Major Rogation, 25 April; Minor Rogation, the three days before Ascension - days of fast

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

"Rogation" comes from the Latin "rogare," which means "to ask," and "Rogation Days" are days during which we seek to ask God's mercy, appease His anger, avert His chastisements manifest through natural disasters, and ask for His blessings, particularly with regard to farming, gardening, and other agricultural pursuits.

They are set aside to remind us how radically dependent we are on mother Earth, and how prayer can help protect us from nature's often cruel ways.  ..."  -- 

" ... beseeching God and His Saints to protect us from disaster, and doing penance so He does not see us as His enemies are what Rogation Days are about.

These days are divided between the Major Rogation -- 25 April (by coincidence alone, the Feast of St. Mark) -- and the Minor Rogation, which consists of the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Ascension Thursday. 

The Major Rogation is of Roman origin, instituted by Pope St. Gregory the Great (b. 540) after a great plague besieged Rome. The Golden Legend, written by Jacobus de Voragine in 1275 explains:

For as the Romans had in the Lent lived soberly and in continence, and after at Easter had received their Saviour. After, they disordered them in eating, in drinking, in plays and in lechery. And therefore our Lord was moved against them, and sent to them a great pestilence, which was called the botche of impedimy.  ... " --

" The Minor Rogation Days are of French origin, coming about in the 5th c., when St. Mamertus, Bishop of Vienne, Dauphiné instituted them after a series of natural calamities. According to the Golden Legend:

For then, at Vienne, were great earthquakes of which fell down many churches and many houses, and there was heard great sounds and great clamours by night. And then happed a terrible thing on Easter-day, for fire descended from heaven that burnt the king's palace. Yet happed more marvellous thing; for like as the fiends had entered into the hogs, right so by the sufferance of God for the sins of the people, the fiends entered into wolves and other wild beasts, which every one doubted, and they went not only by the ways ne by the fields, but also by the cities ran openly, and devoured the children and old men and women. And when the Bishop saw that every day happed such sorrowful adventures, he commanded and ordained that the people should fast three days; and he instituted the Litanies, and then the tribulation ceased.

Pope St. Leo III -- the Pope who crowned Charlemagne on Christmas Day of 800 -- introduced these days of penance into Rome in 816, the year of his death, after which they became standard throughout the Roman Church. ..."  -- 

Source: https://fisheaters.com/customseastertide3.html

Minor Rogation:

Prayers

1. Psalm 43:26 --"Arise, O Lord, help us and redeem us for Thy name's sake" .

2. Litany of the Saints,

http://op54rosary.ning.com/profiles/blogs/litany-of-the-saints
including Psalm 69, and 

a series of petitions.

3. The Mass, with readings from

James 5:16-20 

[16] Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.[17] Elias was a man passible like unto us: and with prayer he prayed that it might not rain upon the earth, and it rained not for three years and six months. [18] And he prayed again: and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. [19] My brethren, if any of you err from the truth, and one convert him: [20] He must know that he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way, shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins. 
[James 5:16-20]

http://www.drbo.org/cgi-bin/s?q=James+5%3A16-20&b=drl,

and

Luke 11:5-14 

[5] And he said to them: Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and shall say to him: Friend, lend me three loaves, [6] Because a friend of mine is come off his journey to me, and I have not what to set before him. [7] And he from within should answer, and say: Trouble me not, the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. [8] Yet if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend; yet, because of his importunity, he will rise, and give him as many as he needeth. [9] And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you.

[10] For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. [11] And which of you, if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone? or a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? [12] Or if he shall ask an egg, will he reach him a scorpion? [13] If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask him?[14] And he was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb: and when he had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke: and the multitudes were in admiration at it: 
[Luke 11:5-14]

http://www.drbo.org/cgi-bin/s?q=Luke+11%3A5-14&b=drl&t=0 .)

4. Prayer for God's blessing of farmers' fields so that they yield a bountiful harvest, etc.

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/v...

6. Additional personal prayers/ Salve Regina http://op54rosary.ning.com/video/gregorian-chantsalve-regina

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Amen.

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Blessing of a Farm

This prayer may be used to ask God's blessing on the entire farm together with its buildings and lands, or it may be used for the farmhouse only.

"Bless, O Lord, Almighty God, this house (or, this farm); may health and purity, goodness and meekness, and every virtue reign here. May all those who dwell here be filled with faithfulness to Thy laws and with thanksgiving to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. May this blessing remain on this house (or, this farm) and all who dwell here. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen."

Blessing of a Stable

In this as in all other blessings the reader will notice how the Church always relates these common things to the mysteries of our Faith, like the birth of the Savior in a stable; in all her prayers the Church never forgets the dominant or main purpose of Christian life--the use of these temporal creatures in such a way as to lead the user to everlasting life in heaven.

"O Lord God Almighty, Who didst will that Thy only-begotten Son our Lord, be born in a stable, and lie in a manger between two animals, bless this stable, we pray, and guard it from the spite and deceit of the devil. Make it a safe shelter for horses, cattle, and other animals. And as the ox knows his master and the ass the manger of his lord, so grant that They servants, who are made to Thy image and closely resemble the angels, and to whom Thou hast subjected all the sheep, and the oxen and the cattle of the pastures, be not like unto senses beasts in whom there is no understanding. But let them acknowledge Thee alone as God and the Author of all good. May they faithfully persevere in Thy service, show Thee gratitude for favors received, and thus merit greater benefits in the future. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen."

Blessing of Draft Animals

The animals indirectly praise God by helping men to reach their final goal, and for that reason the Church blesses horses and other draft animals. In her prayer the Church calls on Saint Anthony the hermit (not the finder of lost things) who from early times was called the patron saint of farmers and animal breeders:

"O God, our refuge and our strength, give ear to the entreaties of the Church, Thou source of mercy, and grant that what we ask with faith, we may receive in fact.

Almighty, everlasting God, Who didst assist St. Anthony to emerge unscathed from the many temptations of this world, grant thy servants to progress in virtue by his illustrious example; and by his merits and intercession, free us from the ever-present dangers of life.

Let these animals receive Thy blessing, O Lord, to the benefit of their being, and by the intercession of St. Anthony, deliver them from all harm. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."

The Blessing of Bees

In her blessing of the bees Holy Mother Church thinks not so much of the food of honey as she does of the precious wax out of which are made the candles for Mass. Reading this prayer we see with the eyes of the Church how the tiny bees also glorify God by their industry.

"O Lord, God almighty, who hast created heaven and earth! Thou didst create all living things for man's use. Moreover, Thou didst order by the ministry of Thy Church that candles made from the industry of bees shall burn during the Sacred Mystery in which we consecrate and consume the most holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ Thy Son. Send Thy holy blessing upon these bees and this beehive to make them numerous and productive, and to preserve them from harm, so that their yield of wax can be turned to Thy honor, and to the honor of Thy Son and Holy Spirit and to the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen."

Blessing of Seed

"We fervently entreat Thee, O Lord, to bless these seeds, preserve and foster them with gentle breezes, fertilize them with heavenly dew, and deign to bring them to a full harvest for the use of body and soul. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."

Blessing of Young Crops

"We appeal to Thy graciousness, O Almighty God, that Thou wouldst shower Thy blessings upon these first fruits of creation, which Thou has nurtured with favorable weather, and mayest bring them to a fine harvest. Grant also to Thy people a sense of constant gratitude for Thy gifts, so that the hungry may find rich nourishment in the fruits of the earth, and the needy and the poor may praise Thy wondrous name. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."

Blessing of a Granary

So concerned is the Church for the farmer's welfare that even after he has his harvest of grain under roof the Church does not forget him. The harvested grain and the stored fruit need God's blessing.

"O Lord, Almighty God, Who does not desist from pouring out upon men a superabundance of heavenly dew and the substance of the earth's richness, we render thanksgiving to Thy most loving Majesty for all Thy gifts. We continue to beseech Thy clemency, that Thou wouldst deign to bless, preserve, and defend from every injury this harvest. Grant, likewise, that having had our desire for earthly needs filled, we may bask under Thy protection, praise Thy goodness and mercy without ceasing, and make use of temporal goods in such a way as to not to lose eternal goods.Amen."

These are only a few of the blessings which the Church uses for the welfare of the farmer. Her ritual is filled with sacramental blessings for houses and fields, for barns and shops, for animals and tools and engines, and for almost everything that men use make their living on earth. To every country pastor and farm family, we recommend two books which contain in English the sacramental prayers and rites by which we beg God's blessing on the rural home and farm. The first booklet is called With The Blessing of the Church by Bishop Joseph Schlarman of Peoria. It is published by The National Catholic Rural Life Conference. The larger book which we have quoted from is a fine translation of The Roman Ritual--The Blessings, published by Bruce Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The translation was made by Reverend Phillip Weller. This last book should be in the library of every rural pastor.

Activity Source: Family Sacramentals by Walter Sullivan, O.S.B., Grail Publications, 1952

(Link the same as the above post).

Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Amen. 

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Amen. 

Salve Regina ...

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Minor Rogation for the Church's Spring.

Amen.

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Welcome, Mrs. Holtschlag.   

[Mrs Mary Jo Holtschlag]

Thank you--been asking about these days and finally heard the whole story--thank you

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Lord, save us from all evil and harm.

Kyrie eleison!

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

With all my love I offered the Procession, Litany of the Saints, Holy Mass, etc. yesterday for all Crusaders and our families,  for all members of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary of St. Dominic and all faithful, esp. for protection from all calamities and from all harm of soul and body, for perseverance esp. amidst tribulations, for a bountiful harvest and for full assistance in our daily necessities, temporal and spiritual.

Praised be Our Lord Jesus Christ now and forever. Amen.

Amen.