monstrare
Monstrance
MON-struns
The vessel, usually gold and shaped like a sunburst, in which a consecrated host is displayed for adoration and Benediction.
to show
A monstrance holds a single consecrated host behind glass so that it can be seen. It is used for exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, for Benediction and for Eucharistic processions such as Corpus Christi. The word comes from the Latin monstrare, “to show,” because its whole purpose is to show Christ, present in the Eucharist, to his people.
Sources checked 29 September 2026