LITURGICAL

He placed the paper box on the table quietly

as though it were a closed,uninhabited monastery. For a while

he was gone in the other room. We could hear the faucet running—

perhaps he was washing his hands with soap. On returning,

he opened the box with great care and placed

his left hand within it. Then with his right hand

he grasped his left by the wrist, took it out,

raised it up high, and showed it to us.