Today we celebrate the great feast of Our
Lord Jesus Christ the King. It signals the culmination of the
liturgical year: the season of Advent begins next week! Although the
title conjures pictures of royalty and sovereign wealth and power, we
know a different Lord: a compassionate shepherd who wore a crown of
thorns and died powerlessly on a cross.
A Gospel Procession is a larger expression of our reverence for the sacred scriptures. Accompanied by incense and
candles the Book of Gospels is processed throughout the assembly. A
visual prominence is bestowed upon the book which we believe contains
the living words of our Lord. That presence is also in each of us, the
gathered assembly. Just as Jesus
walked among his people, today the Gospel Book is walked among us,
proffering us each a chance to take ownership over the book, the
message and the mission contained within it. (November 20, 2005)