Rogation Days

Photo courtesy of Bryan Boosz

This is a photo of the beautiful Memorial Garden at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County, who host the space where we meet for Sunday Mass. Since today was Rogation Sunday, at the end of Mass, we processed around the boundaries of the church and these gardens praying for the protection of the church and blessing the trees, grass, flowers, and bushes with prayers and a sprinkling of Holy Water.

Here are the prayers we used to begin the procession:

Almighty God, Lord of heaven and earth: We humbly pray that your gracious providence may give and preserve to our use the harvests of the land and of the seas, and may prosper all who labor to gather them, that we, who are constantly receiving good things from your hand, may always give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature: Make us always thankful for your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Then as we processed around the garden, we sprinkled Holy Water throughout and sang the hymn "All Creatures of Our God and King." We didn't have an organ or a choir as in the video below, but we had many enthusiastic voices raised in song!