Rogation Monday

Todays we start three days of special prayer, asking God to bless our growing crops. Here we see some tiny tomato plants growing in my conservatory. I think they are in need of your prayers!

I am reminded of the story of the Mirfield Father who was sprinkling the growing crops in the Community Garden with holy water - he told the altar server holding the aspergillium that he had more faith in well-rotted manure!



Lord, in Thy Name Thy servants plead,
And Thou hast sworn to hear;
Thine is the harvest, Thine the seed,
The fresh and fading year.

Our hope, when autumn winds blew wild,
We trusted, Lord, with Thee:
And still, now spring has on us smiled,
We wait on Thy decree.

The former and the latter rain,
The summer sun and air,
The green ear and the golden grain,
All Thine, are ours by prayer.

Thine too by right and ours by grace,
The wondrous growth unseen,
The hopes that soothe, the fears that brace,
The love that shines serene.

So grant the precious things brought forth
By sun and moon below,
That Thee in Thy new heav’n and earth
We never may forgo.

J Keble (1792-1866)

Spring has now arrived in the Highlands - just!

Let us pray.

Direct us, Lord, in all our doings,
with your most gracious favour,
and further us with your continual help;
that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in you,
we may glorify your holy name,
and finally by your mercy attain everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.