TRINITY xxiii
'OUR conversation'--better translate, 'Our life, our social
existence’—’ is in heaven’, and therefore St Paul is deeply indignant against
those who would make their religion a matter of mere earthly observances.
Our life is part of heaven, we that are Christians; it is so all the time,
whether we know it or not. But in this sacramental mystery at least we
know that we are part of heaven, for we lift up our hearts and become present
with Christ the Lord. For half an hour we are to enjoy the converse, the
social existence, of heaven. Let us not, then, sleep through this sacrament,
but exercise our souls in heavenly converse. Some are well supplied with
prayers that rise from within, but it is always right and good to follow
due prayers of the whole service, not reading them merely, but saying them
silently with the priest. For we are all priests, and the offering belongs
to us all. If we do this with the best will we have at due time, mindful
of our friends’ need as well as our own, we shall never have misused the
sacrament; and as we can always do this, we need not hesitate to communicate
often.
