“Let your speech be like the mystery of the altar—reverent, incarnational, and full of awe. Speak not to explain away the sacred, but to enter it. For the Christian theologian must speak as one who has contemplated the Eucharist and found Christ present. In every doctrine, let your words be shaped by Scripture and lifted by worship. The tongue that teaches with reverence becomes a chalice, but the tongue that teaches with pride becomes a vessel of confusion. Speak as one who has knelt before the Host and risen with wonder. Let your counsel be clear, but never casual; bold, but never boastful. For the mystery is not a metaphor—it is a meeting. Let your speech be a mirror of incarnation, a call to communion, and a witness to the God who gives Himself.”
–Paschasius Radbertus, French Monk (785 – 865)
Citation: Paschasius Radbertus, De Corpore et Sanguine Domini, trans. Allen Cabaniss (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1969), p. 134.
Reflection Question: Do I speak to enter or to explain—and how can I let reverence and incarnation shape my theological voice?