Rogation Days: Meaning and Significance in Catholic Modernity

The basic practice of rogation days throughout its history is one of procession and litany
or petition to God, asking for blessings upon the lands. Processions and Litanies may also have a
petition for blessings upon the people, or protection against afflictions, plagues, infirmities,
adverse weather and any other dangers. Processions were very common throughout the history of
the church for various reasons and sometimes quite elaborate. Rogation takes its name from the
word meaning “to petition or beg” and is often translated in English as “beseech”. In the Litany
of Saints, one of the types of petitions ends with “te rogamus, audi nos,” (We beseech Thee, hear
us).

Processions have a long history as a method of petition, so much so that the terms litany
and procession was used synonymously in the Middle Ages. Father Xavier Weiser, S.J. in his
book Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs (1952) mentions, “even more frequent,
however, was the use of litanies during procession, because the short invocations and
exclamatory answers provided a convenient form of common prayer for a multitude in motion.
This connection between litany and procession soon brought about the custom of calling both by
the same term. From the sixth century on, litania was used with the meaning of “procession.”
(For beautiful artwork depicting Catholic processions are nicely described here.) It is interesting
to note how processions were also used in rural life and in missionary lands. Miraculous
outcomes have been credited to processions with images of the Blessed Virgin Mary, such as the
Salus Populi Romani in Rome. This image was therefore copied by artists and sent to every
foreign mission by the Jesuits. The processions in the Reductions of Paraguay and present-day
Bolivia even included “operas” or other elaborate musical programs at stations along the way!
The Baroque was a little… much. But this does give example to how popular a devotion the
litanies or processions were. So, it makes perfect sense that a procession would be used to ask
God to bless the land, the crops, and the farmers.

In the Midwest today, and I’m sure in many other places, farming communities will
continue to have large outdoor Masses in fields during the summer months, and other events to
either give thanks for harvest, or to petition the Lord to bless the crops and land. Many priests
and bishops travel in the springtime to bless seeds, etc. This is a beautiful remnant of the
Catholic understanding of Stewardship of the Land. As the Catholic Land Movement describes,
closeness to the land and the seasons often helps foster a dependence on God for all things and
strong faith.
Shawn Tribe of the New Liturgical Movement did a good job of summarizing the origin
and history or the Rogation days here. I will simply add that these Rogation days vary from
Ember Days because they are both penitential and not. Because these three days fall in the Easter
Season, the fathers of the Church thought it inappropriate to fast, so therefore the penitential
aspect of these three days are suspended. However, the liturgical color is still Violet and there is
no Gloria. “The pope finally consented to a compromise: the observance of the fast was
rescinded, but the penitential procession was approved,” in the year 816. (Weiser, p.42) The
ancient practice of the paraliturgical procession for Rogation days basically include the singing
of the Antiphons before the procession begins, and in any churches that are visited during the
procession. The litany used to lead directly into the Mass, the Rogation Mass, therefore, does not
have it’s own Introit nor it’s own Kyrie (trope, a practice discontinued now anyway). There is no
obligation to have a procession. However for those who are required to pray the Divine Office,
they must also pray the Litany of the Saints today. (Weiser, p. 43)

It may be a neat practice for Catholic homeschool families to include an outdoor Litany
of the Saints, sung or recited, one of these days in asking the Lord to bless our “lands”, or our
homes and our families during these Rogation Days. A short lesson on farming or gardenting
might help to call to mind the connection of the spring season and our Catholic faith. If you are
lucky enough to have a lot of outdoor space – many acres – then this could turn into quite the
event and maybe even a party! Dr. Michael Foley, a patristics professor at Baylor University and
author of the popular book Drinking with the Saints, already mentioned in an interview on a
recent podcast how the “beating of the bounds” on the Greater Rogation Day of April 25th turned
into quite a fest in Medieval times!

Finally, Fr. Weiser does a great job of describing and connecting our Catholic Faith with
devotions in the home and farm and mentions practices that were still apparent in the 1950’s. I
can’t help imagine how glorious this would be today in our own communities!
 In the rural sections of Catholic countries the Rogations are still held in their full and
original significance with many features of external solemnity. The church bells ring
while the procession slowly sends its way through the town and out in to the open.
Religious banners are carried, the litanies are chanted by the choir and people, and the
priest sprinkles the fields, gardens, and orchards with holy water. After returning to the
church, a sermon is preached and the High Mass of the Rogations is celebrated. Later in
the day some time is spent by many farmers with private little prayer processions around
their own homestead. Reciting traditional prayers, the whole family asks for God’s
blessing upon house, barns, stables, and fields…

The purpose and liturgy of the Rogations has for many centuries, up to our time, inspired
a great number of semiliturgical imitations and repetitions of its rite in the manifold
smaller processions which are held all through the summer months in countless places of
Europe. These prayer processions are customary whenever the harvest is in danger from
frost, floods, hail, drought, or the like. Other such processions are steady features of
religious observance, and their main purpose is to pray for the right kind of weather – a
most important item on the prayer list of agricultural populations.

May your gardens be abundant, and may we continually give thanks for every good and
perfect gift which comes from above. And go hug a farmer! (I do not approve of this messege…
but it does remind me of what my brother would sound like if he made a music video.)