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Monstrance for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: 'mɑnstrəns

What does Monstrance really mean?

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Hey there! So, you're curious about the word "Monstrance," right? Well, let me break it down for you in the simplest way possible. Imagine you have a special box. This box is made of shiny gold or silver and is usually decorated with intricate designs. It has a clear glass enclosure where something precious and sacred is displayed. Kind of like a treasure chest meets a display case, don’t you think?

This special box is called a "Monstrance." It is commonly used in the Catholic Church during a religious ceremony called Eucharistic adoration. Adoration refers to the act of giving honor and respect to something or someone holy. And the Monstrance plays a crucial role in this act of adoration.

Now, let's dig a little deeper into the meaning of "Monstrance". Apart from being a physical object, it also holds a symbolic significance. See, in the Catholic faith, believers consider the Eucharist, which is the sacrament of the Holy Communion, to be the body and blood of Jesus Christ. They believe that the bread and wine used in this sacrament are transformed into the actual body and blood of Christ.

So, this is where the Monstrance comes into play. It acts as a vessel, a sacred container, to hold a consecrated Eucharistic wafer or a consecrated Eucharistic host. These wafers or hosts are believed to be Jesus' body, given by him during the Last Supper.

During Eucharistic adoration, the Monstrance is placed on an altar, exposed to the worshippers. It allows believers to gaze upon and venerate the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. They offer prayers, sing hymns, and even have moments of silence to reflect on their relationship with God.

So, to sum it all up, a "Monstrance" is a special box or container, usually made of shiny gold or silver, that holds a precious and sacred object. It is used in the Catholic Church during Eucharistic adoration to display and give reverence to the consecrated Eucharist, which is believed to be the body and blood of Jesus Christ.


Revised and Fact checked by Michael Rodriguez on 2023-10-28 11:32:33

Monstrance In a sentece

Learn how to use Monstrance inside a sentece

  • A monstrance is a special container that holds a round piece of bread called the 'host' during Catholic religious ceremonies, like Mass.
  • You may see a monstrance being used during Eucharistic Adoration, where people pray and worship the bread that represents Jesus.
  • In a church, the priest might place the monstrance on the altar for everyone to see and adore during a special prayer time.
  • During a procession, the monstrance is sometimes carried by the priest or an altar server, so that people can see and worship the holy bread as it is being moved around.
  • If you ever visit a Catholic church during a special ceremony, you might see a golden and shiny monstrance displayed, which is considered very important to the believers.

Monstrance Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

demonstration ostensorium

Monstrance Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

proof vessel

Monstrance Category

The domain category to which the original word belongs.

church of rome roman catholic roman catholic church roman church western church