One of the more ancient rites of the Church, the Rogation Mass and Procession were originally instituted as a counter to the pagan practices of the ancient world. Seeing that farmers would often pay homage to false deities as the harvest-season drew near, the Church instituted the penitential “Rogation rites,” wherein the faithful are asked to plead for God’s mercy, to invoke the aid of the saints, and to seek the favor of the one true God as the spring harvest approaches.
