Come, Follow Me

What does it mean to follow Christ?

We are all called to be holy, but our journeys will look distinct from one another. In our uniqueness, no two people will travel the same road to the eternal life. Some will be asked to give up everything they know and love. Others will be asked to go out into the world and spread the Good News through their ordinary lives. Although our journeys will look different, we all will experience similar ups and downs along the way.

On the Feast of Corpus Christi my family and I had the opportunity to participate in a Eucharistic procession through downtown Petersburg. It was during this procession that I started to contemplate what it truly means to follow Jesus Christ. I came to the realization that this procession was symbolic of that journey.

The Lord said, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24).

It was a hot sunny day. The pace was surprisingly quick; an expression that the days are fast and life is short. During most of the procession I was in the back and could not see Jesus in the monstrance. This made me think of all the times I have had to follow by blind faith and pray that I am doing his will.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Other times, during the procession, my view was blocked by others. This reminded me of all the times I permitted people or things to come between God and me. All the times that I had put off praying. The days that I gave him my leftovers instead of the very best I had to offer.

As we continued through the downtown area, I watched those around me. I witnessed their physical struggles as we processed up and down the small hills and across the intersections. I watched as people stopped to help and offer words of encouragement while others scurried past. Parents were toting their young children as the elders looked on with love.

At one point the procession turned and I had a full frontal view of Jesus. The monstrance gleaming in the brilliant sunlight was truly a smile from God. This beautiful site reminded me of all the times that I had seen the Lord working in my life - my reversion, my husband's conversion, infertility, and in the ordinary and mundane.

We often think we can walk this journey by our own merits, but when the cross becomes too heavy to bear, we struggle to keep pace. It should be expected that at times we will fall, lag, and yes, be defeated. The Lord tells us to get up, dust off your sandals, and move on. He knows what it means to follow him. He knows it is not easy, but so long as we follow him, we are not alone.

By the end of the Eucharistic procession I had developed three blisters and was bringing up the rear with my daughter. Yes, I was one of the last to arrive back at the church, but there is nothing wrong with being last just as long as we continue to make forward progress. After all, the victory is not ours. Victory is his, who leads from the front, the one who calls us to follow him. He has already won the battle. We need only follow.