Convention Insider
New Monstrance on Display
by Brian Caulfield
Fourth Degree Knights stand guard before the Blessed Sacrament, exposed for adoration in a chapel at the 128th Supreme Convention in Washington, D.C. Daily Mass and adoration are a hallmark of the Knights’ annual meeting.
The adoration chapel each year has been a calm area amid the storm of convention activity. This year, the chapel has an added feature – a new tabernacle and monstrance attached atop with the Blessed Sacrament exposed for all to see. In past years the consecrated host was reposed within the tabernacle.
The chapel is staffed by Fourth Degree Knights from the D.C. area, who stand in pairs as an honor guard for the Blessed Sacrament, in 30-minute shifts.
The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is a sign of the Order’s devotion to the Catholic faith, with Jesus really present under the appearance of the bread of the host. It is also a reminder that all the meetings, planning and good works that take place during the convention must always be centered on the spiritual realities. That is the meaning of the Order’s motto: “In service to One. In service to all.” The “One” is God and the “all” are the neighbors in need.
The motive for charity begins in the love of God, which is alive as a Real Presence in the adoration chapel.