Blessing of herbs, flowers and fruits on the Feast of the Assumption

We hate to admit to this ignorance, but we'd never heard of this pious practice before Canon Avis announced it in Sunday's bulletin. In doing a little further research we discovered Father Mark Daniel Kirby's blog with a wealth of information about its history and symbolism. Father Kirby is the Prior of the Diocesan Benedictine Monastery of Our Lady of the Cenacle in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Here's a part of the post. You can read the entire article here.

"Christians of both East and West have, from very early times, blessed herbs and fruit on the Feast of the Assumption. Thus blessed, these creatures become sacramentals of the Church and portents of divine protection from dangers to soul and body. In some places the herbs were placed on the altar, and even beneath the altar linens, so that from this proximity to the Most Holy Eucharist they might receive a special hallowing, beyond that conferred by the blessing prayers of the Church."

We are looking forward to experiencing this blessing prior to the Masses at Old St. Patrick Oratory on August 15th.