Healing Hearts & Marriages by Being a Living Monstrance

“Our sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ leads to no other end than that of transforming us into that which we receive” (Pope St. Leo the Great).

Recently, after receiving the sacred mystery of the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, I knelt in silent thanks for such a magnificent gift. I then meditated upon a truth often mentioned in Hope’s Garden:

We are living monstrances.

To be a living monstrance is a grave and glorious responsibility. It means that I’m united with my Divine
Bridegroom, united within the wedding chamber of my soul: “The innermost chamber of the human soul is the
Trinity’s favorite place to be, His heavenly throne on earth” (Edith Stein).

“The King has brought me into his chambers … how right it is to love You”   (Song of Songs 1:4).

I try to remind myself of the beauty of this grace, the enormity of this responsibility, when I leave the church building after every Mass—taking my Divine Bridegroom with me. As I go about my day, interact with others, say things, do things, or don’t do things, all must be in conformity to Christ, for He is inside me.

“You are what you eat” isn’t just a trite saying—it’s a Eucharistic vow.

Yet on this particular day, as I meditated upon this truth, my heart realized something else: just as Christ dwells
in me through the Eucharist, so too does He dwell in my husband.

As I continued my meditation I could feel my husband’s presence next to me; not merely his shoulder physically brushing against mine as we knelt in prayer, but his spirit united to mine—in Christ. Our marriage hasn’t been easy, to put it mildly. In fact, it’s often been excruciating—a weary journey resulting in immense pain and heartbreak. There have been many times when I haven’t been able to see Christ in my husband. Only through the grace of God, through opening hearts to the healing fragrance of Jesus, have we been able to make repairs. Even so, the healing journey isn’t easy, and there are still many times when I forget that he, too, is now worthily receiving Christ in the Eucharist. He, too, is now a living monstrance.

Christ lives in my husband just as He lives in me.

My husband is the earthly bridegroom given to me to reflect the love of our Divine Bridegroom, the One who loves with an eternally selfless love. This is what St. Paul describes to the Ephesians: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies” (Eph. 5:25-27).

What does it mean for my husband and I to be living monstrances, especially in this present time of marital repair and renewal? It means that in all things—in each release of painful memory and act of soul-felt forgiveness, in every disagreement and frustration—I must remember who I’m talking to.

I’m in a relationship with another living monstrance.

Christ is in me, Christ is in my husband, Christ is the newly-built foundation of our reconsecrated marriage, just
as He is with all faithfully Catholic couples. This means that in times of conflict, we must remain firm on that Foundational Rock of our marriage. Christ is our center, dwelling between and within us, informing every aspect of our marital bond. As Bishop Fulton Sheen states in Three to Get Married:

“The husband or wife who has never climbed to the love of Christ has never fully understood the mystery of a spouse … It takes three to make love. What binds lover and beloved together on earth is an ideal outside both… If we would seek out the mystery of why love has a triune character and implies lover, beloved, and Love, we must mount to God Himself.”

I realize not all marriages can reach this level. It takes two willing partners to seek the love of the Third—to set Christ as the foundation, above and beyond all else. If both partners aren’t equally willing to be a true sacrifice for the other, to be mutually self-giving and an authentic spouse, then the unwilling partner is preventing a Christ-centered marriage from taking place. Sadly, this is all too common in marriages. That’s why, during the month of October, Laura and I are again to share our annual Rosary campaign. Will you help us spread the word?

October is the month of the Holy Rosary, Respect for Life and Domestic Violence Awareness. Hope’s Garden has created free shareable resources for individuals and parishes, as well as postcards that we’re offering at our cost.

https://hopesgarden.com/october-domestic-violence-awareness/
https://hopesgarden.com/product/october-rosary-campaign-card/

May Jesus and Mary heal hearts, marriages, and families.

Jenny duBay – Copyright 2024