Deuteronomy 8:18 (CEB) Remember the Lord your God! He’s the one who gives you the strength to be prosperous.
What is Rogation Sunday?
Summary: Rogation Sunday is an occasion to ask for God’s blessing on our area’s prosperity.
This Sunday is Rogation Sunday. Rogation is an ancient church festival that seeks God’s blessing on a parish (parish being the spiritual name of county.) The name “Rogation” comes from the Latin word rogare which means “to ask.” Rogation Days are the three days preceding Ascension Day. The sixth Sunday of Easter is traditionally known as “Rogation Sunday.” On these days we pray for God’s blessing to be upon the well-being of our parish.
It seems fitting to ask God for blessing and sustenance on our community after a few uniquely difficult COVID years. Traditionally rogation days were reserved for prayer and fasting to ask God for a good harvest. In ancient times, a good harvest dictated if it was going to be a financially good year. Just witnessing the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020 where nearly half of all grocery stores in the United States were out of stock of toilet paper for part of the day on April 19, 2020, we have seen our need for God’s blessing on our economy. Today’s socio-economic system is more complicated than medieval times however we have recently witnessed the vulnerability of the system.
Prayers, a procession, and sharing of hope in God’s goodness are all elements of the festival. This Sunday we will do all these things. We will walk the land. We will pray for our land as a symbol of provision. We will ask for God’s blessing for us and our community. In all these ways we will celebrate Rogation. That is because this festival invites people to ask for blessing for a particular place; for its inhabitants, and for enterprise that promotes the common good. Let us seek God’s blessing together.
May God bless us and keep us,
Pastor Anny+
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