Rogation Day

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!” Then the disciples came and asked Jesus, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’ With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: ‘You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn— and I would heal them.’ “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.” Matthew 13:1-16

The days before Ascension day are rogation days - times to pray for an abundant harvest. In ancient times the priest would walk the edges of fields and bless them. Not too many of us live in places where we could walk the whole field, yet we can still pray for the abundant harvest. I have only small raised beds and flower pots, and yet, I find myself praying for the seeds and plants, asking for protection against varmints, bugs, and my lack of gardening skills. My Cherokee mother, and her father, were both magnificent gardeners, blessed with green thumbs and know how. Me, not so much.

Creator of abundance and all that is good

we pray for the farmers and those who plant

and for those who tend, water and wait

and those who try to make gardens flourish.

Your beauty surrounds us, your abundance everywhere

yet we would not hear the stories you told

nor listen with hearts of compassions and understanding.

Give us eyes to see and ear to hear today

and let us be witnesses to your sacred abundance. Amen.