The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14 heralded the first of the Aquinas Institute’s two yearly Eucharistic processions across campus.
Students, faculty, and tourists alike received the blessing of Jesus in the Eucharist before being sent back out to live as His witnesses — in dorms, dining halls, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and in the friendships that shape campus life.
Fr. Zack spoke in his homily about the significance of the procession for Princeton’s campus:
“At Princeton, there’s a lot of pressure to look like you have it all together. But beneath the polished résumés and full calendars, there’s also suffering—failure, loneliness, anxiety, uncertainty about the future. The temptation is to hide it or numb it. The Cross shows another way.
“Your sin. Your shame. Your fears about the future. Your wounds from the past. Those aren’t places God avoids. They’re exactly the places where He wants to meet you—on the Cross—so He can take what has hurt you and transform it into the place of your healing, the place where you can encounter Christ and his merciful love.
“But,” he noted, “our purpose is not triumphalist. The procession is not a parade of the already-convinced. It is an invitation—an act of love. We carry Christ physically through campus so that every student, Catholic or not, may encounter the One who loves them most. We want every person to know they are loved by Jesus and by His Body, the Church.
“When we reach Nassau lawn, there will be a holy stillness. Students will kneel on the grass. I will ascend the steps of Nassau Hall and lift Jesus high. The sun will catch the gold of the monstrance, but the true Light will be the Lord Himself blessing His people. Through His blessing, our campus receives the healing of His Cross—and hope is renewed.”
You can access the full homily on fatherzack.com or on the Aquinas Institute podcast (Spotify, Apple).
