Monstrance

UNDATED

A monstrance or ostensorium is a highly decorated liturgical vessel used to hold an object of piety, such as the consecrated Eucharistic host.

Reliquaries are similar, but refer specifically to objects designed to house the bones of saints, fragments of the true cross etc.

When visiting the museums attached to cathedrals or monasteries I have frequently found myself drawn to these fantastic and frequently grotesque creations.

On a walk midwinter walk in the woods I took a photo of bare trees framing a silver sky. It reminded me how living things hold the spark of life intact throughout the cold winter months. I incorporated the image into this picture.

It represents something precious (hope, perhaps) encased within a thick, protective glassy shell and waiting for Spring.