A Host is delicate and fragile. He, that is, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, requires something to safely hold Him. Does He not then deserve the best we are capable of giving Him? We adore Him, not the monstrance! Not all monstrances come off an assembly line, either. Some are fashioned by the world's finest craftsmen- a labor of love. The Host needs something to protect Him. What would you suggest? Do you not believe in the Real Presence? If you don't, then why does it matter to you how we honor Jesus? If you don't believe, then you don't know how much Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament can mean to a true Catholic. When He is exposed and placed in that monstrance, it is a sign for us to kneel and adore Him, not the vessel in which He is contained and protected.
“A Host is delicate and fragile. He, that is, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, requires something to safely hold Him.”
It ain’t He. If It were He, you’d be blinded by His glory.
“Does He not then deserve the best we are capable of giving Him? We adore Him, not the monstrance!”
No the monstronce is there to make the host look like it is glorious. It is a demonstration that there is no actual glory.
“The Host needs something to protect Him. What would you suggest?”
Since you are asking for suggestions, I suggest you look to the actions of Christ, who picked up common unleavened bread at the Passover meal and broke it. It symbolized His body being broken. He wasn’t worried about protecting His body. He was purposefully breaking it in order to demonstrate His sacrifice to come. Did He use a monstronce? No. Did He worry that matzo is fragile? No.
“Do you not believe in the Real Presence?”
I believe there is a real spiritual presence in the Lord’s Supper that believers share as commanded.
“If you don’t, then why does it matter to you how we honor Jesus?”
This is a discussion thread and not a caucus thread. I am discussing this thread as a Christian. I am not discussing your personal practice or belief or feelings. Please don’t mistake a conversation about Truth with your practice or feelings about your practice. If that is a concern, there are caucus threads where members of your denomination can share valued beliefs with each other.
“If you don’t believe, then you don’t know how much Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament can mean to a true Catholic.”
As a former catholic - and alter boy, I believe I do understand. As someone with family members I love who are catholic, I believe I do understand. Nor do I discount the depth of that feeling.
That is outside the scope of my comments.
best.