Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1500196
... They had so little to spare, but their desire to create a magnificent holding place for the Eucharist awoke in them radical generosity. Incredible." New encounters with Jesus in the Eucharist I n my early 20s, a friend invited me to the New Orleans Museum of Art to see an exhibit of Pope St. John Paul II's visit to New Orleans. After years of living with no faith and three years as an active Protestant, I had recently reconnected with my Catholic faith. I accepted the invitation with a bit of hesitancy as I still grappled with many questions and precon- ceived notions about Catholicism. I wandered through the halls with my audio tour guide companion and learned about the pope's visit. The exhibit was what I had expected it to be. The encasements were filled with priestly garments, chalices, pictures of the Holy Father, and other items recognizable to anyone raised Catholic. The experience was pleasant enough, but then I entered a new room and beheld an encased monstrance, taller than me and abso- lutely magnificent. The monstrance was gold and encrusted with jewels, with two silver angels on each side of the Eucharist's holding place. It was an heirloom fit for royalty, and it annoyed me. My first thought was, "This is out- rageous. Why does the Catholic Church always have to go over the top? Imagine how much money we could give away if we just toned this stuff down a bit." After I finished my thought, my audio kicked in. "This monstrance was created for the 1938 Eucharistic Congress of South Louisiana. In the year leading up to the congress, the Archdiocese of New Orleans sent letters to all the faithful of the South Louisiana region asking them to donate precious metals and jewels to create this Monstrance. Families around the Bayou region sent in gold, wedding rings and family jewelry. The artist melted the jewelry and created this monstrance to hold the Eucharist." My eyes filled with tears as my pride took a hit. This beautiful, extravagant monstrance was a gift from the lay folk of South Louisiana to their king, Jesus Christ. These men and women were not wealthy. They had just experienced WWI and were amid the Great Depression. They had so little to spare, but their desire to create a magnificent holding place for the Eucharist awoke in them radical generosity. Incredible. ⊲ 5 DENVER CATHOLIC | JUNE 2023