“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.
He's God. He can do anything. He can conceal His Glory if He so chooses. And He does in the Blessed Sacrament.
"No the monstronce is there to make the host look like it is glorious. It is a demonstration that there is no actual glory."
If the Blessed Sacrament were put in a plain, circular case, people walking in would have less chance of being aware that He was exposed, and may not behave with the extra-ordinary reverence that Jesus deserves when placed on the altar to be publicly adored. Lying flat on a white altar cloth, he might not even be seen.
"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."
Jesus was sitting at the table when He initiated the Sacrament, and thus had no need of a monstrance. There is a difference in texture between unleavened bread, a matsoh cracker, and an unconsecrated Communion wafer, which is thin and pressed out so that it may be easily consumed. The unconsecrated hosts are more fragile than the other two. Each particle of a Consecrated Host, is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ in all His Fullness. A breeze in the church may cause a Host to fall from the Ciborium- which is why it is covered. Jesus, in the monstrance, is both upright and thus easily visible, as well as protected. Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified; that does not mean that we should be careless with His vulnerable Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
"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."
I don't know you or your family, or why you opted to leave, but I can say that for me, it's been a lifelong journey, and my faith in what God teaches through His Church, has grown throughout my life with experience, learning and years. For me, this is the Truth, rather than self-interpretation. Some of it's on my homepage, if you're curious...
Peace be with you!