Monstrance

I want to know how often the Holy Eucharist is replaced in the receptacle that holds It, and what they do with It when it is replaced.  I still do not know but I was told that the receptacle that holds the Holy Eucharist is called monstrance, derived from the Latin word monstrare which means "to show" [1].  It is also called ostensorium, derived from the Latin word ostendere which also means "to show" [2].

The monstrances or ostensoria I have seen look ostentatious.  In my opinion, they take away attention from the Holy Eucharist, the humble Body of Christ.  Dissatisfied with the gaudy designs that demonstrate the richness of the container, I decided to do an image search on Google and found one that I like (see above) [3].  It is not the most basic of monstrances nor is it the most glittery.  It seems to strike a balance between the purity of the sacred Host it contains and man's attempt to capture the glory of Christ in Heaven with imagination, talent, and gold.



[1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/monstrance?s=t
[2] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ostensorium?s=t
[3] "Monstrance manufactured in France in the first half of the twentieth century. Immaculée-Conception de Bellerive Church.
Photo : Sébastien Daviau, Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, 2011."  See http://www.frh-europe.org/category/features/page/2/ (need to scroll down to see the image copied above).