forces which in a moment will rise up from every corner of the earth and converge upon the Spirit. Grant me the remembrance and the mystic presence of all those whom the light is now awakening to the new day . . . Over every living thing which is to spring up, to grow, to flower, to ripen during this day say again the words: ‘This is my Body’. And over every death-force which waits in readiness to corrode, to wither, to cut down, speak again your commanding words which express the supreme mystery of faith: ‘This is my Blood’.””
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 transforms ordinary symbols of worship into a universal altar, offering all labor and suffering to the divine, seeking a mystical union with the Real through the natural world.
In simple terms: All work and suffering become a sacred offering.
Offer your daily labor as a spiritual act.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- daily work
- environmental activism
- community service
- ritual practice
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you view everyday tasks as sacred?
- What does “the Real” mean to you?
The abstract language may be hard to apply concretely.