"Forty Hours"

Video of Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament

At our parish, we have decided to revive the custom of “40 Hours”, wherein the consecrated host ----we call it “Jesus”-----is placed in a stand on the altar (“exposed” for public viewing) for 40 hours. It is simply setting aside an amount of time and an inviting place for private prayer along with community worship.
We want to encourage in people a certain reverence for and closeness to God’s presence in our lives. I recall when I was growing up, churches were actually open most of the time, and people going by, either on errands or to and from work, would pop in for a short “visit’------ a few moments of quiet time, not so much to talk to the spirit as to listen to its whisperings in one’s heart.

It’s a different era now, but I feel we’ve forgotten how omni-present (and by that I mean always now) the Creator/Redeemer/Spirit is in our lives. I think it’s a good idea to remind ourselves of that, and I hope “40 Hours” will do that.
Under “SPIRITUAL BROWSING” on the left of this page is a link to “40 Hours at St. Nick’s” which will tell you more.

Also, here's a video on one of the most ornate "Monstrances" (the stand for the sacrament) that I 've ever seen ("La Custodia" of the Cathedral of Valencia Spain.)