Happy Rogation Sunday!
This Sunday kicks off “Rogation days” – the three days prior to Ascension Thursday, the 40th day after Easter. In 470 AD, after a period of disasters ravaged the people of Vienne, France, Archbishop Mamertus instituted the Rogation Days to ward off further disaster. He proclaimed days of fasting and processions of prayer around the freshly-sprouted fields, asking God for mercy in the growth of the crops. “Rogation” comes from the Latin rogare, “to ask,” and the Gospel lesson originally assigned for that Sunday was from John 16 – “Ask and ye shall receive.” In an agricultural society, highly vulnerable to the uncertainties of nature, this idea took root quickly, and the custom spread around Europe and over to Britain.
Gradually, the Rogation Days became a time of festival, celebrating the advent of Spring. The members of a parish would process around the boundaries of the parish, which was a civil as well as a religious unit. Boundary disputes between landowners, hurt feelings, and other griefs and grievances were relinquished. Thus, the processions were useful in teaching the younger parishioners both their parish boundaries and healthy habits. Known as “beating the bounds,” the processions customarily stopped at boundary marks and other significant landmarks of the parish, such as a venerable tree, or a great rock, or a pond. The priest would read the Gospel and perhaps affix a cross to the landmark. In time, the day broadened beyond physical boundaries to also assessing relational trespasses within the parish and reconciling those boundaries as well.
In the spirit of Rogation Days, it is fitting that we have culminated the four-week process of examining the residual psychological and emotional effects of COVID-19 on us individually and as a parish. We are offering the fruits of our meetings to the parish in the form of a short cleansing ritual after the Pentecost service on Sunday, June 5th. We are asking participants to consider and write down the negative things that they are still holding from the last two years of COVID isolation, fear, and uncertainty. We will bless a fire and, asking God for grace and release, place those things we wish to release into the fire. We will then write down positive things that came out of COVID and celebrate one or two of them weekly going forward as a parish. If you are remote, we will have a process for submitting what you would like to release and the positives you would like to celebrate, though we hope you will join us in person.
Those are the broad strokes of the prayer service, but we would really like to include as many people as possible. So, if you have any ideas or would like to get more involved, please let myself, Jo Anne Nelson, or Carol Hylton know. We would LOVE to have you!
Some things you could consider to mark Rogation Days and Ascension Thursday: Take a prayer walk around your neighborhood, praying for all those who live there; work in your garden and give thanks you have a garden – or better yet – help someone with their garden; resolve a difference you have with someone in the parish…or if you feel it can’t be resolved, say a prayer that they are safe, healthy, and happy; do a random act of kindness to someone who is in need. Doing for others helps us move forward.
Speaking of moving forward, let’s not forget to tune in to a presentation by the Rev. Anne-Marie Jeffrey about the 7 Vitals Signs of Parish Health. The Rev. Jeffrey will give the presentation to our Parish on May 23 from 7:00-8:00 PM via Zoom. We will record the presentation and post it to our website in case you are not able to attend, however these steps in parish growth are a shared experience so please try to clear your schedule for that hour to join us!
Lastly (but certainly not least), I offer you a Prayer for a New Beginning, written by a colleague of mine at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco:
This Sunday kicks off “Rogation days” – the three days prior to Ascension Thursday, the 40th day after Easter. In 470 AD, after a period of disasters ravaged the people of Vienne, France, Archbishop Mamertus instituted the Rogation Days to ward off further disaster. He proclaimed days of fasting and processions of prayer around the freshly-sprouted fields, asking God for mercy in the growth of the crops. “Rogation” comes from the Latin rogare, “to ask,” and the Gospel lesson originally assigned for that Sunday was from John 16 – “Ask and ye shall receive.” In an agricultural society, highly vulnerable to the uncertainties of nature, this idea took root quickly, and the custom spread around Europe and over to Britain.
Gradually, the Rogation Days became a time of festival, celebrating the advent of Spring. The members of a parish would process around the boundaries of the parish, which was a civil as well as a religious unit. Boundary disputes between landowners, hurt feelings, and other griefs and grievances were relinquished. Thus, the processions were useful in teaching the younger parishioners both their parish boundaries and healthy habits. Known as “beating the bounds,” the processions customarily stopped at boundary marks and other significant landmarks of the parish, such as a venerable tree, or a great rock, or a pond. The priest would read the Gospel and perhaps affix a cross to the landmark. In time, the day broadened beyond physical boundaries to also assessing relational trespasses within the parish and reconciling those boundaries as well.
In the spirit of Rogation Days, it is fitting that we have culminated the four-week process of examining the residual psychological and emotional effects of COVID-19 on us individually and as a parish. We are offering the fruits of our meetings to the parish in the form of a short cleansing ritual after the Pentecost service on Sunday, June 5th. We are asking participants to consider and write down the negative things that they are still holding from the last two years of COVID isolation, fear, and uncertainty. We will bless a fire and, asking God for grace and release, place those things we wish to release into the fire. We will then write down positive things that came out of COVID and celebrate one or two of them weekly going forward as a parish. If you are remote, we will have a process for submitting what you would like to release and the positives you would like to celebrate, though we hope you will join us in person.
Those are the broad strokes of the prayer service, but we would really like to include as many people as possible. So, if you have any ideas or would like to get more involved, please let myself, Jo Anne Nelson, or Carol Hylton know. We would LOVE to have you!
Some things you could consider to mark Rogation Days and Ascension Thursday: Take a prayer walk around your neighborhood, praying for all those who live there; work in your garden and give thanks you have a garden – or better yet – help someone with their garden; resolve a difference you have with someone in the parish…or if you feel it can’t be resolved, say a prayer that they are safe, healthy, and happy; do a random act of kindness to someone who is in need. Doing for others helps us move forward.
Speaking of moving forward, let’s not forget to tune in to a presentation by the Rev. Anne-Marie Jeffrey about the 7 Vitals Signs of Parish Health. The Rev. Jeffrey will give the presentation to our Parish on May 23 from 7:00-8:00 PM via Zoom. We will record the presentation and post it to our website in case you are not able to attend, however these steps in parish growth are a shared experience so please try to clear your schedule for that hour to join us!
Lastly (but certainly not least), I offer you a Prayer for a New Beginning, written by a colleague of mine at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco:
In the beginning you beamed light that shines in the darkest hour,
Light that no darkness could overcome:
Pierce the soul of this nation with your light,
And enlighten everyone with your divine wisdom.
Pierce the soul of this nation with your light,
And blind the demons of violence and hate.
Pierce the soul of this nation with your light,
That our chests draw in hope
And our hands grasp with strength
And our innards gird with all their might
And our hearts pump the lifeblood
Of an unlikely, luminous new beginning being born.
Amen.
The Rev. Anna E. Rossi
Canon Precentor and Director of Interfaith Engagement
Grace Cathedral, San Francisco
Grace and peace,
Laura Natta, Seminarian
