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]

Procession, Litany of the Saints, long version, Holy Mass, etc. on 25th April for all Crusaders and our families, esp. for protection from all calamities and from all harm of soul and body, for a bountiful harvest and for full assistance in our daily necessities, temporal and spiritual.