Eucharistic Procession and the Virtues of the Jubilee Year Pilgrims of Hope - 2025

Eucharistic Procession and the Virtues of the Jubilee Year

Pilgrims of Hope - 2025

Eucharistic procession was instituted in the thirteenth century in honour of the Blessed Sacrament on the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. The procession celebrates the consecrated host (the Eucharist) that is carried through the streets or within church grounds, typically displayed in a monstrance for public veneration. It serves as both public worship and evangelization. It is a journey of faith to celebrate and express with passion and devotion the presence of Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist, in the Church and the world. It is the sacrament of faith, forgiveness, reconciliation, freedom, mercy, love/charity, and hope. This year we shall celebrate at each of the seven stops of the procession one of these virtues that reflect the seven related virtues of the Jubilee year, the pilgrims of hope.

 

 Stop 1:                        The Virtue of Faith 

Eucharistic procession presupposes that supernatural gift of God that enables us to believe without doubting what God has revealed, called Faith. Participants publicly witness their faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and his abiding presence in the world.  The act of following the Blessed Sacrament through the streets and neighborhoods represents the believer's journey of faith, walking literally and sacramentally with Christ. This physical following mirrors the spiritual reality of faith as a journey toward God.

The procession challenges participants to move beyond the familiar confines of church walls, carrying their faith into the secular world. This public demonstration requires courage and conviction, as believers openly identify themselves with their religious commitments in increasingly pluralistic societies. The visual nature of the procession, with its banners, flowers, incense, and music, etc, engages multiple senses and strengthens faith through embodied worship rather than purely intellectual assent. When believers publicly demonstrate their conviction about Christ's real presence, they encourage one another and provide testimony to observers. The visual nature of procession makes the invisible reality of faith tangible for children and adults seeking to understand the Catholic faith better.

 

Stop 2:                         The Virtue of Forgiveness

Forgiveness among the catholic virtues is synonymous with pardon.  The verb to forgive points to the virtue of a value that is given beforehand. Pardon or forgiveness underscores God’s attitude towards mercy and reconciliation, where he takes the initiative, grants mercy and reconciliation even beforehand and that is what makes it gracious and gratuitous challenging us to do likewise as his followers today. 

The communal nature of processions facilitates forgiveness and healing between individuals and groups who might otherwise avoid each other. Walking together in reverence creates a sacred space where personal grievances are diminished against the larger reality of divine love. The rhythm of procession: stopping, praying, moving forward, mirrors the process of forgiveness itself: pausing to acknowledge hurt, seeking grace through prayer, and choosing to move forward together. This embodied metaphor can be particularly powerful for those struggling with the practical aspects of forgiving others or accepting forgiveness themselves.

 

Stop 3:                         The Virtue of Reconciliation

 

Reconciliation means bringing back friendship or harmony.  Eucharistic procession uniquely fosters reconciliation by creating shared sacred experiences that transcend typical social divisions. When people of different economic backgrounds, political views, or personal histories walk together following the same Lord, artificial barriers begin to crumble. The procession becomes a living symbol of the reconciliation that Christ desires for his people and the world.

The inclusive nature of the procession, welcoming all who wish to participate regardless of their spiritual state or social status, models the radical hospitality and reconciliation of the Gospel. This openness serves as a bridge for those alienated from the Church, offering a low threshold opportunity for re-engagement without the pressure of formal sacramental participation.

To be continued….