A Lenten Reflection

By Harry Merchant, Billings

As the season of lent approached, I was reflecting on one the Traditions be have at St. Bernard Parish. On Friday evenings we celebrate the Stations of the Cross, followed by Benediction and a soup supper. The Monstrance, that beautiful vessel used to display Christ present in the Consecrated Host, is placed on the altar. It draws our attention and most people bow or genuflect with reverence when the Monstrance is used.

As I was thinking about the reverence shown toward the Consecrated Host, displayed in the Monstrance, my thoughts suddenly went in a whole different direction. I began reflecting on the function of the Monstrance. As beautiful as it may be, its value comes from the reality that it displays, Christ present under the form of bread.

It struck me that each time you and I receive Christ in the Eucharist at Mass, we become a living Monstrance. We accept the responsibility of being a living display of Christ for our world today. As we leave church, we are sent to make Christ visible to those around us. Each person leaving with us is as special as that Monstrance displaying Christ on the altar. But I wonder. Do we show the same reverence toward one another that we show toward the Monstrance displaying Christ? Do our actions tell our families and those who see us that we are Christ bearers? Do we sense the sacredness of the gift we carry? Does the stranger who sees us realize the gift of love that we received, digested, and that has now become a part of who we are?

Though we care for the Monstrance, it can gather dust, become tarnished, get bumped and even dented. It needs to be maintained, cared for, and sometimes refurbished. Our human Monstrance is no different, which brings me back to the season of Lent.

For those of us who celebrate Lent, it is the season to perform any maintenance needed on our personal Monstrance. Sometimes we only need a dusting. At other times there are serious dents to be repaired. Whatever our need, Lent gives us a time to make personal adjustments in our lives so that the gift we carry becomes more obvious to those who witness our daily lives.

Since Scripture tells us that God is Love, it is important to remember that it is by the love we bring to others that we make God visibly present. The season of Lent reminds us to refocus on removing from our lives those things that keep us from loving ourselves, and from loving our neighbor as he or she deserves.