Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister Religion Quotes Page 1

This was a common oath, or swear word, for a very long time. It's a reference to Jesus' blood when he was executed, so to swear "on Jesus' blood" or "on God's blood" was a pretty serious oath to take for a Christian. Using it lightly, the way we might say "I swear to God!" nowadays, was a big no-no for observant Christians, and especially for monks!

The speaker criticizes Brother Lawrence for failing to take every opportunity to show just how good of a Christian he is by putting his knife and fork down in the shape of a cross.

Again, the speaker takes Brother Lawrence to task for skipping some of the more formal ways of showing his religious belief in everyday activities, like sipping his O.J. in three sips, to symbolize the doctrine of the Trinity. What do you think of the speaker's priorities regarding religion?