The Power of the Chalice

       Lately, I have associated The Power and The Glory (1939) with The Silver Chalice (1952). (I have not read The Silver Chalice since 2008, so if anyone notices any mistakes please correct me!) I am not exactly sure why I immediately correlate these unlike stories. Part of me wonders if Graham Greene and Thomas B. Costain were prompted by similar historical events, to write similar themes. Maybe Greene and Costain created stories that surround faith because of the effects Communism had on the world at that time. Regardless, each story involves the epic journey of the main character. Society labels the Whiskey priest and Basil (sculptor and former slave) sinners, because the priest and Basil’s flaws are easily recognized. Yet both are given the responsibility to carry chalices, symbols of the Catholic faith.

      The Whiskey priest carts one of the only chalices left in Mexico, allowing him to secretly say mass. And Basil carries the cup or the Holy Grail, one of the last objects that represent Jesus existence. I think the Whiskey Priest and Basil are more than worthy of carrying such responsibilities because they utilize the grace that is associated with the objects. On the outside both characters appear to be undeserving, but in reality these characters are more humble than those who surround them. Both character's are put under a large amount of pressure and gracefully accomplish their responsibilities.