Rogation Days This Week..&..Memorial Day in America for those Who Gave Their Lives at War - May We Pray For Them!

Greetings in Jesus and Mary......

​Today is Memorial Day. May we remember all those who have lost their lives at war. 

I had first posted info on the lost Rogation days tradition in 2020. With talks of food shortages and reports of bad weather and droughts; we need to bring this back. What is it??? 

Liturgies.net summarizes these forgotten elements of our Catholic heritage as follows:
Rogation Days are the four days set apart to bless the fields and invoke God’s mercy on all of creation. The 4 days are April 25, which is called the Major Rogation (and is only coincidentally the same day as the Feast of St. Mark); and the three days preceding Ascension Thursday, which are called the Minor Rogations. Traditionally, on these days, the congregation marches the boundaries of the parish, blessing every tree and stone, while chanting or reciting a Litany of Mercy, usually a Litany of the Saints.

This Thursday is Ascension Thursday so we begin Minor Rogation day TODAY. This is a perfect time to beg God to give us the necessary graces to make it through these trying times with prayer and fasting. May we keep all farmers around the world in prayer during these days. May we pray that good weather with the proper rain may come to the lands. May we pray that tornadoes, hail and harsh winds and heavy downpours do not damage the works of their hands. May God bless the land where food is grown.

 I am giving three links at the bottom for you  (1) some history and (2) a homily of this Catholic history gone by the wayside and (3) a document to print copies of the prayers to be done at home if you feel called to participate -which can be beautifully done in a procession.

 Below information is Taken from The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Rogation Days".

"Rogation days were days which were instituted to appease divine justice, ask for protection, and invoke God's blessing on the harvest. They are divided into the "major" and "minor" rogations, with the latter being the three days before Ascension Thursday -- and hence, this very Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. 

The Rogation Days are the 25th of April, called Major, and the three days before the feast of the Ascension, called Minor. The Major Rogation, which has no connection with the feast of St. Mark (fixed for this date much later) seems to be of very early date and to have been introduced to counteract the ancient Robigalia, on which the heathens held processions and supplications to their gods. St. Gregory the Great (d. 604) regulated the already existing custom. The Minor Rogations were introduced by St. Mamertus, Bishop of Vienne, and were afterwards ordered by the Fifth Council of Orléans, which was held in 511, and then approved by Leo III (795-816). "              

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!
St. Isidore, pray for us!

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History of Rogation days

Homily on Rogation Days

Prayers for Rogation Day