Thank you to everyone who was able to participate in our outdoor Corpus Christi/Eucharistic Procession last Sunday! It was a joy to see many of our First Holy Communicants with some of our recent Confirmandi participate at the front of the procession. It was good for us to publicly process and profess our faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.
St. John Paul II once said to the youth at World Youth Day in Denver, ‘Take Jesus into the world.’ We are called to do so every day through our joy, honesty, diligence, patience, courage, reverence, humility, love, etc. It is also good for us to take Jesus into the world in Eucharistic Processions. It is good for the faith of each of us. Should we not be happy to profess our faith in Jesus’ Real Presence publicly?!
Eucharistic Processions are also good for bystanders. I will never forget being told a story by a priest who was present at the Corpus Christi Procession in Rome when St. John Paul II was Pope. The priest was standing next to two young men. Based on the conversation of the two men, the priest gathered they were not too terribly focused on virtue and holiness. Then the Pope came by with the Eucharist – the Pope rode in the back of a white GMC pickup truck with the Holy Eucharist on a small altar in front of him. The Pope was completely focused on Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. It was as if no one else was around – though there were thousands! The two men had stopped talking. One then said to the other, “I really need to get back to church.”
For those who come from Catholic countries and cities you are accustomed to Eucharistic Processions that go for hours through towns. I am mindful of a priest friend outside of Sioux Falls, South Dakota who does a two-day Eucharistic Procession in his parish. On Corpus Christi many in the parish process with him carrying Jesus to a gazebo along the highway. Parishioners then take turns in overnight Adoration of Jesus at the little shrine. The following day Father processes with Jesus and many parishioners to the neighboring Catholic Church where Father is pastor as well. Each day is 4.5 miles of procession with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist!
God bless FRVW