Sacred Liturgy & Sacraments: May 2013 Archives

Trinity Sunday

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Trinita Salimbeni Montalcin.jpg
Holy, holy holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.

Holy, holy holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Though art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow'r, in love and purity.

Holy, holy holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.

Reginald Heber (1783-1826)
Anglican Bishop of Calcutta
poet
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Following Saint Benedict's direction to monks, we are to "sing with pleasure, sing with wisdom." 

The Pontifical Liturgical Institute operated by the Benedictines in Rome at Sant'Anselmo, has initiated a Masters program in Gregorian Chant.

The new dean of the PIL, Benedictine Father Jordi Piqué spoke to CNA about the new program.

Contact Father Jordi: pilpresidepique@gmail.com.


Rogation Days

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Just before Ascension Thursday, there are three days of prayer asking God to bestow his blessing on creation, particularly the on farms that produce the food we need for nourishment. We call these days minor Rogation Days, in comparison to the major Rogation Day is observed on April 25. "Rogation" comes from the Latin rogare, to ask, as in, to ask for God's mercy, His blessings, His continued benevolence upon all creation. Whether major or minor days of asking, Christians have been doing this type of prayer since the time of Saint Gregory the Great (the major day) and Saint Mamertus (the minor days). This is good example of how we Christians connect trust and confidence in God and the work of human hands on the earth.


A Catholic sense of ecology always includes prayer and not merely a commitment to a green ideology. All of our thinking and acting is informed by our prayer, work and prayer, faith and reason. From a gesture of gratitude we give thanks to the Lord for the beauty of the earth. The key biblical passages prayed come from Psalm 69, Jeremiah 10-11: 1-16, James 5:16-20 and Luke 11:5-14.


In the Northeast we don't see too much of Rogation Day observances with Mass, litanies and processions. Sad to see so little done in this area since there are lots of working farms here and it would be a good thing to make supplication to God. In the Midwest can be experienced. Farmers, gardeners, agricultural professionals and others, gather to pray for all who work on the land, for a favorable planting, growing, and harvesting season, and for safety and protection from natural disasters.


Some of the Benedictine monasteries will attend to Rogation Days in collaboration with the local pastor or bishop. In 2012, the Benedictine Sisters of St Benedict Monastery (Ferdinand, IN) for example, had a procession that went from their monastery to the local parish with Bishop Charles C. Thompson, bishop of the Diocese of Evansville. Offices of Catholic Rural Life in certain dioceses ought to be attentive to this ancient form of prayer.


Some places to read further: here and here (with a very good history of the Rogation Day practice).

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About the author

Paul A. Zalonski is from New Haven, CT. He is a member of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, a Catholic ecclesial movement and an Oblate of Saint Benedict. Contact Paul at paulzalonski[at]yahoo.com.

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This page is a archive of entries in the Sacred Liturgy & Sacraments category from May 2013.

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