Stewards of God's Creation
As the weather (finally) starts to warm, I am sure many of you are itching to get out into your gardens or even put a single plant out on the back porch. It can be a very rewarding experience to steward and care for crops, flowers, or other types of plants. Our Lord has created the world and made man to have dominion over all the plants and animals that occupy it. With this gift of course comes the responsibility to be good stewards of the earth: “In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labor, and enjoy their fruits.”[1]
To be good stewards of God’s creation, it is wise to seek God’s assistance in prayer that supports our stewardship. As is often the case, the Catholic Church has some special prayers, and even liturgical celebrations, that can offer us a direct method of invoking God’s blessing upon our fields, both great and small!
Rogation Days
Rogation Days is a traditional observance of the Catholic Church to invoke God’s blessing upon the work of our hands. The name comes from a Greek word, “rogare,” which means, “to ask.” These days are observed with prayer, penance, and supplication to God for mercy, in addition to special prayers to protect us from disasters, and give abundant blessing to our labor in the fields. There are even special processions in some places that do a larger, formal observance of these days leading up to Ascension Thursday. As such, this year, Rogation Days are May 11-13, Monday-Wednesday.
This practice goes all the way back to the end of the 5th century, involving multiple days of fasting, penance, and processions involving a litany of saints. According to the record of St. Caesarius of Arles, these processions could even last as long as 6 hours![2] We also have references to the great Emperor Charlemgane, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, and St. Charles Borromeo participating in these processions, walking barefoot with the poorest of the poor and fasting with the people.
In some cases, perhaps the Rogation Days would conclude with a traditional ‘Rogation Mass,’ which involved purple vestments and a general penitential air over the texts and prayers of the Mass. While being subdued from the typical Easter joy characteristic of this season, the affirmation of asking God for help, and being assured of his willingness to hear us and answer us, is a common theme of this liturgy.
Sr. Esther Mary Nickel, a Religious Sister of Mercy based in Michigan, sums up the rationale behind a procession that culminates in a Mass:
“The theology of the ritual of processions finds some basis in the Letter to the Hebrews: “We but pass over the earth, ‘for we have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come’ (Heb. xiii.14).” We recall that we are pilgrims, walking together in humility and charity and—as the usual invitation of the deacon “Procedamus in pace” reminds us—peace. A procession that culminates in the celebration of the Mass realizes the fulfillment of our hope through the enduring presence of the Lord in the Eucharist and recalls that he is always with us on our life’s journey.”[3]
This blessed assurance from the Lord that he hears and answers our prayers becomes a natural starting point for making intentional prayer during the planting season. In the same way that the practice of a penitential procession can ‘till the soil’ of our hearts to make way for the love of Christ to grow, so too can the physical soil be tilled to make way for the harvest of God’s abundant blessings. We invoke God’s blessing upon the earth and our hard work, that it may yield a fruitful harvest.
While we aren’t doing a barefoot 6-hour pilgrimage around Fargo (at least… not this year!) There are some great ways for us to get involved and participate in Rogation Days. One of the easiest ways to do this, is to participate in fasting & abstinence for the whole of the 3 days. Perhaps this changes the rhythm of your week to such an extent that instead of going out for lunch or dinner, you could spend some extra time in prayer, especially in the adoration chapel! We have perpetual adoration from Monday-Thursday (reposition before 7am Friday Mass) and you are most welcome to come and pray in the presence of our Lord!
Rogation Days is also a fitting opportunity to have a blessing of your home garden (of any size!) from one of our parish priests or deacons. As part of the traditional observance of Rogation Days, it is a fitting time to have a blessing over your land. Whether that be acres of wheat, or a small garden bed in your backyard, this is ‘prime time’ for a blessing! If you are interested in having a priest or deacon visit to give this special blessing, reach out to us in the office at (701)-235-5757, or fill out our website contact form and we can assist you in setting up a time for a blessing.
Happy Rogation Days!!
[1] CCC 2402, Cf. Gen 1: 26-29
[2] https://sensusfidelium.com/the-liturgical-year-dom-prosper-gueranger/easter/rogation-days-monday/
[3] https://catholicrurallife.org/the-new-evangelization-and-celebration-of-rogation-and-ember-days-by-sr-esther-mary-nickel-r-s-m/
