It’s a dogma of the Catholic Church that Jesus Christ – body, blood, soul, divinity – is really, truly, and substantially present in the Eucharist. This doctrine is based on Scripture and has been held by Christians from the earliest times.

One way that Catholics show their faith in Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist is with Eucharistic adoration, a practice in which the Eucharist is publicly displayed and venerated by the faithful.

[See also: 22 Beautiful Altars Worthy of the Sacrifice of the Mass]

[See also: 21 Mesmerizing Photos of the World’s Most Beautiful Churches]

The vessel with which the Eucharist is displayed is called a monstrance. Since it is used for displaying Jesus himself, monstrances are usually made especially beautiful.

Here are 15 examples of some particularly beautiful monstrances from around the world.

You can click on any image to enlarge it. Enjoy!

Monstrance of Arfe in Toledo Cathedral / Jeff Stvan, Flickr
Monstrance of Arfe in Toledo Cathedral / Jeff Stvan, Flickr
Jornal O Bom Católico / Flickr
Jornal O Bom Católico / Flickr
James Bradley / Flickr
James Bradley / Flickr
Mary H Goudie / Flickr
Mary H Goudie / Flickr
Manederequesens / Wikipedia
Manederequesens / Wikipedia
Manederequesens / Wikipedia
Manederequesens / Wikipedia
Victorcouto / Public Domain / Wikipedia
Victorcouto / Public Domain / Wikipedia
Yellow Lion / Public Domain / Wikipedia
Yellow Lion / Public Domain / Wikipedia
Manederequesens / Wikipedia
Manederequesens / Wikipedia
Radomil / Wikipedia
Radomil / Wikipedia
Lawrence OP / Flickr
Lawrence OP / Flickr
Kotomi_ / Flickr
Kotomi_ / Flickr
Sean Munson / Flickr
Sean Munson / Flickr
Lawrence OP / Flickr
Lawrence OP / Flickr
Chris / Flickr
Chris / Flickr
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