With the weather repeatedly switching, at a moment’s notice, neither sun nor rain could deter hundreds of celebrants at Thursday’s Corpus Christi procession in Port of Spain.
A music truck blasted songs of praise and worship as worshippers sang and prayed while the procession, led by Archbishop Jason Gordon, made its way through the capital city. One celebrant Ingrid McLean even described the rains as "showers of blessings."
The procession was preceded by a service at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Independence Square.
Gordon decided to forgo the usual homily (sermon) and in a departure from the norm instead he urged people to huddle into small groups and come up with questions about the celebration of the Eucharist.
Gordon then sent priests into the crowd to gather the questions before answering them all.
Asked by Newsday afterwards, about the break from tradition, Gordon said he had a homily prepared but God spoke to him and he decided to heed the Lord’s advice.
“When I was sitting before the blessed sacrament this morning, it's came to me to ask people what their questions are about the Eucharist to make sure we get to where people are at. I’m good with Him changing my homily. You know, I’m good with that,” Gordon said.
He said a particular question made him reflect on his own life.
"The question was, how does the Eucharist affect me? I thought a lot about it since then and the many times I've experienced Jesus in the Eucharist, in prayer before the blessed sacrament, during mass, and the ways that it has shaped my life," Gordon said.
He explained the importance of Corpus Christi to the Catholic faithful saying it celebrates the body and blood of Christ.
[caption id="attachment_1086813" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Bethlehem Girls RC Primary school students carry out the Corpus Christi tradition of throwing flower petals while leading their section of the procession through the streets of Port of Spain on Thursday. PHOTO BY ANGELO MARCELLE - Angelo Marcelle[/caption]
“This is really another part of the Holy Thursday celebration where Jesus instituted the Eucharist, giving his body and his blood as salvation for us. So this is the real presence of Jesus that we celebrate. This day we remember that every time we say mass anywhere in the world and anywhere in our nation, Jesus is truly, substantially present in the Eucharist.”
A large number of celebrants included families, something Gordon described as beautiful.
“It is through the family that we pass faith on… And when families have traditions, the faith gets passed on and it's lived and it's alive.”
Passing on traditions
A woman who identified herself as Avion told Newsday that attending the Corpus Christi celebrations has been a tradition passed down in her family from generation to generation.
Holding her nephew in her arms, she said it was important to carry on the tradition and mould the younger generations.
“It begins from small. You have to mould them like bonsai trees. How you mould them and how you be
