The Church understands the Communion Procession, in fact every procession in liturgy, as a sign of the pilgrim Church, the body of those who believe in Christ, on their way to the Heavenly Jerusalem. All our lives, wewho believe in Christ, are moving in time toward that moment when we will be taken by death from this world and enter the joy of the Lord in the eternal Kingdom He has prepared for us.
Processions are not just the way to get people or ministers from here to there. They are themselves a ritual expression of who we are and what we are about. We are pilgrims on a journey. What are some of the processions at Mass? There is the entrance procession, the Gospel procession, the procession with the gifts, the Communion procession, and the ending procession. Each procession, if done well, enriches our prayer. What makes a good procession? As one liturgist puts it, "It is a matter of timing and grace." Each procession has its own character which intensifies the prayer of the entire assembly.
During the liturgical year, we are also involved in other processions - the procession of palms on Passion Sunday, the procession of the Holy Cross on Good Friday, the Corpus Christi procession. During sacremental liturgies, we move in procession, the procession to the font with those to be baptised, the wedding procession, the procession with the body at the funeral liturgy. The way we process or attentively participate visually in a procession helps direct our minds and hearts to God.
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