And in the Big News today from a Faith Perspective, Happy Nearly Rogation Sunday everybody! Yes, it’s that time of year once again that you’ve all been waiting for. Let’s celebrate the beauty of creation (apart from a certain creation that I’m not going to mention).
Platitude of the Day 
Rogation Sunday?
I have to say this is one I haven’t heard of before.
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“Description
The Rogation Days fall on April 25 and on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday that precede Ascension Day. The Church established these days of prayer, fasting, and processions as a formal means of asking God for a good harvest, protection against natural disasters, and forgiveness of sins.”
Protection against natural disasters, how is that working out for you Rob?
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‘”This is a local rite, for local people. There’s nothing for you here'”.
Rogation Sunday conjures up vague memories of sepia-coloured photos of choirboys in long white frocks carrying willow sticks to beat the bounds with. I had no idea it was still a thing: I assumed it had died out in about 1930. Maybe that’s just Rob Marshall’s bit of Hull for you.
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I thought I’d never heard of this ritual, but now remember in the very dim and distant past as a churchgoer, that I’ve actually taken part.
The priest led us all out of the building carrying one of those super-tall crosses, and but, mercifully, once the procession was out in the front car park it double-backed down the side of the building and into the church’s rear lawn, where a few prayers were said, and back we went.
All the while I was desperately hoping not to be seen by my non-Catholic mates.
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Lots of lovely pictures of rogation here:-
https://www.google.com/search?q=Rogation&safe=active&rlz=1C1CHBD_en-GBGB807GB807&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=hqqkjx9ExJ65M%253A%252CmJdNsFtK3HVTGM%252C%252Fm%252F02n6vp&vet=1&usg=AI4-kSYw8lRnb6zQMgLb_j7G049ueoN-Q&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi80Oav_rfpAhXynFwKHWNbBSMQ_B0wC3oECAwQAw
Primitive isn’t it. I wonder if any priest when leading folk out into the fields beating the hell out of hedges, ditches and fences with big sticks thought to himself “Christ, I can get these credulous fools to do anything I want!”
And you know I bet some of the priests did just that … made the fools do anything … and not wholesome things either in many cases when the priest found himself alone, purely by accident of course, with some young wench or pretty boy.
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Ah, beating the bounds on their bare buttocks preferably.
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Anonymous, you were not far wrong. Christians do seem to have a thing about arses and sticks.
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But rogation day didn’t stop the good christian Germans in WW2. Gott mit uns and all that.
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