Processions of Holy Week . . .

 

We are all familiar with public gatherings such as parades, marches, protests, demonstrations, rituals, and rallies. However, the Scriptures for this Holy Week invite us to observe, reflect upon, and actively participate in processions. Today, two Gospel readings guide us: one describes Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, and the other recounts the profound story of his passion and death as he journeys to Golgotha.

As Lent began on Ash Wednesday, we processed to receive ashes, a visible sign of our willingness to embark on a conversion of heart and listen more deeply to the Good News, both within ourselves and in the world around us. During Holy Thursday, we take part in the procession for foot washing and in moving the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose.

On Good Friday, we process with the cross, recalling Jesus’ journey to the hill outside Jerusalem. At the Easter Vigil, we participate in the procession with the new Easter Fire, carrying the Easter Candle and placing it among us as we sing our Alleluias.

Every liturgical celebration is rich with processions: the entrance procession, the Gospel procession, the offertory procession, the procession to receive the Eucharist, and even our own coming and going are marked by processions. We encounter many types of processions throughout our lives, prompting us to question their deeper meaning.

Processions are more than a method for moving people in an orderly fashion. They serve as ritual expressions of our identity and purpose. We are people of faith, traveling through life’s journey—an experience that is not a rehearsal, but the real thing.

This week, let us contemplate the processions that mark our personal milestones: Baptism, the reception of Sacraments, graduation, Jubilee, or Wedding processions, and even our eventual funeral procession. We might also reflect on the daily processions we make in our lives—standing in line for bottled water, driving to receive food at a distribution center, or waiting for a vaccine at the pharmacy. 

Praying for Openness

Let us ask the Spirit for insight, guidance, wisdom, forgiveness, and hope as we pray this week:

• for an open mind to understand the depths of our journey of faith,
• for an open heart to embrace the joyful and sorrowful mysteries of our personal and collective faith journey,
• for an open spirit to welcome, receive, and listen to the flow of life, so we may offer our “yes” to what is continuously unfolding for us as we journey in faith, celebrating both joyful and sorrowful mysteries. 
• Let us give the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love, and the future to God’s providence!