The 40 hours in the term 40-hour devotion refer to the number of hours that the faithful believe Jesus was absent from the world. The period of time from his death on Good Friday at around 3 p.m. to his Resurrection on Easter morning at about 7 a.m. is 40 hours.

What is the 40 hour devotion in the Catholic Church?

Forty Hours' Devotion, in Italian called Quarant'ore or written in one word Quarantore, is a Roman Catholic exercise of devotion in which continuous prayer is made for forty hours before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition.

What is monstrance used for?

monstrance, also called ostensorium, in the Roman Catholic church and some other churches, a vessel in which the eucharistic host is carried in processions and is exposed during certain devotional ceremonies.