Processions are a common sight in most cultures and generally speaking, they vary in degrees of emotion. For instance, there are celebratory parades when a team wins the Super Bowl, World Series, etc. or when a returning army has defeated its foe. On the other hand we have stately funeral processions, which convey a deep sense of solemnity and reverence. There is usually a procession of graduates at a graduation, and a procession at the inauguration or visit of the President of the United States.
Religious processions are also quite common and seem to have been around forever. The Bible describes processions with the Ark of the Covenant (2nd Samuel 6; 1st Kings 8) as well as our Lord’s triumphal procession into the city of Holy Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Within the Liturgy itself there are a number of “processions,” such as the Little Entrance, Great Entrance, and at the reading of the Gospel.
On various feasts and sacred occasions there are processions outside and/or around the church’s temple itself, such as on Great & Holy Friday and Pascha. It is not uncommon for churches to process to a river or lake in order to bless water on Theophany or to go to a shrine or monument to hold a service.
Much like any parade, religious processions help to bring a sense of joy and unity to the People of God. Yet by their sacred nature, coupled with hymns and the sacred articles and objects bourn by participants, they prove to be an archetype of our own movement and journey towards the Kingdom of God.
