Saints and Feasts and Rogation Days, Oh My!

+JMJ+ Whew! So much is happening this week. We’re in May, the month devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, tomorrow is Ascension Thurday (except most of the US will observe it on Sunday). There are two saints’ memorials today, and it’s the feast of the apparition of St. Michael in 590 AD, and the dedication of the sanctuary built on the site. AND today is the final day of the Minor Rogation Days. (I have to admit, I’ve heard of Rogation Days and I’ve read about them, but I’m only just now getting it through my head what they actually are. What can I say? I discovered the Church long after the changes of Vatican II, and though I read a lot of old books, what I don’t know is vast.

You can read more about all of that at the Catholic Culture site. I use it for reference weekly if not daily. Below is a quote about Rogation Days from the same page.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week we commemorate the traditional dates for the Minor Rogation Days. These are days of prayer and formerly fasting, which take place every year on April 25th and the three days preceding the feast of the Ascension, the former being known as the Major Rogation and the latter as the Minor Rogations. The word “rogation” has its origins in the Latin word rogare, which means to supplicate or ask, and the purpose of Rogation Days is to beg God for His mercy, to turn away His anger, and to ask Him to bless the fruits of the earth while protecting us from natural disasters. The Rogation Days no longer appear on the General Roman Calendar, but celebrated according to the local conference of bishops.

—Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter; Minor Rogation Day, Catholic Culture.

On the Ascension

I’m not even going to try to talk about the Ascension. I’m still pondering what I’ve been reading and watching. But I will share with you a couple of videos I just watched, both by Dr. Brant Pitre. If you’ve visited the blog before, you’ve probably noticed that I think highly of him and his work. He’s one of my main go-to guys. Oh! Well, I am going to say this: NO! Jesus is NOT a New Age Ascended Master! Don’t get me started! I already wrote a post about that.

Video, The Ascension and the Eucharistic Sacrifice, by Brant Pitre.

Video, The Ascension: Why 40 Days?, by Brant Pitre.

And we have May 13^th coming right up on Monday: Our Lady of Fatima. I don’t know about you, but Fatima has become more and more important to me over the years. Do you say any of the Fatima prayers when you pray the Rosary? I know some don’t. Frankly, I’ve been surprised when I heard/read some people say they don’t pray them. They don’t pray the prayers before or after the Rosary, the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary or the Hail Holy Queen, or the O my Jesus after each decade. That reminds me: I was praying the Rosary with some people during 40 Days for Life one day and no one knew those prayers. I was so surprised. I learned them from my little blue Pray the Rosary booklet. Didn’t everyone?

Okay, I said that with my tongue firmly in my cheek. I know many a Catholic friend learned the Rosary at home with the family. For those of us who came late to the Church we often learned by listening to a tape or CD or watching a video or reading a book. I started out with that little booklet, a Dana CD, and a set of beads from the store where I worked. But I had help from friends, too. And we said all the prayers, well, all the prayers in that booklet. (But I still don’t know the Litany of Loreto by heart. Not yet, anyway.)

Video, Our Lady of Fatima, by Bishop Sheen. Highly recommended, as is anything by him. You may have to watch it on YouTube instead of here.

Video, Understanding Fatima – Explaining the Faith, by Fr. Chris Alar.

Thanks for visiting and reading and for your prayers. I always need them and I very much appreciate them. May this be the year we become the saints the Lord means us to be! God bless you, every one, and may His peace be always with you. +JMJ+

PS: Don’t forget to enter the Giveaway while you’re here. Details and form on the Giveaway Spring 2024 page.

Collect for Today, Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that, as we celebrate in mystery the solemnities of your Son’s Resurrection, so, too, we may be worthy to rejoice at his coming with all the Saints. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Join me on Fridays for the Rosary Project Live on Twitter at 8pm ET, 7pm CT, to cultivate a culture of Light, Life, Love, Truth, Beauty, and Goodness, for the conversion of sinners, and for the salvation of souls. There’s also a Rosary on the blog you can use anytime.

“The Rosary is the ‘weapon’ for these times.” — Padre Pio

Notes and Links

The videos shared in this post by Dr. Brant Pitre are part of the Mass Readings Explained, available at Catholic Productions. Highly recommended.
- The Ascension and the Eucharistic Sacrifice, by Brant Pitre.
- The Ascension: Why 40 Days?, by Brant Pitre.
- Our Lady of Fatima, by Bishop Sheen.
- Understanding Fatima – Explaining the Faith, by Fr. Chris Alar.
Pray the Rosary: Booklet, Kindle (Amazon affiliate links, see Full Disclosure below). I really cannot recommend the Kindle version of this. I don’t know who published it but I don’t think it was Catholic Book Publishing, the ones who did the little printed booklet. I recommend the one below.
Pray the Rosary: For Rosary Novenas, Family Rosary, Private Recitation, Five First Saturdays, Catholic Book Publishing, Fr. Patrick Peyton wrote the Preface: Booklet, Kindle (Amazon affiliate links, see Full Disclosure below). I think this is the same booklet as the first one I listed, only in a bigger format, and the Kindle version is like the booklet. This one I highly recommend.

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