Books Quote by Machado de Assis
““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…””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis, 1899
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.
![“I started my career giving a clinic in bad acting in the film, "The Silver Chalice," and now I'm playing a crusty old man who's an animated automobile [in "Cars"]. That's a creative arc for you, isn't it?” quote by Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ef0/paul-newman-2526_acting_i-started-my-career-giving-a-clinic-in-b_953174.jpg)
