Do you know what a Monstrance is? It is a repository for
the Holy Eucharist. There are many designs but most are of
gold with a lot of glitter and starburst designs.
I went to the yearly Catholic Women’s Conference last
Saturday expecting to find humor, comraderie and
teachings which I did. I met some women whom I
already knew and made many new friends.
One of the women I met that day was my exhusband’s
exwife, that is quite the mouthful. We certainly have
much in common but we did not speak of it. That is
the past and we are both in the present and looking
forward to the future.
I met a former coworker whom I had not seen in years.
We had both worked for the Postal Service but in
separate buildings. She is retired now and when she
found out I wrote a book, The Wounded Chalice,
she insisted on purchasing it. That is the ultimate
compliment for an author.
Knowing that I could not partake of the lunch they
were offering, I have Celiac Disease so need to be
gluten-free, I had brought my own food. They all
had wonderful looking lunch boxes of sandwiches
with fruit and desert. I brought my staple, chicken
chunks with walnuts and cranberries which I love.
I finally got around to going into the chapel where
the Holy Eucharist was exposed for our benefit.
I went into this small room and went down the center
aisle. I had to forcibly prevent myself from swooning
into a Resting in the Spirit right there on the floor.
I was literally blown away by the energy emitting
from this Monstrance. As I said before, most
Monstrances were in a starburst circular pattern
and most ornate in their presentation.
It is 3 feet high, individually created of layered
wood with hand-carved features and carefully
painted shadows to reflect Mary’s humility.
Her hands gently encompass a luna where Jesus
is the focus of adoration. A small light shines
through the luna creating a soft illumination of the
Sacred Host. It is securely suspended over
Mary’s heart and is called Mother of the Holy
Eucharist.
I believe the reason I was blown away is because
of its simplicity. Words cannot do it justice and here
I am trying to pass on to you what I experienced.
In hindsight, had I known She was there, I would have
spent a lot more of my day there in the chapel.
It never entered my mind that Mary would be honored
in this way and yet, She was the first Monstrance.
Her womb held Jesus first but I never saw the womb from
this perspective. Mary’s body was the first Tabernacle!
Mary asked me to write my book, The Wounded Chalice,
specifically to help women understand the value of their womb
and the mission it is accomplishing. Without this organ, there
would be no future human race.
My book is also about the many ways I gave my power away
and the different ways I took my power back. When I had a
hysterectomy, I demanded that it be returned to me so I could
honor my children’s first home.
I had wanted to include a picture of this beautiful holder
of the Mother’s most precious gift to the world but so far
could not find it anywhere. I spent two hours searching the
web but no luck. I finally called the designer so I could
get more info to share with you.
The designer will be returning my call but as I did not
want to delay the delivery of this newsletter, I decided
not to wait but I will share the news as I get it.
Last Saturday was quite the day for reflection and
exposure to our powerful feminine models. After the
conference, I was invited to an evening with Swami
Nirmalananda (Rama, Founder of Svaroopa Yoga).
I have been going to Svaroopa Yoga for around
8 years but had never had the opportunity to meet her.
It was a full day and very pregnant with experiences.
Do you have any you would like to share?
If you want to find out more about my book and my
life experiences, go to my website, blog or email me:
http://www.TheWoundedChalice.com
http://www.TheWoundedChalice.com/blog
[email protected]