How We Bless Our Property on the Feast of St. Mark

I posted this in 2015 when we lived in Nebraska, but, for a re-share,  this was the best and 
easiest round-up of the prayers we've said for years on the feast of St. Mark. 

If it's at all possible, it's a good thing to do these blessings after attending Mass and the Greater Litany Processions. But it's not necessary. (But the more blessings, the better, right?)  There is an alternative Feast Day on which to do blessings (The Feast of the Holy Cross, September 14th). You can make special, substantial crosses  (rustic or fancy, it's up to you), to have blessed on this day (a traditional custom in some times and places) and then place them around your property in September  --  then, come March 25th, add small vials of holy water and fresh palms and decorations as you go about doing the blessings on the Feast of St. Mark -- which is the Church's Day for Blessing farms and crops. Alternatively, you can make new crosses every year, using branches and twigs -- you can have them blessed if you like (but it's not a necessity) -- and then take them out with you when you do the blessings on St. Mark's Day. You can perhaps have four different children hold each of the crosses until each is staked into its corner. 

Or, honestly -- keep in mind, you can choose another day to do these blessings if you are doing them strictly as a family pious exercise. It's nice to make a 
Our Busy priests: hard to catch sometimes.
tradition out of a particular day that the children can look forward to, though. And being in sync with the Church is a wonderful thing in every way. In addition, if you have a priest who has the time to do these property blessings for your family, that is top-notch, and the best possible scenario. But it's hard to do. Most of our priests are so pinched for time and have so many parishioners that something so time consuming is much more easily accomplished by the Father of the Family -- or a big brother if Dad is unavailable.

Also, you certainly don't need to have a farm or property to do these blessings! Any yard will do. Just eliminate the blessing prayers that aren't needed.

(N.B. I tried to find the original link to these prayers and had no luck. It's a little weird how hard it is to find these things these days. It used to be no problem! If anyone else can find them, please share in the comments! I will try to type them out on a pdf and make it available in the next few days, if possible.)



We started here:

Blessing of a Farm

(This prayer may be said to obtain God's blessing on a farm with its buildings or for the farmhouse alone.)

Bless, O Lord, Almighty God, this house (or this farm). May health and purity, goodness and meekness, and every virtue reign here.  May all those who dwell here be filled with faithfulness to Thy law and with thanksgiving to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. May this blessing remain on this house (or this farm) and all who dwell here. Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Here we have Dan leading a gang of children out for the St. Mark's Day (Rogation Day) blessings.  Theresa took pictures since I didn't get to be there (bless her), but some of the girls' bffs were on hand to take my place, All the children made the hike with Dan around the four corners and did us the favor of helping pray our property safe.  Thanks, girls! 

On to the Animals

Blessing of the livestock.  Right now all we've got is chickens.  And cats.  And one big sweet St. Bernard.

Blessing of All Domestic Animals


Lord God, King of heaven and earth, Thou the Word of the Father by whom all creatures were 

given us for our support; look down, we beseech Thee, on our lowliness. As Thou hast given us

these animals to assist us in our labors and needs, so mayest Thou in thy great goodness and

mercy bless them from above, guard and preserve them; and, while Thou givest thy servants

temporal benefits, mayest Thou grant us Thy continual grace so that we may praise Thy holy 

name with thanksgiving.  Amen.

Blessing of the well.  (Need to have someone pick up all those wood scraps over there!)

Blessing of a Water Supply
O Lord, Almighty God, who hast given us an ample supply of water, led off by pipes from this source, grant that, by Thy assistance and blessing and our cooperation, every diabolical attack and confusion may be kept off and that this water supply may always be pure and uncontaminated.  Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing of a Spring or Well
We cry without ceasing, O Lord, to Thy Fatherly goodness that Thou wouldst sanctify this fountain of water with Thy heavenly blessing and make it suitable for every use.  Drive from it every influence of the devil so that whoever draws from it or drinks this water may enjoy good health and full vigor, and give praise and thanks to Thee, the Preserver and
Sanctifier of all things.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Processing around the north side of the property, heading along the cornfields toward the northwest corner.

It was pretty wet and muddy I'm told.

Blessing of Pasture, Meadows, and Fields


(This solemn blessing may be said at any time before cattle are put on the pasture for 

summer.)


O God, through whom every good thing has its beginning, and through whom it is improved 

and increased; grant, we beseech Thee, to us who cry to Thee, that this work, which we are

beginning for the praise of Thy name, may be happily brought to completion through the never

failing gift of Thy fatherly wisdom.  Through Christ our Lord. Amen.


Almighty, eternal God, Thou hast given to Thy priests a special grace so that we may be sure 

that whatever is worthily done by them in Thy name is done also by Thee.  We beseech Thy

clemency that Thou wouldst visit what we now vist, that Thou wouldst bless what we now bless,

and that Thou would'st stretch forth Thy mighty right arm over that which we now do, and that

by the merits and intercession of Thy saints and this entrance of our humble persons, the

demons may be put to flight and the angel of peace may enter in.  Through Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

The Litany of the Saints  is prayed next, followed by:
Send forth Thy spirit and they shall be created; And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.  For the Lord will give goodness; and our earth shall yield her fruit.
We humbly beseech Thy clemency O Lord, that Thou wouldst render these fields (pastures, meadows) fertile with rains in due season, that Thou wousdst fill them with Thy blessing, and so grant that Thy people may be ever thankful for Thy gifts.  Take infertility from the earth and fill the hungry with Thy gifts which the fruitful earth will yield in fullness that the poor and needy may raise the name of Thy glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Coming around the southwest corner... The horse stalls, to the right, the back of the chicken house and the woodshed. 

That you 'Squatch?

The Solemn Exorcism of Harmful Animals

I call upon you mice (worms, sails, snakes, spiders, lice, ticks, etc.) in the name of 

God, the Almighty Father, of Jesus Christ, His only Son, and of the Holy Spirit who

proceeds from both, that you go out from these fields and pastures and remain no

more in them, but depart for places where you can harm no one.  In the name of God,

the Almighty, of the whole heavenly court, and of God's holy Church, I declare you

accursed wherever you go so that you will become fewer day by day.  May no part of 

you be found again, unless it be for man's welfare.  May He graciously grant this, who

will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire.

* Note: Any prayer that is called an "exorcism" must be performed by a specially authorized priest in order to 

truly exorcise.  

You could pray this prayer, of course, and it would be heard by God as all prayers are, but not to the same effect.

Through the jungle...

Under the pear tree..

Blessing of Orchards and Vineyards

We beseech Thee, Almighty God, in Thy goodness, to pour down Thy blessings on these

young shoots and sprouts which Thou wouldst grow into mature fruit.  Grant to Thy people

that they may always be permitted to grow, with due sunshine and rain, and make them gifts which the fruitful earth produces in fullness so that the poor and needy may praise Thy glory.  Amen.

WOOT!  Are we ever blessed now!

I love this shot of Monica. Who would ever have guessed at this time that she would marry our son, Dominic, and be the mother of our granddaughters, Margaret and Clara -- with baby #3 due in September?